As the weather starts to warm up again, we have a number of sport programs ready to spring into action at the Central Coast Academy of Sport.

Since the last edition of B2B With a Twist, there have been some exciting new developments at the Academy.

Two new staff members have joined the team – Sammy Armstrong as our new Programs Coordinator and Warwick Whitmore as our Media Manager. Both Sammy and Wok have hit the ground running and have already assisted in further enhancing the overall operations and exposure of the organisation.

Sammy has been busy familiarising herself with the twelve high performance sport programs we run through the Central Coast Academy of Sport including AFL, athletics, basketball, football, future stars, golf, lawn bowls, netball, rugby union, speed skating, surfing and swimming.

Many of these programs have received a full review and will be launched bigger and better than ever in the near future.

Already we have formalised partnerships with AFL NSW / ACT and the Sydney Swans in AFL, the Sydney Kings in basketball, Central Coast Mariners in football, Jack Newton Junior Golf (JNJG), Netball NSW and the NSW Swifts, the Australian Rugby Union, Surfing NSW and Swimming NSW.

In addition to these strong working relationships, we are also working with a number of other high profile sporting organisations with some exciting new partnerships to be announced soon.

With the appointment of Sammy as our new Programs Coordinator, this will free our Operations Manager Hannah Everett up a bit more, so she can dedicate further attention to other important areas of our business including events and sponsor servicing.

Hannah and I have been working on the renewals of extremely valued existing sponsors such as Mingara Recreation Club, who recently renewed their major business partnership and support for a further three year period, whilst we have also been speaking with new prospects and have formalised some exciting new relationships with local organisations such as Kooindah Waters Residential Golf and Spa Resort, who join Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club and Shelly Beach Golf Club as sponsors / official venues of the Academy golf program.

We’re delighted to welcome Kooindah Waters on board and we thank Lyn and Sue at B2B With a Twist for facilitating early discussions regarding partnership opportunities between Kooindah Waters and the Academy of Sport.

The best way to keep up to date with everything that’s happening here at the Central Coast Academy of Sport is to join our e-newsletter distribution list through our website at www.thinksport.com.au. While you’re on the site, you can also view episodes of Thinksport TV – hosted by our Media Manager Warwick ‘Wok’ Whitmore.

Imagine a flourishing township snuggled contentedly in beautiful farming valleys, surrounded by lakes and forest. An easy train ride from Sydney, it boasts a vibrant and creative community so collaborative that the local Sports Club gives rise to a prosperous Co-operative Diary. The 56 dairy farmers who form the Co-op increase in number to over 200 in little more than a decade, creating local employment for more than 40 people.

One hundred years ago, this idyllic scene was reality for the people of the Wyong Shire. At its heart was the Wyong Butter Factory, a hub of industrial activity showcasing all the very best local produce including fresh fruit and vegetables, chickens, pigs and geese. Proud farmers entered their best cows into competitions with entries being walked from as far away as Jilliby to the Wyong Show.

Surviving a whole century’s worth of boom and bust the Wyong Milk Factory (as it is now known) is back with a modern twist and a new lease of life…and some new space for lease! Today

The Wyong Milk Factory has been lovingly repaired, saved and salvaged. The riverside barn is enjoying a new lease of life as “All Sorts Fitness & Wellbeing Centre” and also a multi-purpose hall facility. Suitable for NIDA workshops, school concerts, touring theatre companies, filmmakers and more, the delightfully enticing heritage listed building has endless possibilities.

The Markets building is inspired by East London’s famous SPITALFIELDS markets, this rural-industrial space with its winding nooks and crannies is a simply irresistible space to play for the curious child in us all. The twists, turns and archways of the original historic building structure reveal new and exciting stalls at every turn, contrasting beautifully with the wide-open space of the green leafy cottage gardens by the riverside.

The markets will be home to the new Central Coast Markets. Think a rural paddy’s market with a smattering of businesses and you’ve pretty much got it - see you there!

In addition to the Markets building, the Wyong Milk Factory is now home to an original handmade Cheese and Yoghurt producer-Little Creek Cheese. With the strong history in the dairy industry, it fits like a glove to have this producer at the Milk Factory.

