Sunny warm greetings, Reader,
It has only taken two icy mornings in Canbrrrrra to remind me why I enjoy Port Macquarie so much. As I scraped a centimetre of ice off my windscreen before leaving yesterday, I experienced one of those wonderful moments of bliss, when I realised I made a good decision in sea-changing.
Of course Port is not perfect. But we also have an abundance of benefits including climate, environment and community. My admiration for the community spirit in Port is regularly refreshed when I hear of yet another contribution made by community or business groups for the betterment of our region. There are a lot of people putting enormous effort – mostly voluntary – into constantly improving our quality of life, and that greatly outweighs the occasional destruction or vandalism by the idiot fringe.
It appears that light may be brightening on the world financial horizon, and we may have seen the worst of the current crisis. Oil prices may have passed the peak, for the moment at least, and interest rates may rise no further. This has been a very difficult time for many local businesses and, sadly, a number have failed. The two words that stick in my mind are “planning” and “advice”. I am frequently amazed by the lack of planning that many business owners undertake. I’m also greatly surprised by the reluctance of many owners to seek expert advice. Yes, expert advice generally costs. But lack of advice can cost very much more.
We may, just may, have seen the worst of this crisis, but one thing is for certain. There will be crises in the future. Planning for crises – often called contingency planning – is fundamental to the running of any business. If your business doesn’t have a well-considered and documented contingency plan, then you know what you need to do.
Enough philosophising. Here is this week’s events and activities news:
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Port Macquarie Community College
Introduction to MYOB
BSBADM309A - Process accounts payable and receivable, Statement of Attainment from Certificate III in Business Administration BSB30201. Topics include: manage and set up your business or club accounts. Record sales and receivables, purchases and payables, invoices and payments, cheques and deposits. Basic computer skills are essential.
807C006 Mon Jul 28 to Sep 8 7 sessions 9am-12noon $250
Intermediate Excel Workshop
Take the next step with Excel. You will learn about absolute references, charts, more functions, linking and protecting worksheets.
807C008 Fri Jul 25 1 session 9am-3pm $90
NEW Excel Assessment
Do you possess Excel Skills but have no formal recognition for this? If you have done the Introduction and the Intermediate Excel classes with the College, or you have the equivalent skills then this two hour assessment class is for you. Successful participants will receive a Statement of Attainment BSBCMN214A - Create and use simple spreadsheets from Certificate II in Business BSB20101.
807C022 Thur Aug 24 1 session 6.15pm-8.15pm $95
MS Word Essentials
This class is ideal for expanding your skills and knowledge with MS Word. Topics covered will be saving documents, navigation, adjusting margins and layout, shortcuts, copy and move, search and replace, simple tables, autotext, mailmerge, printing and more.
808C003 Fri Aug 1 1 session 9am-3pm $90
Computer Skills for the Office
If you are seeking employment or returning to the workforce this course will provide an excellent grounding in essential skills for office administration. It will include a keyboarding speed test to Australian Standard AS2708-2001. Five units of competency: BSBCMN107A Operate a personal computer, BSBCMN108A Develop keyboard skills, BSBCMN213A Produce simple word processed documents, BSBCMN214A Create and use simple spreadsheets and ICAU1133A Send and receive information using web browsers and email. Statement of Attainment from Certificate II in Business BSB20101.
807C020 Tue Jul 22 to Nov 11 15 sessions 9:30am-12:30pm $520
Communicating with Customers
If you have contact with customers and want to explore your own interpersonal communication style and its impact on others, then this is the course for you. The dynamics of communication in the encounter between a customer or team member can be quite complex. This program focuses on customer service and examines the communication skills which help you to establish a relationship with your customer which is conducive to creating a happy and long lasting relationship. Communication processes like non-verbal communication, assertiveness, listening, questioning and feedback skills will be covered in this "hands-on" workshop.
808W002 Wed Aug 13 1 session 9am-4pm $98
TRAINING FOR THE WORKPLACE
Please ask the Community College about customised training for your workplace. Update the skills of your staff and management. We are happy to customise training for your needs at your premises or in our classrooms at a time to suit. Contact the Program Co-ordinator to discuss your needs.
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Hastings BEC Networking Breakfast – Thursday 14th August
Our next Networking Breakfast will be hosted by J&H Tours, and we look forward to a very special event.
Thursday morning, 14th August. 7.00 am till 8.30 am
Panthers Pier One Restaurant
Members and Guests welcome (Members $20, Guests $25)
RSVP to admin@hastingsbec.com.au
(We anticipate up to 100 participants, and we may be forced to restrict entry to those who have accepted in advance)
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Welcome to new Business Member Elders Real Estate Port Macquarie.
I’m very pleased to welcome Elders and Steve Newman to our membership. Already Leasa Harris and Ashley Allison have become regular BEC Breakfast faces, and we look forward to seeing more of the Elders team from time to time.
By the way, if you want really useful local weather information, try this link www.eldersweather.com.au/local.jsp?lt=aploc&lc=2626 Love it!
