Boardroom Blog

ClimateSmart and ecoBiz

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:46:00 GMT

Did you know that Noosa Boardroom achieved ecoBiz partner status over 2 and a half years ago? It seems like only yesterday however we were one of the first businesses in Queensland to achieve this status and have continued our commitment to environmental sustainability initiatives over this time.

Back in 2008 we undertook numerous energy efficiency initiatives that resulted in annual savings over $1300.

Annual Savings:

Energy 17% (26,840 MJ )
Greenhouse Gas 17% (2 cars or 7.89 t CO₂-e)
Disposal waste 26% (17 wheelie bins or 4 m³)
Efficiency savings $1,301

Savings as at December 2008

We are huge advocates of the ecoBiz program and recommend it to other businesses interested in undertaking energy, water and/or waste efficiency initiatives. The program is simple and easy to follow and you have dedicated support officers to help you along the way. Best of all you get to save money!

For further information on the ecoBiz program we recommend you check out this informative website www.derm.qld.gov.au/ecobiz as it has numerous case studies from businesses who have participated.

The Noosa Boardroom Case study can be downloaded from this page.

Q-Cert Building Certifiers

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:46:00 GMT

Our long standing Serviced Office tenant Q-Cert Building Certifiers have just launched their new website. Scott Coleman, who is the principal, provides building certification, regulatory advice, planning and consultancy advice.

Q-Cert have recently expanded their services beyond the Sunshine Coast and are now also servicing clients in the Mackay region, an area Scott knows well.

Check out the website here>> www.q-cert.com.au

Competition Winner

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:47:00 GMT

Noosa Boardroom and Quest Newspapers announced the winner of their $10,000 Office give-away competition on November 28th 2011, with the winner being Clare Chalk of Benchmark Employment Services and Training.

Clare led a field of outstanding entries to the sought after prize of 6 months worth of free serviced office services.

Clare is a highly experienced industrial relations expert and the owner of Benchmark Employment Services and Training. Up to now she has been working from her home office in Coolum.

Clare will be moving in to her office in early January.

As a thank you to everyone who entered, all entrants received a voucher for a half day use of our Boardroom.

Thank you to all involved in the competition.

Expand your horizons: Office competition

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:34:00 GMT

IF you've got a business idea but aren't sure whether the market is right or if your business plan is water tight then the thought of committing to a lengthy business lease may scare you.

This is one of the many scenarios where Noosa Boardroom could be an ideal option.

The serviced one to two-person offices offer short-term leasing, as well as IT needs, boardroom and reception services.

Owners Anne and Steve Lawrence have been helping start-up and small businesses for five years.

Mr Lawrence said the facility was also popular with larger companies looking to accommodate small groups of staff in satellite offices.

Currently the boardroom is home to a wide variety of businesses including a solar panel firm, job placement agencies, building inspectors, online retailers, financial businesses and human resources consultants, to name a few.

Mr Lawrence said the Boardroom served as a business incubator for many fledgling businesses.

``For example we had a business start up and they recently moved to Mooloolaba because they outgrew us, but we played an essential role in helping them get started.

``If you have a business idea this is a good place to base yourself while you test it out. If it doesn't work you haven't had to fork out for a three-year lease.

``It's a safe place to pilot a new business, get it off the ground.''

The Noosa Journal and Noosa Boardroom have teamed up to offer one lucky reader a serviced office at Noosa Boardroom for six months a prize worth approximately $10,000.

To enter visit www.questnews.com.au/sunshinecoast

Extract from the Noosa Journal 3rd November 2011

ABC TV Serviced Office Story

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:27:00 GMT

ABC TV ran a nice story about the virtues of using a Serviced Office during the global financial crisis. The clip runs for 3 minutes and is a great ad for what we do. Thanks ABC!

View from ABC website here>> Serviced Offices Defy Financial Crisis

Office Expansion Competition

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:41:00 GMT

Times are tough for the business community and we want to help.

As part of the Jobs For The Coast campaign that Quest Newspapers (Noosa, Maroochy and Caloundra Journals) are running, we are offering one of our Serviced Offices for FREE for six months.