The Markets building also plays host to a cafe split across two levels. A winding metal staircase takes you up to the top terrace for a bird’s eye view of the impressive Gym facilities as well as the Wyong River. With a welcoming feel and all the wholesome goodness of a home cooked meal, the Cafe is the place to be when you’re hungry for some tummy lovin’ food.

The “New” Central Coast Markets’ owner, Wassim, migrated with his family to the Central Coast in 1979 and has been in the Fruit and Vegetable industry since opening his own shop at 16 years of age in the Mangrove area, and managing a store in Sydney.

Wassim’s extensive experience in the Fruit Industry has now brought him back to the Central Coast where he currently operates one of the Central Coast well known fruit shops. His success has enabled him to take up the opportunity that has arisen from the restoration of the Wyong Milk Factory, opening up a unique style of markets. The new markets will meet the needs of so many in the local area.

The facility will provide a one stop shopping for: Fruit and Vegetable, Bakery - baked daily, Continental Deli over 10,000 groceries, Alfresco Dining and Restaurant Cafe Menu, Wholesale/Chicken pre-packed meat everyday and Products/ Continental Products, and extensive variety of gourmet cheese.

Created in 1907 by a Co-op of 56 local farmers, the Buttery Factory (As it was then known) originally comprised of no more than a boiler room, engine room, butter-working room, cool room, testing room, storeroom and office existing for the sole purpose of processing butter, not milk.

It was a hub of industrial activity employing many local people, gradually evolving over time into a fully functioning milk bottling factory, drawing a wide variety of other farm produce to its markets from the surrounding valleys.

Despite being burned to the ground in less than two hours by a fire in 1921 so huge that the exploding butter could be seen and heard 10 km away, the ruins of the original Butter Factory gave birth to a newer, more extensive and well equipped Milk Factory built by the 200+ dairy farmers who had by this time become shareholders in the Co-op.

Today – the site is rejuvenated, re-energised and restored......ready for you to enjoy all over again in new and exciting ways.

When Fresh is best - visit and experience fresh, wholesome food and a beautiful atmosphere at the Wyong Milk Factory – Alison Road, Wyong.

Member for Gosford, Chris Holstein today said the NSW Liberals and National Government have delivered another election commitment to support the creation of 100,000 extra jobs for NSW, by offering a payroll tax rebate to businesses.

After a decade of lagging employment growth in NSW under Labor, the NSW Government is kick-starting the economy under its Jobs Action Plan, with 40,000 extra jobs prioritised for regional NSW.

“Over the past decade NSW has suffered the lowest jobs growth of any mainland Australian State. For too long a number of regional communities have faced the uncertainty and widespread social and financial impacts, as a result of higher unemployment levels”, Chris Holstein said.

“In particular, the latest figures show that the Central Coast Region unemployment rate is above the state average of 4.9% at 5.2%. Additional concern is with the widely reported 30% plus in youth unemployment on the Central Coast”.

“This rebate will not only give local business owners greater support to employ more staff and expand their business, but the creation of these jobs will have a considerable impact on building confidence within individual communities and reducing the stress of unemployment on families.”

“Recognising the potential of regional NSW and the role Gosford will play in making NSW number one again, the NSW government believes the creation of jobs will be central to this.

The rebate of $ 4,000 is equivalent to the annual payroll tax bill for one employee on the average wage and will be paid in two parts, at 12 months and 24 months after the employee is hired.

“We are determined to reduce unemployment within our state and the payroll tax rebate not only kick-start the economy, but more importantly, it will promote the creation of long term sustainable jobs for out State and the people of Central Coast” Mr Holstein said.

B2B with a twist would like to congratulate Job Centre Australia’s Central Coast sites for their outstanding results in the Disability Employment Services (DES) Star ratings. They received the highest achievable rating of 5 Stars making them the highest performing DES provider in the region. Across NSW, Job Centre Australia had 70 per cent of sites achieving 4 stars or more. This a fantastic result in a competitive environment.

The DES Star Ratings system is the mechanism implemented by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations in measuring the success of DES providers in the delivery of their service.