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Matt Howarth has provided the following announcement from Macquarie Southern Cross Media
“Macquarie Southern Cross Media (MSC) is Australia’s leading regionally focused media provider, reaching a potential audience of approximately 7.5 million people which equates to 95% of Australia’s population outside the mainland State capital cities.
MSC is the result of Macquarie Media Group’s acquisition of Southern Cross Broadcasting in early November 2007. On a local level, the new company structure for MSC incorporates 2MC FM; StarFM and Southern Cross Ten.
MSC is committed to providing quality entertainment, news and information to our viewers and listeners in the communities we serve. MSC is able to offer our customers unparalleled reach to their consumers in regional Australia, through prime time television during the day and evening reinforced by a call to action over radio in the morning and throughout the day.”
I’m delighted to have 2MC, StarFM and Southern Cross TEN with us separately as BEC Members. From the start of 2009, we hope to consolidate Macquarie Southern Cross Media into a single higher-level membership.
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Wednesday, July 23, 2008
21 July 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
14 July 2008
Slightly chilly greetings, Reader,
My aching bones tell me that winter has arrived, and I have a trip down to Canbrrrrrra to look forward to very soon. Great timing!
Last Thursday’s HBEC Networking Breakfast was a huge success. Ninety five participants ensured that the room was packed for an informative presentation by Andrew McCormack, from AXA, kindly organised for us by the guys (and girls) at COMPASS financial management. Andrew’s presentation illustrated the way in which many investors fail to benefit from fluctuations in the stock market by behaving impulsively, selling and buying at the wrong time, following emotional cues rather than rational logical behaviour.
Of course, it takes a certain sang-froid to calmly watch your investments plummet, confident in their ability to rise again and exceed current values. The history of the market tells us that it is so, but humans rely heavily on the old reptilian cortex, where emotion – not logic – rules. Logic and history is all good and well, but I would still like to see my modest savings on an upward rather than downward slope.
I mentioned at Thursday’s breakfast my intention to arrange for the BEC to sponsor some wind-up LED torches to provide to Melinda and Steve Robinson, for their use in Uganda. The villages where Softpower Education charity is working in Uganda have no electricity and so, no lighting. I thought the caption “Light up a bit of Africa” had a nice ring to it. The torches are available for $20 retail.
I’m very grateful to announce that our new member Peter Vane, from IT West, through local manager Damien Bush has offered to provide these torches to us at HALF RETAIL PRICE. In addition, Peter and Damien are donating the first 10 torches free of charge. That’s a very generous donation, and I thank IT West for their support.
Unfortunately response for the Softpower Black Tie Fundraiser next Saturday night has not been great, so Melinda and Steve have been obliged to cancel the event. Hopefully, we will be able to organise a support function for them later in the year. In the meantime we’ll get some torches rolling.
On a brighter note (get it? – sigh!) I’m delighted to announce the return of Momentum Investment and Insurance as Sponsor Members of HBEC. Thanks to Geoff Woodham and the team at Momentum, great to have you back on board.
Welcome also to the delightful Ms Alison Innes, recently appointed GM of Macquarie Waters, who represents renewing Sponsor Member East Coast Holidays.
And, finally, welcome aboard to Matt Howarth and the team at Macquarie Southern Cross Media (Star FM and 2MC) represented at breakfast by the effervescent Kathleen Norman.
Please have a good read of the event notices below. There are several significant items this week.
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Port Macquarie Community College
Quality Customer Relations Learn about customer service strategies that work/don't work, techniques for telephone and face to face communication, techniques for dealing with awkward and difficult customers and situations and strategies to build customer loyalty. Book a workshop for your entire team.807W007 Thu Jul 17th 1 session 9am-4pm $98
OH & S for Construction Sites WorkCover Accredited. This course provides training and certification for people working, or hoping to work, in the construction industry, including building, landscaping, plastering, road construction and associated areas.807W008 Thu Jul 24th 1 session 9am-4pm $120
MS Word Essentials This class is ideal for expanding your skills and knowledge with MS Word. Topics covered will be saving documents, navigation, adjusting margins and layout, shortcuts, copy and move, search and replace, simple tables, autotext, mailmerge, printing and more.808C003 Fri Aug 1st 1 session 9am-3pm $90
Computer Skills for the Office If you are seeking employment or returning to the workforce this course will provide an excellent grounding in essential skills for office administration. It will include a keyboarding speed test to Australian Standard AS2708-2001. Five units of competency: BSBCMN107A Operate a personal computer, BSBCMN108A Develop keyboard skills, BSBCMN213A Produce simple word processed documents, BSBCMN214A Create and use simple spreadsheets and ICAU1133A Send and Receive Information using web browsers and email. Statement of Attainment from Certificate II in Business BSB20101.