It's a fantastic opportunity to expand your business on the Coast or start up that great idea you have always dreamed of.

The lucky winner will have a six-month serviced office worth approximately $10,000, including use of furniture, cleaning, power, internet, use of common facilities, phone answering and reception services and the use of a small meeting room.

Winners will be chosen by a panel comprising of Steve and Anne Lawrence from Noosa Boardroom; David Crossen Editor-in-Chief of Quest's Sunshine Coast division; and Lew Brennan, Economic Development Portfolio Leader Cr Division 12, Sunshine Coast Regional Council.

The competition starts Friday October 14 and will close on Monday November 21 at 5pm.

To enter, complete the entry form here>> Competition Entry Form.

The winner will be announced online and in-paper the week commencing November 28th 2011 and will be contacted by phone.

We look forward to receiving your entry. Good Luck!

Green Initiatives in the spotlight

Fri, 20 May 2011 02:12:00 GMT

We love our Boardroom community of businesses. There is such a great vibe in our business centre at the moment with many of our clients growing their businesses both locally and nationally.

Green Initiatives is one of those clients and I (Anne Lawrence) recently had the privilege of working with the Green Initiatives team to help them get some publicity about their activities.

Scott Andrews and his team have a strong community spirit and they jumped at the chance to sponsor the Coolum Beach Surf Life Saving Club as it fit with their concept of local community. They didn't just sponsor a little, they became the GOLD sponsor and gave a considerable sum of cash to the club so they could purchase a new all-terrain vehicle.

A copy of the press release with all the sponsorship details is here and this got picked up by both the Sunshine Coast Daily and the Coolum News.

When talking with Scott we eventually got onto the topic of the upcoming changes to the Federal system of rebates for solar systems, and Scott was worried that there were potentially some dodgy operators out there who may take advantage of the situation and dupe the consumers.

We therefore decided to put out an additional media release and 'warn' householders about the impending situation, positioning Scott as a trusted operator and an expert in this field. For a copy of the story download the additional press release here (particularly if you are thinking of purchasing solar panels in the next 6 weeks!).

This resulted in an interesting Channel 7 story - in the video below - where they didn't QUITE get their facts right... but never the less, Scott was the expert commenting on the situation and his comments were beamed into tens of thousands of local households one balmy evening last week.

No need to panic

Mon, 09 May 2011 06:27:00 GMT

Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey - Economic Commentary for April 2011 Survey, By Michael Campbell from AECGroup.

It has been a while. As you would have noticed, the Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey has gone half yearly, so we no longer have January data, which has proven historically to be a good quarter, with many businesses benefiting from the holiday season and high visitation to the Coast.

So, nobody panic (just yet), but the most recent results demonstrate a worsening business environment on the Sunshine Coast, with 52% of businesses showing weaker results over the last six months. This is a new record high for this survey and builds on the previous record of 48%. As demonstrated below, the move came at the expense of businesses reporting the same or higher trading results (22% and 26%, respectively).

Source: AECgroup; Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey (2011)

The September 2010 survey showed a typically upbeat business outlook with nearly half of all businesses expecting stronger results in the future as we headed into the tourist season. So what has happened? Looking over the numbers, it looks like a soap opera of economic figures, drama and disaster around every corner! In fact, since the last survey in September 2010, there have been fewer visitors to the Coast, natural disasters, record highs for the Aussie dollar and rising inflation, all of which are likely to impact businesses on the Sunshine Coast.

Quarterly figures show that fewer visitors came to the Sunshine Coast in December 2010 compared to the previous year. Additionally, the flooding in South East Queensland interrupted numerous businesses and has considerable flow on impacts across the economy. The Australian dollar continues to break records and is currently trading around US$1.07-US$1.08 level. March quarterly inflation figures are up 1.3% and 3.5% from the previous year, translating to higher costs of living for everyone.

The most recent survey indicates that indeed many of these factors are threatening businesses on the Sunshine Coast. Over half of businesses see the impacts from the floods and cyclone as a threat and 76% see fuel price trends (indicative of increasing inflation) as a theat. Interestingly, only a third of businesses are worried about climate change impacts and 40% about the high Aussie dollar.