“We are extremely happy with this result” said Marketing Manager, Paul Stanton. “It is a testament to our hard working staff and the quality delivery of our service. I would also like to thank all our local employers for making this result possible. We look forward to continue making a difference to the lives of people with a disability through meaningful employment.”

For more information about Job Centre Australia and how they can assist you to find the right person for your business call Paul on 4322 5511. Or go to www.jobcentreaustralia.com.au

McDonald’s on the F3 North and South have recently demonstrated their commitment to providing great opportunities for people with disabilities by hiring 19 jobseekers from Job Centre Australia.

Job Centre Australia applauds the management and staff working at these stores and the compassion and professionalism that they have shown. At our first meeting with McDonald’s, we presented 6 jobseekers with severe disabilities and without any hesitation they were hired on the spot. This group included three jobseekers aged 22 who had not previously been given an opportunity of paid employment.

The training and policies of McDonald’s were clearly demonstrated by all McDonald’s staff involved who have shown their strong belief in the benefits of diversity and employing people with disabilities. The management at these stores were aware of the barriers these jobseekers faced and modified their practices to suit.

Throughout the recruitment and induction process McDonald’s have been very accommodating going out of their way to ensure that the jobseekers employed would succeed. McDonald’s were very accommodating with the rostering of our jobseekers, giving them regular shifts so that there was stability in their lives and to ensure each was able to travel to and from work. A modified application and induction process was developed to assist in the creation of a level playing field.

The managers in these stores have since organised for Job Centre Australia staff to meet with other McDonald’s stores to offer the same opportunities to many more people with disabilities.

At every stage of the recruitment process McDonald’s have gone above and beyond to allow our jobseekers to be given this great opportunity. Job Centre Australia have been overwhelmed at the great lengths McDonald’s have gone to to provide opportunities to these great individual jobseekers. The attitude and openness that McDonald’s has shown to people with disabilities should be applauded.

McDonald’s see the ability in people and have provided each of our 19 jobseekers not only paid employment but a sense of self-worth, belief and inclusion in the work environment. McDonald’s has brought down barriers and have shown to these jobseekers, Job Centre Australia staff and the general public that some employers are prepared to provide jobs for a wide range of people with diverse needs. The impact of employment on the jobseekers is overwhelming.

Maturity levels and confidence have grown amongst the group with two of the boys now commencing apprenticeships directly resulting from the great training and work experience from working at McDonald’s and the inclusion in mainstream society.

In return McDonald’s now have additional happy, committed and diligent staff members. All of the 19 jobseekers placed commenced employment in the dining area and have carried out their duties effectively. Many customers have provided positive feedback to the restaurants. Each of these jobseekers is thrilled to have secured paid employment, staff morale is high and most importantly the new recruits have become a part of the McDonald’s team and are held in high regard by fellow workers, management and customers.

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on 14 February 1975 “for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service”.

Our congratulations to those that were represented in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list this year. We would like to acknowledge and honour the very special posthumous OAM awarded to Kevin Faulks, for service to business and to the community of Wyong.

Kevin was devoted to the Wyong Shire and through his position as Wyong Town Co-ordinator he passionately shared his vision and inspiration for the growth of Wyong township and its community.

Although Kevin passed away last year his legacy and vision will live on in todays and the future development of the Wyong Shire. Kevin was a friend and mentor to many in the Wyong community and this award reflects the dedication and hard work he put in for the community and business sectors in the Wyong Shire.

Kevin became the face of Wyong and had a very charitable heart. His enthusiasm and dedication achieved outstanding results. He is fondly remembered and honoured for his contribution to our local community.

Brochures can be great persuasive instruments, especially since they have adequate space to convince the reader of what you are selling. However, do not make the mistake of creating a brochure that is purely informational. Here are some steps to help guide you through the process of creating a great brochure.

The cover is the most important part of the brochure. It is what gets people’s attention and makes them want to read further. Make sure the cover design is eye catching. Use a single image for bigger impact, and keep the headline under 10 words. Be sure to tell the customer what is in it for him or her to do business with you.