807C020 Tue Jul 22 to Nov 11 15 sessions 9:30am-12:30pm $520
SLR Photography Master your digital or film SLR camera by learning the photography fundamentals of shutter speed, aperature, focal length, depth of field, basic composition and camera feature modes. An exciting and fun course featuring practical exercises that students will appraise each week.808C004 Tue Aug 5 to Aug 26 4 sessions 1:30pm-4pm $135
Makeup Techniques (mmm, I’ve been hangin’ out for this one!) In this workshop learn how to apply make-up for a range of occasions and acquire basic tips and guidelines to encourage healthier skin for both men and women. In this hands on workshop you will learn about which products are best for your skin type. This workshop is conducted by a qualified Beauty Therapist.809H009 Thu Sep 11 to Oct 2 4 sessions 6pm-8pm $110
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Next HBEC Networking Breakfast
Our next breakfast will be hosted by J&H Tours, on Thursday 14th August, at Panthers Pier One Restaurant.
This will be a very special event, so make sure you reserve your place. Judging by recent breakfasts, I wouldn’t be surprised if we reached the magic attendance of 100 for this one. I know I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing what J&H Tours have to say.
RSVP to admin@hastingsbec.com.au
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Pam Foye asks me to let you know that “As part of our rebranding to Jobfind, my email address has now changed to: pam.foye@jobfindcentre.com.au . Please update my details in your address book. Our address, phone and fax numbers remain the same.”
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NSW TAFE North Coast Institute
A Course for Women
91347NSW Certificate II in Skills for Work and Training, Career Education and Employment for Women (CEEW)
This course prepares woman for further education and employment. Commencing 6 August 2008 and will run Wednesdays to Fridays between 9.00am and 2.20pm at Port Macquarie TAFE. Information Session Wednesday 23 July at 10.00am in room F1.8.
Colour for Interiors
7886 Statement of Attainment in Interior Decoration – Colour Consulting- Historical - Contemporary - Applications - Usage For more details contact Port Macquarie TAFE on 6581 6200.
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Greater Port Macquarie Business Awards
Nominations for the Business Awards are flowing in strongly. More than 100 businesses have already nominated across the whole of the Greater Port Macquarie-Hastings region. So maximize your chances to win by getting your customers to nominate your business!
For businesses accepting the nomination, the process could not be easier. All a business needs to do to participate is: - Be nominated - Accept the nomination by signing and returning the acceptance form the Chamber sends to you, and in 50 words or less explain what your business is about. There are no submissions or paperwork you need to complete!
Each week a nominated business will be drawn to win a profile in the Port News. A person nominating the business also has a chance to win a $50 voucher for a meal at Sails. Draws are announced on Wednesdays at 4.30 on Radio 2MC.
Friday 29 August is the big night, when Greater Port Macquarie Business Awards 2008 will be presented. Tickets are now on sale through Panthers Port Macquarie for $75 per head or $750 per table. The evening starts at 6.30 pm. Cricket commentator and comedian Kerry O’Keeffe will be master of ceremonies for the evening (not quite up to the standard of the local boy who MC’d the Customer Care awards, but not bad).
It will be a fun evening and an opportunity for all businesses to gain maximum exposure.
Don’t miss out!
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Applications now open for 2008 BCU Bill Ussher Agricultural Scholarship
Community credit union, BCU recognises the vital contribution farmers make to rural Australia and the BCU Bill Ussher Agricultural Scholarship was establishedto give something back to farmers. Now its fourth year, the scholarship honours the late Bill Ussher, a banana grower from near Macksville who was BCU’s first member and founding chairman.
Due to its success in previous years, the value of the scholarship has been increased to $11,000 to cover two awards, worth $7,700 and $3,300 respectively, to be used by primary producers to access educational and training opportunities.
More details are available by downloading this PDF document: www.hastingsbec.com.au/downloads/ussher2008.pdf
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Not that any worthy reader of this epistle would stoop to consuming demon alcohol…
Wicked Elf Tastings (now I know I have your undivided attention)
This Friday, 18 July, starting at 5pm, at the bar on the rooftop at The Mercure Centro Hotel
The Elf has managed to lure the brewer of Port Macquarie’s medal winning beer out of hibernation. Come and have a chat and taste The Little Brewing Company’s Wicked Elf range in the warm and cosy surrounds of the bar on the rooftop of The Mercure (surely one of Port’s best kept Friday night secrets).
Tasting is free of charge. (Does that mean swallowing attracts a fee?)
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NSW Business Chamber Networking @ Night
NSW Business Chamber and Men At Work invite you and a colleague to attend a special evening of Networking. Our guest speaker for the evening is Rob Oakeshott MP – Independent Member for Port Macquarie.
NSW Business Chamber, formerly ABL State Chamber, has been invigorating business success for 120 years. NSW Business Chamber offers solutions to invigorate business growth and improve results at every stage of the business life cycle. Men At Work prides itself on the personal approach they take and the exemplary standards of quality they deliver to each and every on of their clients.
Date > Thursday 24 July 2008
Location > NSW Business Chamber, 146-148 Gordon Street Port Macquarie
Parking > Free parking at Growers Market car park and Gordon Street
Time > 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Cost > FREE (Light refreshments provided)
RSVP essential: Download invitation with acceptance contacts from: www.hastingsbec.com.au/downloads/netatnight.pdf
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Laurie Smith OAM spoke briefly at last Thursday’s breakfast about: Volunteer of the Year Awards
The 2008 Volunteer of the Year Awards are a unique opportunity to recognise and publicly acknowledge the invaluable work done by hundreds of thousands of volunteers throughout NSW.