Source: Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey (2011)

Detailed responses in the survey indicated that the natural disasters in Queensland have generated numerous flow on impacts to the Sunshine Coast, with many businesses citing operations in Brisbane or North Queensland that were (and some remain) completely shut down. The high dollar and increasing taxes were also mentioned frequently in the detailed responses. Indeed, two-thirds of businesses responded that they are worried about future taxes (flood levy/tax and the carbon tax).

These responses highlight the challenging and dynamic environment that all businesses operate in and the myriad of issues that can appear. While all of these factors are out of the control of businesses, they must prepare for and manage these issues. From a regional economic perspective, the reliance of the Sunshine Coast on tourism (mentioned throughout the survey responses) makes many of these issues worse. A diverse economy can be similar to a diverse investment portfolio, where risk is shared around as much as possible to assist with any unforeseen changes or factors that are beyond our control.

On a much brighter note, it appears that Sunshine Coast businesses have found ways to deal with recent hardships. The future outlook of businesses on the Sunshine Coast is very positive. While we have become accustomed to businesses on the Sunshine Coast being more optimistic than businesses across the state, this optimism in light of the recent trading conditions is very impressive.

Source: AECgroup; Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey (2011); Commonwealth Bank CCIQ Pulse Survey (2011)

As indicated above, 73% of businesses on the Sunshine Coast believe that the next six months will be stronger or stay the same, compared to 59% of businesses across the State, as per the most recent Commonwealth Bank / CCIQ Pulse Survey.

As sunny skies return to the Sunshine Coast (hopefully for good now), we look forward to seeing if business conditions can also improve.

Michael Campbell is a Senior Consultant with the AECgroup, an Australian economics and property consulting company based in Brisbane.

To download the full report go to our Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey page.

Duel to the Death for Local Businesses

Thu, 12 May 2011 23:51:00 GMT

This article was written by Anne Lawrence from Boardroom Business and I thought it was appropriate to post here.

He was mad! He was the maddest I have ever seen, and this was a significant departure from his usual mild mannered and happy disposition.

So what got this local business man so worked up? Unfortunately, it was another business closure here on the Sunshine Coast.

But this wasn’t just one isolated closure, it was one in a long string of closures over the last 12 months.

You know how the news goes: “Did you hear about xxxx?” “Oh no! Not them too?”

Trying to work out why this is happening is not something businesses wish to debate in public in case whatever ‘disease’ is out there will be caught by just whispering about it.

When it does get discussed, it is done in a very summarily manner and people seem to generally point the finger at both the economic situation and the decline in tourism. Two factors out of our direct control.

Others attempt to raise a potential lack of skills by the operator in question, but blaming small businesses is now considered poor form, particularly due to this growing trend from which few are immune.

The current distinct lack of customers and high fixed costs such as commercial rents are two seemingly significant immovable barriers facing most local businesses on the Coast.

If this continues, small businesses are going to be continually squeezed out until the long-term economic correction takes its course and without intervention, we will face further losses and more local pain.

Throwing money towards tourism advertising isn’t the answer, because with such a high Australian dollar it doesn’t matter how alluring you make the Sunshine Coast, it is still going to be nearly 2-3 times the price of a similar holiday elsewhere.

So if the customers aren’t coming, then local businesses have to tackle their fixed costs, and this leads us to commercial property rates……

I like to describe the current situation as a dual to the death between the landlords of commercial property and small businesses. Those who locked themselves into a long-term lease are now paying the price and unable to negotiate out.

Those who try to negotiate get blocked with either a flat NO by the landlord or get told that the landlord is himself held a prisoner by the banks and hasn’t the capacity to reduce the rates.

In the long run, many local businesses will have no choice but to shut up shop.

The landlords in turn then have a vacant building and if there are a few vacant buildings around then at some point they are pressured to lower the rate for a new entrant.

This scenario however favours the commercial real estate sector and new entrants to business and significantly disadvantages those valuable locals with long and often successful track records, the very people that should be around in the future to be our local business community leaders and mentor the new business entrants.

The answer, I believe, is in talking about it and working together to help solve the problem.