Most people will skim your brochure by reading the headings, so put the important information in your subtitles. This way readers can still grasp the full scope of your offer even if they completely skip the main copy.

With brochure printing, all of the copy or text should focus on the customer. Connect with the reader by talking about his or her needs. Engage the reader by explaining how your company can meet those needs. Use a conversational tone, short sentences, and a simple vocabulary.

Use four or five photographs in your brochure, keeping in mind that professional photos are best. Use shots of people benefiting from your products or services so that prospects can picture themselves in their place. Make sure the resolution on the images you choose has at least 300dpi or the picture will look grainy when it is printed.

For brochure printing, the three-fold is the most common; it has three panels. You can also simply have one fold, called the bi-fold. A fold that works well for a lengthy brochure is the z-fold, which opens like an accordion. Whatever fold you use, be sure that neither your text nor your photos gets distorted by a fold.

The typeface or font you choose needs to be easy to read. You also want a font that fits your business’s personality. Only use one to three fonts per brochure printing, and be consistent by using the same font for all headings, another for all body text, and possibly a third for captions.

People are more likely to read captions than anything else, so put persuasive copy in the captions. Just be sure to keep your captions short to avoid clutter.

Include your physical address, phone number, fax, email, and web address. Make sure this information is easy to find, such as on the last panel below your call to action.

Include a call to action in your brochure. Tell the customer to order now, and give an incentive to do so by making an offer only available for a few weeks.

Brochures are great sales tools, but only if they are designed for success. Take your time with your design, keep your audience in mind, and you will be on the road to amazing results.

Contact LBH Promotions on (02) 4392 8550 or contact@lbhpromotions.com.au to discuss how we can assist you in delivering your message to the consumer. More information about LBH Promotions can be found at www.lbhpromotions.com.au

Mercure Kooindah Waters Central Coast has appointed Jessie Sheehan, an experienced hotelier from Melbourne, to the position of General Manager.

Ms Sheehan specialises in conference and event management, skills she believes will enable her to raise the profile of Mercure Kooindah Waters as an exceptional conference and wedding venue.

“There’s incredible potential to bring more conferences and events to the Central Coast, using Mercure Kooindah Waters as a base for accommodation, function space and golf, from which visitors can explore further afield,” Ms Sheehan said.

Prior to joining Mercure Kooindah Waters, Ms Sheehan held the position of General Manager at Accor’s Grand Mercure Mt Lofty House, a boutique hotel in the Adelaide Hills. Before relocating to Adelaide for that position, Ms Sheehan spent eight years with Rydges Hotels and Resorts. As Executive Assistant Manager for Rydges Melbourne hotel, Jessie managed 120 staff as well as the restaurant, conference centre and all hotel operations.

Mercure Kooindah Waters Resort is located just 90 minutes from Sydney’s CBD and is an excellent location for meetings and events. It features a ballroom which caters for up to 300 delegates theatre-style, six meeting rooms with plenty of natural light and 95 hectares of grounds in which to host outdoor functions and activities. Several rooms feature expansive terraces for outdoor breaks and direct vehicle access for easy bump-in and bump-out.

As part of its Mercure Meetings program, Kooindah Waters offers a carbon neutral program for meeting planners who wish to offset the environmental impact of their event. The cost is borne by Accor as part of the company’s commitment to sustainability.

Mercure Kooindah Waters Resort was named ‘Best Meeting Venue under 500 Delegates’ at the 2010 NSW Meeting and Events Industry Awards and recently won the award for Meetings and Business Tourism at the the Hunter Valley and Central Coast Tourism Awards. The Kooindah Waters Golf Course was included in Australian Golf Digest’s 2010 Top 100 golf courses in Australia.

Mercure Kooindah Waters Central Coast features an 18-hole golf course designed by Ross Watson with input from PGA professional Craig Parry, an endota day spa, restaurant and wine bar, indoor lap pool, spa and sauna, outdoor pool, tennis courts and gymnasium.

The Resort is close to many nature-based and adventure attractions, stunning Tuggerah Lake and several award-winning restaurants. The pristine beaches of the Central Coast are less than 30 minutes away and the wineries of the Hunter Valley can be reached within 40 minutes.