There are two major categories
- firstly, NSW Volunteer of the Year Award (with special Awards for Youth and Senior
Volunteers of the Year), 16 Regional Winners, including the Mid North Coast
- secondly, NSW Corporate Volunteer of the Year Award (only one corporate Award will be issued across the State).
Judging criteria comprise a range of factors and include -
- Demonstrated benefit to the local community, region or State
- Evidence of initiative and innovation
- Capacity building and sustainability
- Length of service and number of hours of the nominee
- An explanation of what is outstanding about the nominee and the work for which he/she is being nominated
- Any obstacles which the nominee may have had to overcome to achieve the outcomes of their volunteering Timeline
- Nominations opened Monday 12 May 2008, and close on Tuesday 30 September 2008.
- Regional Winners announced mid-October to mid-November 2008
- 2008 NSW Volunteer of the Year announced Friday 5 December 2008, International Volunteer Day.
- Cash awards will be made to the winners' nominated non-for-profit organisations.
For more information, have a look at www.volunteering.com.au/nsw_volunteer_awards/
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A HBEC Member business is looking for an exceptional Team Manager.
“Looking for a manager for our Port Macquarie team so if you happen to hear of a qualified Chartered Accountant with at least 4 years experience in accounting firms and excellent communications and client relationship skills, I'd be more than happy to hear from them.
We have a very flexible and fun working environment with lots of laughter in the office but we're also a team of goal oriented, driven people so will need someone with energy and enthusiasm.”
Please reply by return email, and I will pass on your interest.
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Reg McGlashan, from Wizard Home Loans, advises that: “Wizard Home Loans don't only have a wide range of home loans for just about any purpose we also now have business loans, but we also have equipment loans for businesses by way of rental or operating lease, finance lease and commercial hire purchase plus commercial / industrial mortgage loans.”
Reg can be contacted at Wizard Home Loans, 90 Lord Street Port Macquarie. Ph: 02 6584 5500 Fax: 02 6584 5511
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And there you have it for another week. As usual, I will provide a link to a juicy morsel from those hard working abacus-drivers at ABS:
Australian Social Trends 2008 - First Media Alert (Media Release), http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/MediaRealesesByCatalogue/12330AF6AA6F6B5ACA2574810001F757?OpenDocument
5609.0 Housing Finance, Australia, May 2008http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/5609.0?OpenDocument
Cheers until next week,
7 July 2008
Mid-winter greetings, Reader,
I’m looking forward to this Thursday’s HBEC Networking Breakfast at Rydges Port Macquarie, as we have a very interesting keynote speaker lined up, and several other people providing tasty tidbits to keep us informed and amused. Our keynote speaker has been arranged by COMPASS financial management – see details below.
I’m very pleased this week to be able to welcome several new business members to Hastings BEC:
• Two talented and delightful young women, Tennille Sharp and Kylie Morris operate a graphic design business called Hot Graphics, located right across the road from Joyer in lower Murray Street, where they specialise in presentation, website and marketing graphic design. Welcome Tennille and Kylie.
• Sarah Carle is Advertising Executive for Prime TV, and we welcome Sarah and Prime TV to HBEC Membership. Now maybe we’ll be able to drag Prime’s Sales Manager Marc Stortenbeker out of bed in time for our BEC Breakfasts.
• Welcome to Peter Vane and his business, IT West. New to Port Macquarie area, IT West is a well established computer service and support business in Dubbo, now branching out to provide support services on the coast. Damien Bush will be the local face of IT West.
• Welcome to an old face (figuratively, not literally) under a new label. Gale and Scott Oxenford have recently taken over Westport Newsagency. Congratulations to Gale and Scott, and welcome to our first newsagency member.
• And, finally, not really a new member, but a new name for multi award winning Sunrise Health Consultancy (formerly Sunrise OT for Kids). Welcome back Angela Lockwood and congratulations on all your awards. Now, enough, give someone else a turn!
It’s very pleasing to see a steady trickle of new members joining HBEC. Even more importantly, it’s gratifying to see the strong participation by our valued existing members. I’m all too aware of the limited contribution we, as a small and government-unfunded organisation, can make to the business community. But the gradual growth in membership is a pleasing endorsement that we are moving in the right direction. Our principal function is to foster local economic development by facilitating networking and communication within and across the business community, and to providing visibility and promotion for our members at every opportunity. We also facilitate establishment and development of new businesses start-ups and, coordinate with other services including the Mid North Coast Business Advisory Service.
On a different topic, after discussion with Melinda and Steve Robinson, I’ve decided that a useful contribution HBEC can make to their efforts in Uganda (discussed in previous Updates - see our Blog at http://hbec.blogspot.com ) is by way of providing some wind-up powered LED torches for the remote villages in which they are working. These torches require no batteries or light bulbs, and are good for many years of use without replacement parts. They are also robust enough to handle shipping into remote Uganda, so they appear highly suitable. At about $20 each, we should be able to package up and ship a good number to help Mel and Steve “light up a bit of Africa”. I’ll communicate with members separately about some fund-raising.