We need to collectively dissolve the mistrust between commercial land lords, agents and business owners and accept the fact that everyone is doing it tough and no one party should take advantage of the situation.

Are there any other options? What do you think?

By Anne Lawrence, Boardroom Business

Invitation to attend launch of the Sunshine Coast survey results

Fri, 06 May 2011 02:38:00 GMT

Join us for the launch of the latest Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey results. MC, Rebecca Marshall, Business Editor of the Sunshine Coast Daily will preside over a panel discussion, during a two course lunch, detailing the results of the latest survey.

The event will provide an unprecedented insight into how Sunshine Coast businesses are faring and their opinion on primary business drivers and impacts in the short to medium term.

The event combines the launch of the Sunshine Coast TAFE Employer Academy in addition to the release of the survey results.

Our panel of experts who will discuss the findings of the Business Confidence survey include:

 Ross Hepworth – Institute Director, Sunshine Coast TAFE

Alan Scott – Deloittes Private

Cr Debbie Blumel – Sunshine Coast Council

Professor Mike Hefferan – University of the Sunshine Coast

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Date: Thursday 12 May 2011 12pm – 2pm 
Where: Cartwrights Restaurant, Sunshine Coast TAFE, 34 Lady Musgrave Drive, Mountain Creek 
Cost: $35pp Employer Academy Members ($45pp Non-Members)  *HINT* Becoming an employer academy member is free!
RSVP: 5th May 2011 by phoning 5457 1000

 For more information contact: tracey.singh@deta.qld.gov.au or 5457 1143

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LIMITED PLACES! BOOK YOUR SEAT NOW!

Focus on business threats in latest Sunshine Coast Biz Confidence Survey

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:11:00 GMT

The eighth Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey supported by Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE opens today and will focus on understanding the latest threats and opportunities facing the local business community.

Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE Director Ross Hepworth said the business confidence survey is the most widely supported collaborative business tool on the Coast today with over 25 business groups and government agencies involved.

“And with this type of reach, all business types and sizes can both participate and share in the results of a collective view about local business conditions,” Mr Hepworth said.

“Understanding the impact of the recent disastrous weather events alongside the threat of online trading, the strong Australian dollar and potential new taxes can help us all develop strategies to address these threats and opportunities.

He said that the survey results may validate some of the anecdotal evidence about the negative impacts upon businesses locally, and get a better understanding of how these threats are being addressed.

“It will be interesting to know the opinions of all local business owners and operators on whether they see the strong Australian dollar as more of a threat than the extreme weather events or even where they may see opportunities where traditionally others may see threats”, continued Mr Hepworth.

Telstra Queensland Business Woman of the Year 2009 and CEO of United Synergies, Ms Sue Scheinpflug agrees with the collective approach to addressing region wide issues and opportunities.

“One of the advantages of this survey is that it is a good opportunity to match the voice of business against data from the usual sources such as Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)”, Ms Scheinpflug said.

“The hard data from the ABS doesn’t often carry an opinion, so there are not many places other than the Sunshine Coast Business Confidence Survey to get a sense of the experiences and what is actually happening in business on the Coast.

“This survey gives a direct voice for business on the Coast, it brings the data to life, helping us in the important task of addressing the region’s issues in a unified manner.”

Ms Scheinpflug encourages people to take the time and log on to the online anonymous survey to have their say.

“Everybody is busy until a decision gets made that impacts upon them, so whilst surveys don’t often seem to have a direct link to your everyday work, they do provide the decision making process with meaningful information.”

The online anonymous survey opens on Monday 14th of March 2011 and will be available for participation up until Friday 8th of April.

It includes eleven questions targeting business owners and managers across the entire Sunshine Coast region.

Businesses wishing to participate in the survey can go to www.boardroombusiness.com.au.

Business expo to assist ALL Sunshine Coast Businesses - big or small

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:25:00 GMT

Finding it difficult to kickstart your business success this year? Feeling a little lost in the realm of bluetooth and blogging? Or perhaps you’re stuck wondering how to get more bang for your marketing buck?

Sunshine Coast business owners and operators can lay their business worries aside, with answers to all the questions now within reach, following the release of tickets to the 2011 Sunshine Coast Business Expo this week.