Finally, for today, a warning about the ongoing (and growing) spate of internet-related scams. A member recently received an official looking letter addressed to her business, originating from a Spanish company but postmarked from France, entitled “WorldWideWeb Register”. Should you receive this rather official looking letter, DO NOT RESPOND. If you respond, you will be charged 870 Euros (approx AU$1400) per year for a three year contract. Yes, you will probably get what they tell you, your website listed on their website and a CDROM listing… but it’s worthless.
After that bit of negativity, on with this week’s events:
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Port Macquarie Community College
Food Hygiene & Safety
This course covers safe food handling and safe storage, effective use of detergents and sanitisers, waste and pest control. Includes an overview of how the new food safety legislation will affect you. Meets Food Safety Program requirements. Successful participants will gain Statement of Attainment THHGHS01B – Follow Workplace Hygiene Procedures from Certificate II in Hospitality (Operations). 807W009 Fri Jul 18 1 session 9am-3pm $95
NEW Communicating with Customers
If you have contact with customers and want to explore your own interpersonal communication style and its impact on others, then this is the course for you. The dynamics of communication in the encounter between a customer or team member can be quite complex. This program focuses on customer service and examines the communication skills which help you to establish a relationship with your customer which is conducive to creating a happy and long lasting relationship. Communication processes like non-verbal communication, assertiveness, listening, questioning and feedback skills will be covered in this "hands-on" workshop.808W002 Wed Aug 13 1 session 9am-4pm $98
Introduction to MYOB
BSBADM309A Process accounts payable and receivable, Statement of Attainment from Certificate III in Business Administration BSB30201. Topics include: manage and set up your business or club accounts. Record sales and receivables, purchases and payables, invoices and payments, cheques and deposits. Basic computer skills are essential. 806C021 Thu Jul 17 to Sep 4 7 sessions 3pm-6pm $250
Excel Assessment
Do you possess Excel Skills but have no formal recognition for this? If you have done the Introduction and the Intermediate Excel classes with the College, or you have the equivalent skills then this two hour assessment class will offer you (upon competent achievement) an Accredited Excel Certificate from Certificate II in Business BSB20101 - Unit of Competency BSBCMN214A Create and use simple spreadsheets.807C022 Thu Jul 24 1 session 6.15pm-8.15pm $95
MS Word Essentials
This class is ideal for expanding your skills and knowledge with MS Word. Topics covered will be saving documents, navigation, adjusting margins and layout, shortcuts, copy and move, search and replace, simple tables, autotext, mailmerge, printing and more.808C003 Fri Aug 1 1 session 9am-3pm $90
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Hastings BEC Networking Breakfast, Thursday 10th July at Rydges Port Macquarie
Acceptances are flowing in strongly for this week’s breakfast, so don’t miss out. This will be a memorable breakfast. Thanks to COMPASS financial management, and their close connection with AXA Australia, we are able to introduce AXA Business Development Manager, Mr Andrew McCormack to speak on “Behavioural decision making”. Following on from our ongoing discussions of personality issues relating to business, this talk is right on the button.
The presentation is based around “behavioural concepts” and in particular, behavioural finance. Why people make various decisions, sometimes irrational ones.Importantly, these same issues relate to your business, and how your customers relate to you and, perhaps, how you relate to them. An understanding of behavioural decision making may give you a greater insight on the behavioural decision making of your customers, and the way your behaviour may impact on your customers.
Any methods that helps you better understand your customers, positions you well to assist them to satisfy their needs. A positive outcome for you both.
As usual breakfast will commence at 7.00am (sharp) and finish by 8.30am.
This will be a very interesting breakfast, so book your place now.
RSVP to admin@hastingsbec.com.au
Members and Guests welcome$20 for Members, $25 for Guests
Remember: This breakfast is at Rydges Port Macquarie
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Seminars on financial markets, Superannuation, Centrelink and your financial health might not sound too exciting – but they’re sure to be informative!
COMPASS financial management invite you to a Financial, Super Strategies & Retirement seminar (Guest Speaker: Andrew McCormack – AXA)
• What is happening in all markets, and what can we expect? Some plain-language information on the current investment markets.
• Why is super an even more attractive investment under current rules and taxation?
• How can I continue working, access my super & save substantial tax if I am over 55?
• How can I take advantage of super opportunities in 2008 and beyond
• I hear that Centrelink entitlements allow greater access to funds – do I qualify?
• Why getting your finances right is only one part of a healthy, happy retirement.
• How much superannuation do you need to invest to fund your retirement?