Maroochydore Chamber of Commerce President Myles McNamara said the Expo was shaping up to be one of the most practical, engaging and rewarding business events ever staged in the Sunshine Coast region.

“This year’s Expo will feature more than 60 trade exhibitors from a diverse range of industries including banking, accounting, sign writing, real estate, education, health, IT and marketing,” Mr McNamara said.

“We have also managed to secure a number of high profile speakers including finance expert David Koch and ‘Gadget Guy’ Peter Blasina who will be sharing their knowledge and expertise throughout the two-day event.”

Mr McNamara said the Expo would inject more confidence into the local business community and motivate business owners to continue working hard while also broadening their business mindset.

“Sunshine Coast business owners and operators have faced a tough economic climate over the past few years, yet their perseverance and determination to succeed has been second to none,” Mr McNamara said.

“This year’s business Expo places a strong focus on education and providing business men and women with the necessary skills and resources to help their business succeed right when they need it most.”

The Expo will include a number of informative workshops covering topics ranging from branding, employee relations and marketing tips and tricks through to using social media effectively and taking a sustainable approach to business.

“Local business owners and operators have already expressed a strong interest in the business technology presentation hosted by Peter Blasina and are particularly keen to get involved with David Koch’s ‘business builders’ workshop,” Mr McNamara said.

Mr McNamara said the Expo would also incorporate a strong sense of fun and entertainment, with the Pacific Volvo ‘Women with Drive’ Lunch set to be a favourite amongst businesswomen looking to take some time out of the office to relax with colleagues.

“The ‘Women with Drive’ luncheon will see celebrity fashion designer Sacha Drake and local fashion blogger and style expert Nikki Parkinson wow attendees with their fashion presentation focusing on selecting suitable business and function attire for women of all shapes and sizes,” Mr McNamara said.

“We’re conscious that while working hard is an important element in creating business success, it’s also important to take the time out to relax and unwind, so many of our events have been designed with this in mind.”

The Sunshine Coast Business Expo will be held on 30 and 31 March at the Mooloolaba campus of the Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE. Individual and group tickets are available at www.scbizexpo.com.au.

About the 2011 Sunshine Coast Business Expo

The 2011 Sunshine Business Expo will be staged on 30 and 31 March 2011 at the Sunshine Coast TAFE, Mooloolaba campus;

Only a handful of exhibitor booths remain up for grabs;

More than 2,000 attendees are expected to attend the event which will feature up to 70 trade exhibition booths and a program of business information sessions, workshops and networking events;

Special guest speaker and business journalist, David Koch (Kochie) of Sunrise television and Kochie's Business Builders fame is already confirmed to attend;

Sunshine Coast Business Expo sponsors include platinum sponsor Sunshine Coast Daily, Sunshine Coast Council, Bendigo Bank, Telstra Business, The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital, Savills, Pacific Volvo, the University of the Sunshine Coast, Camelon I.T., Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE, Sunshine Coast Grammar School, Queensland Government (Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation), the Sunshine Coast Airport, TPQ Design and Printing, and media partners Hot 91.1 FM and Zinc 96.1FM, Seven Local News and the Sunshine Coast Daily.

For more information and bookings www.scbizexpo.com.au

How to become a Small Smart Giant

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 02:23:00 GMT

Small Giants are defined by who they are, not how big they could become. Come along to the Innovation Centre Enterprise Tuesday Series for an inspiring event titled: Small Giants: How to be great instead of big, with keynote speaker Dr Karen Woolley, CEO, ProScribe.

This special Enterprise Tuesday event is inspired by the successful book ‘Small Giants: Companies that choose to be great instead of big’ by Bo Burlingham.

  Leading entrepreneurs and experts from across the Sunshine Coast Region will facilitate the ‘Hot Topics’ interactive group discussion.

  Why attend?

 • Engage in round table group discussion on what it takes to become a Small Giant
• Network with like-minded business owners, managers, University staff and entrepreneurial students
• Share resources, experiences, ideas and challenges on how to conduct business for more than just the bottom line

  Hot Topic Facilitators  

• Karen Woolley, CEO, ProScribe
• Professor Peter Bycroft, Managing Director, Corporate Diagnostics 
• Christine Cameron, Rockcote Enterprises
• Genine Howard, Publisher/Managing Editor, Profile Magazine
• Nigel Hall, Entrepreneur in Residence, Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast 
• Tim Eldridge, Founder, Eldridge Marketing 
• Janice Humphreys, General Manager, Global Innovation Centre 
• John Humphreys, Managing Director, Global Innovation Centre

  Hot Topics include:

 • Partnering with big business 
• Building a virtual team  
• Delivering great customer service 
• Creating a great work culture and team  

Date 

Tuesday 1 March 2011  

Time 

3.55pm arrival for 4pm sharp start – 6pm

Venue 

Auditorium, Innovation Centre, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs

Cost 

$33 inc. GST
Limited special places available for University staff and students, to enquire contact Hayley Passmore on 5450 2609.

RSVP 

Friday 25 February 2011

Register online 

www.innovation-centre.com.au/events

Market research is vital for business success

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:27:00 GMT

Having been involved in a few businesses in my past, and watched a few local businesses fail over the years, I have often considered ‘what does it take to create and sustain a successful business in Noosa?’

Many of us have watched smart business men and women invest quite a lot of money and time into a new business, and we are all secretly hoping that they do actually survive.

On the surface the business may look to be a winner. For example, nine times out of ten, the business idea/delivery is unique and the people are talented, well trained and adhere to good business practices. So what then is the problem?

Market research is the problem, it is the missing link. I’m not talking about the regular vanilla style market research, but a deep dive into the vagrancies of Noosa customer behaviours and patterns.

Business concepts that have worked elsewhere do not necessarily mean they are going to work here in Noosa because we have a unique residential demographic combined with seasonal tourism trends.

Understanding the Noosa customer is critical for success. Truly know if you are targeting tourists, residents or other businesses. Know the ‘type’ of tourist/resident/business and their preferences.

Once you have a grip on your ‘typical customer’ then model both customer numbers and frequency of purchase for various seasons, factor in both the good and the bad times.

Test your assumptions. Don’t just assume that if you advertise they will come. Ask the hard questions of current business owners. Seriously, most local business owners will be willing to help out if you are not in direct competition.

If more people were more thorough with their market research specific for the Noosa area I believe we would have more successful business start-ups and a more vibrant economy to benefit all.

The piece above was recently penned by my wife Anne Lawrence and published in the Noosa Journal on Friday 19th of November

Genuine Business - Better Business Development Workshop

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 22:17:00 GMT

POSTPONED UNTIL LATE NOVEMBER: The Genuine Business – Better Business Tradefest is the first in a series of business improvement seminars in greater Noosa, presented by the Noosa Junction Business Association with the support of Tourism Noosa and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and is open for participation and attendance for all businesses in the Greater Noosa Area.

Attendance at this extensive two day programme is available to anyone in business in the Greater Noosa area............and there’s even better news – delegates can attend at no cost!

For full details download a program here.

The Genuine Business –Better Business Development Training Program – Greater Noosa Tradefest2010 is being organised to help businesses in Noosa improve their business practices and sustainability and is an outstanding opportunity for businesses throughout Noosa and the region to listen, learn and participate in seminars and presentations about contemporary issues and opportunities from some of the region and Australia’s leading industry specialists and practitioners.

The Genuine Business – Better Business Development Training Program – Greater Noosa Tradefest2010 is also fully supported by Noosa and the region’s chambers of commerce, business groups and our key print media partner, the Noosa Journal.

The Tradefest will be conducted centrally in Noosa Junction at the Noosa Heads Bowls Club on October 26 and 27, 2010, and will include....

A breakfast launch and reception with VIP’s media , etc.
Networking Cocktail Party and Keynote Presentation
Trade Show
Seminars, and Training Workshop
Networking Lunches
A finale Corporate Barefoot Bowls Event on day 2.
A Q & A Panel Session with Local Business Leaders concluding day 2

Attendance to the TradeFest is FREE, but delegates should register with John Alwyn-Jones at john@celticaconsult.com or 0402 891 674