All attendees receive a copy of ‘Choosing the Good Life’ which explores the four dimensions of a happy secure retirement
When: This Wednesday 9th JulyStart time: 6pmWhere: COMPASS financial management, 5 star Centre, 158 Gordon Street, Port Macquarie
Places are limited, so please call 6583 2211 during office hours to register, The AXA “I’m never too young for a retirement seminar” PLAN
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TAFE NSW – North Coast Institute presents A Course For Women
91347NSW Certificate II in Skills for Work and Training - Career Education and Employment for Women (CEEW)This course prepares woman for further education and employment. Commencing 6 August 2008 and will run Wednesdays to Fridays between 9.00am and 2.20pm at Port Macquarie TAFE.Information Session Wednesday 23 July at 10.00am in room F1.8.
For more details contact Port Macquarie TAFE on 6581 6200.
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The 2008 Volunteer of the Year Awards are a unique opportunity to recognise and publicly acknowledge the invaluable work done by hundreds of thousands of volunteers throughout NSW.
There are two major categories
- firstly, NSW Volunteer of the Year Award (with special Awards for Youth and Senior Volunteers of the Year), 16 Regional Winners, including the Mid North Coast
- secondly, NSW Corporate Volunteer of the Year Award (only one corporate Award will be issued across the State). Judging criteria comprise a range of factors and include -
- Demonstrated benefit to the local community, region or State
- Evidence of initiative and innovation
- Capacity building and sustainability
- Length of service and number of hours of the nominee
- An explanation of what is outstanding about the nominee and the work for which he/she is being nominated
- Any obstacles which the nominee may have had to overcome to achieve the outcomes of their volunteering Timeline
- Nominations opened Monday 12 May 2008, and close on Tuesday 30 September 2008.
- Regional Winners announced mid-October to mid-November 2008
- 2008 NSW Volunteer of the Year announced Friday 5 December 2008, International Volunteer Day.
- Cash awards will be made to the winners' nominated non-for-profit organisations.
For more information, have a look at www.volunteering.com.au/nsw_volunteer_awards/
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Come To The Camden Haven - Holiday Coast Pictorial - August Edition
Holiday Coast Pictorial is making advertising available at a special rate - specifically in the Camden Haven Section which continues to grow each month and showcases progressive Camden Haven and district businesses. They are still offering the $ 110 adverts ( 5cm x 6cm ), as well as the attached offers, but do require 12 businesses ( currently 3 ) to keep this offer going each month.
If you wish to advertise in the August edition, please contact Chrissy Jones, Sales & Marketing Consultant, The Pictorial, Ph: 0412 137 621 or chrissy@thepictorial.com
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Don’t forget, tomorrow New Business Member, IT West is presenting a seminar called “The 5 biggest mistakes small business computer owners make with their computers”.
Where: Mercure Centro Hotel, 103 William Street, Port MacquarieDate: Tuesday 8 JulyTime: 5.00pm—6.15pmRSVP to Brooke via phone or email by Friday 4 JulyPhone: 6884 3188 - Email: admin@itwest.biz
Download the full brochure from: www.hastingsbec.com.au/downloads/itwest.pdf
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Why You Should Care About Ethics
Reason #1: It makes economic senseReason
#2: It improves the quality of resultsReason
#3: It is the socially responsible choiceReason
#4: It makes humanistic senseReason
#5: It shapes and sustains organizational value systemsReason
#6: It strengthens strategy and competitive advantageReason
#7: It builds trust as an organizational resourceReason
#8: It helps avoid civil and criminal penaltiesReason
#9: It advances managerial leadership as a professionReason
#10: It is the right thing to do
Reference: Kerns, C. (2005). “Value-centered ethics: a proactive system to shape ethical behavior.” Amherst, MA: HRD Press.
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And just to finish off, a little something from the gnomes of Belconnen:
8635.0.55.002 Tourist Accommodation, Small Area Data, Australia, Mar 2008http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8635.0.55.002?OpenDocument
8635.1.55.001 Tourist Accommodation, Small Area Data, New South Wales, Mar 2008http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8635.1.55.001?OpenDocument
30 June 2008
End of FY greetings, Reader,
A beautiful sunny 22C day makes it hard to realise we are nearing mid-winter as we wrap up another Financial Year. Hopefully you and your business have done OK, despite increased interest rates and fuel costs heading the way of gold and diamonds.
The completion of another year is a timely reminder of the need for all of us to consider our decision-making processes. Do you make business and financial decisions logically or emotionally? Find out what “Behavioural Decision Making” is all about. COMPASS financial management have kindly arranged a very useful presentation for our July 10th BEC Breakfast. See the full details below, and don’t miss out on this one. It will be interesting and fun!
Last Saturday night at Tommies By The Beach, a celebration dinner was held for supporters of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. I enjoyed meeting a lot of people from all over northern NSW who support this wonderful service. I wouldn’t hazard a guess as to how many lives have been saved by the Westpac RHS who do some of the hairiest flying imaginable in order to save other people.
To give you an idea of the service Westpac RHS provides, During the 3 months from 1 Dec 2007 to 26 Feb 2008, the Hunter – Mid North Coast unit performed: 177 primary missions (typically rescuing casualties from car accidents and other life-threatening situations) 69 inter-hospital transfers, and 17 search and rescue missionsA full list of missions can be found at www.rescuehelicopter.com.au
I vividly recall television footage of a helicopter from sister service, SouthCare, operating out of Canberra during the Sydney to Hobart race a number of years ago. In 70 knot (120 km/h) winds and rain, the helicopter crew hovered above stricken yachts while the (absolutely insane!) rescue crewman (and woman!) was repeatedly winched down into the sea to retrieve shipwreck survivors. The image of the helicopter “hovering” – actually continually rising and falling to match the massive sea swell underneath – in those horrendous conditions is indelibly etched in my mind. Amazing flying skills, and incredible guts all round.
A very similar scene was enacted by a Westpac RHS crew above the Pasha Bulker in Newcastle last year. A fantastic effort.
It’s a great service that we should be very proud of, and it deserves our strong support. You’ll hear more on the subject later, when we will take part in a fund-raising exercise for the service.
Welcome to new Community Relations Officer for Sponsor Member Country Energy, Ms Sandra Hollins. Sandra will be coming along to our breakfasts to suss us out. Sandra is also keen for Country Energy to introduce us to ways in which we can save on our power consumption (and therefore costs), and that has to be a good thing. We will explore opportunities during future BEC events.
Finally, for this week, goodbye WorkDirections and hello Jobfind Centres. Our very supportive Sponsor Member WorkDirections has just been rebranded Following the successful acquisition and integration of WorkDirections Australia with Jobfind Centres Australia, all WorkDirections Australia sites have now changed their business name to Jobfind Centre Workforce Development (Jobfind). Congratulations to Port Macquarie Manager, Pam Foye and her team, and we look forward to continuing our great relationship under their new banner.
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Port Macquarie Community College
Quality Customer Relations Learn about customer service strategies that work/don't work, techniques for telephone and face to face communication, techniques for dealing with awkward and difficult customers and situations and strategies to build customer loyalty. Book a workshop for your entire team.807W007 Thu Jul 17 1 session 9am-4pm $98 Starting up a Bed & Breakfast Learn about the daily issues that confront Bed and Breakfast operators. This enables you to understand why B & B is a trend, not a fad and outlines how to be efficient and successful. Stewart is a research lecturer and internationally published author of several books including Getting into Bed & Breakfast in Australia.807LR003 Thu Jul 3 1 session 9am-1pm $55
Starting up a Coffee Shop/Restaurant Everything you need to know before purchasing or starting a coffee shop, tearoom or small restaurant. Useful information for all aspiring owners or managers. Learn the importance of market research, market research surveys and answers to questions such as, should we start a new business or buy an existing one? Topics covered include; leases (not legal advice), insurances, staff, pricing, menu planning, design & presentation as well as the kitchen and food safety.807LR004 Thu Jul 3 1 session 1:30pm-4:30pm $40 Espresso Coffee including Food Hygiene & Safety Provider No. 90886 Participants receive a Statement of Attainment for the following units - THHBFB12B Prepare and Serve Espresso Coffee and THHGHS01B - Follow Workplace Hygiene Procedures from Certificate II in Hospitality (Operations). Participants must collect and complete a workbook prior to attending this course.807W002 Thu Jul 10 1 session 9am-4:30pm $110
Food Hygiene & Safety This course covers safe food handling and safe storage, effective use of detergents and sanitisers, waste and pest control. Includes an overview of how the new food safety legislation will affect you. Meets Food Safety Program requirements. Successful participants will gain Statement of Attainment THHGHS01B – Follow Workplace Hygiene Procedures from Certificate II in Hospitality (Operations). 807W009 Fri Jul 18 1 session 9am-3pm $95
Intermediate Excel Workshop Take the next step with Excel. You will learn about absolute references, charts, more functions, linking and protecting worksheets.807C004 Thu Jul 10 to Jul 17 2 sessions 6:15pm-9:15pm $90807C008 Fri Jul 25 1 session 9am-3pm $90 Computer Skills for the Office If you are seeking employment or returning to the workforce this course will provide an excellent grounding in essential skills for office administration. It will include a keyboarding speed test to Australian Standard AS2708-2001. Five units of competency: BSBCMN107A Operate a personal computer, BSBCMN108A Develop keyboard skills, BSBCMN213A Produce simple word processed documents, BSBCMN214A Create and use simple spreadsheets and ICAU1133A Send and Receive Information using web browsers and email. Statement of Attainment from Certificate II in Business BSB20101.807C020 Tue Jul 22 to Nov 11 15 sessions 9:30am-12:30pm $520
A usual, contact the College on 6583 7288 or online at www.portace.com.au
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HBEC Networking Breakfast, Thursday 10th July at Rydges Port Macquarie.
This will be a memorable breakfast. Thanks to COMPASS financial management, and their close connection with AXA Australia, we are able to introduce AXA Business Development Manager, Mr Andrew McCormack to speak on “Behavioural decision making”. Following on from our ongoing discussions of personality issues relating to business, this talk is right on the button.
The presentation is based around “behavioural concepts” and in particular, behavioural finance. Why people make various decisions, sometimes irrational ones.Importantly, these same issues relate to your business, and how your customers relate to you and, perhaps, how you relate to them. An understanding of behavioural decision making may give you a greater insight on the behavioural decision making of your customers, and the way your behaviour may impact on your customers. Any methods that helps you better understand your customers, positions you well to assist them to satisfy their needs. A positive outcome for you both.
As usual breakfast will commence at 7.00am (sharp) and finish by 8.30am.
This will be a very interesting breakfast, so book your place now. RSVP to admin@hastingsbec.com.au Members and Guests welcome$20 for Members, $25 for Guests
Remember: This breakfast is at Rydges Port Macquarie
+ = + TrustDefender and BCU join forces to announce an ‘Australian first’ in the fight against online crimeLeading regional credit union, BCU has announced that it will provide the TrustDefender online security solution to all its customers, free of charge and thereby herald in a new era in transacting online!Sydney Australia – Thursday 26 June, 2008 - TrustDefender, a leading provider of ‘On Demand’ Security Technologies, announced today it will partner with leading regional credit union, BCU (Bananacoast Community Credit Union) to provide all BCU customers with the TrustDefender security solution in order to help protect them when they do their online banking with BCU. This ‘Australian first’ means that BCU is providing its customers with a level of security protection notoffered by any other bank or financial institution in Australia.For more information on this innovative move, please download the full media release www.hastingsbec.com.au/downloads/TrustDefender.pdf With the recent flood of “phishing” expeditions and online security breaches, this is a very timely initiative. Well done BCU!
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New Business Member, IT West is presenting a seminar called “The 5 biggest mistakes small business computer owners make with their computers”.
I know the biggest ones I make (and they usually start with “M”), but you can find out more: Where: Mercure Centro Hotel103 William Street, Port MacquarieDate: Tuesday 8 JulyTime: 5.00pm—6.15pmRSVP to Brooke via phone or email by Friday 4 JulyPhone: 6884 3188 - Email: admin@itwest.biz
Download the full brochure from: www.hastingsbec.com.au/downloads/itwest.pdf
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Because too many awards is never enough…
WorkCover NSW 2008 SafeWork Awards
Have you developed or implemented a solution to a workplace safety issue?Then be recognised for your commitment to safety by entering the WorkCover NSW 2008 SafeWork Awards.The SafeWork Awards is an annual event designed to recognise and promote innovative businesses dedicated in promoting health and safety in the workplace.
The awards are open to any NSW registered business, organisation or individual. You can nominate yourself or someone can nominate on your behalf.Entries to the 2008 Awards close at 5pm Friday 11 July. For more information please visit www.safeworkawards.com.au
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Don’t forget the Charity Golf & Bowls Day, in support of Starlight Children’s Foundation, Australia
Date: Sunday 20 July 2008Venue: Wauchope Country ClubEvent: 9 Hole 3 Person AmbroseCost: $22.00 includes Green Fees and a light lunchStart time 9.30amContact - Michelle McDonald on 0417 204 850PLEASE CONSIDER BECOMING A SPONSOR!
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HURRY – LAST DAYS TO BECOME A SMALL BUSINESS CHAMPION!
The Australian Small Business Champion Awards is the only national comprehensive awards program of its type to acknowledge and support the hard work and achievements of small businesses across Australia whilst providing state and national recognition.
The Awards are open to all eligible small businesses within the retail or service sectors with no more than 40 full-time employees and the manufacturing industry with no more than 100 full-time employees.
From now until entries close on TUESDAY 15 JULY 2008, Australian small businesses are invited to enter one of the 34 industry categories and in addition, may choose to enter one Entrepreneur Award category.
The Awards program is proudly presented by Precedent Productions and supported by the Major Sponsor, Commonwealth Bank Local Business Banking; Associate Sponsors, Reckon, the Australian developers of QuickBooks, CPA Australia and Fairfax Community Newspapers; Champions Supporters, NT Department of Business, Economic and Regional Development, NSW Department of State and Regional Development and the Council of Small Business of Australia.
For further details and to download and entry form visit: www.businesschampions.com.au
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At EOFY it’s timely to mention a workshop the fun-loving people at the ATO have coming up…
The Record Keeping Workshop provided free by the Australian Taxation Office is great for those new in business.
The free workshop will be held at Westport Club, Buller Street, Port Macquarie on Wednesday 3rd September 2008, from 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm.To register please email nsw.taxbasics@ato.gov.au or call 1300 661 104 Or, you could contact Tracey Corbin-Matchett, Marketing and Education, ATO – Hurstville on (02) 9374 1771 or tracey.corbin-matchett@ato.gov.au
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Finally, the fungis at ABS have just released the following couple of datasets:
1350.0 Australian Economic Indicators, Jul 2008http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/1350.0?OpenDocument
8635.0 Tourist Accommodation, Australia, Mar 2008http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8635.0?OpenDocument looks interesting!
And that’s it for another week in the jewel of the nation.
Dwell on this: the correct collective noun is a tok of capercaillies. So, the next time you see a whole “herd” of capercaillies dallying around your vicinity, you will know how to address them correctly – as a tok.