The Central Coast is a great place to be. Many of us in business are here to enjoy the relaxed lifestyle, indulge in a seachange or to just “get out of the rat race”.

Whatever the motivation, as part of the business community on the Central Coast, we must remember that even though we are in a relaxed “laid-back” part of the world, our attention to professionalism and good management practices is integral to positive business outcomes.

You may have heard (once or twice) that business owners need to work on their business not in their business. Sometimes we need to be reminded of this. Have you checked the pulse of your business lately? What indicators do you have in place to get meaningful information about the performance of your business – other than just relying on your ‘gut’ feeling?

Take a look at the following questions and get a feel for how well you really know the financial management aspects of your business.

Go through the questions quickly, answering just YES or NO

How many of these questions did you answer straight up? Do you have a finger on the pulse of your business, or has this questionnaire (hopefully) stirred you into action to understand what the day to day financial management of your business may involve.

From an accounting and business consulting perspective, I have seen the consequences of poor financial management. The Bureau of Statistics tells us that 90% of failed businesses cite “lack of management skills” as the major cause.

As a business community, let us all strive for professionalism, good management practices and most of all, the rewards of business success on the Central Coast. Julie Blatch is a partner at MYC Partners, Accountants and Business Consultants at Woy Woy

What does the National Broadband Network hold for small business on the Central Coast?

Nearly 22,000 micro or small businesses call the Central Coast home. These businesses range from the self-employed trades person supporting the construction industry to a small tourism operator employing up to 19 people.

A recent survey of 1000 small businesses on the Central Coast was commissioned by the Central Coast Business Enterprise Centre, with support from Regional Development Australia Central Coast, Wyong Shire and Gosford City Councils. When asked “how satisfied are you with your internet speed?”, 16% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction and 19% were moderately satisfied. Effectively, based on this independent research of small businesses on the Central Coast, 35% are underserviced in terms of internet speed – potentially 7,700 small businesses need more internet speed.

As the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout nears the Central Coast it’s critical that our communities are ready to embrace the opportunities high speed internet brings.

For the Central Coast, the NBN raises the prospect of new revenue generating opportunities coupled with considerable cost reductions, for instance, by:
• lowering travel frequency and duration by using video conferencing;
• increasing flexibility for workers allowing high bandwidth home-based access for operations and administration
• reducing the need for bricks and mortar stores in high-cost CBD areas as online B2B and B2C transactions increase in frequency;
• providing access to high quality video-based interactive training and professional advice; and
• access to cloud computing applications – why buy expensive pieces of accounting software or a hard drive for storing files when you can access programmes and services “stored” on the web?

It will also cut the cost of reaching potential new customers and reduce inventory costs with the ability to access just-in-time delivery. The NBN will also open revenue opportunities through immediate access to new and distant markets with the capacity to showcase products and services in high definition video.

Local ICT company, Computer Networks, part of the CN Group of Companies, is the first enterprise partner of MyNetfone in Australia which allows the group to offer hosted enterprise voice over IP (VoIP) telecommunication solutions. At the launch of their new premises in Gosford, Richard Gibbs, Managing Director Central Coast and Newcastle stated “The National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout will offer small to medium businesses a choice between the existing copper services or a fibre-enabled VoIP phone and broadband service. When you look at the price difference between the copper services at 50 cents a call compared to five cents a call for VoIP, you start to see the real value of the NBN for local businesses.”

Like any change, especially one of this scale, there will be risks to manage. For the Central Coast’s 22,000 small businesses success will be about adapting to the new possibilities, and staying ahead of competitors as local markets around Australia are exposed to the rapid grow in domestic online trading – predicted to double to $33b in the next five years.

Written By: Anthony Dow, Chief Executive Officer, Regional Development Australia Central Coast

Newcastle Permanent Building Society has been recognised as Home Lender of the year at the Financial Review Smart Investor Blue Ribbon Awards for 2011 for the second time in three years.

The prestigious award is open to all financial institutions including the major banks making the win much more significant for a regionally-based organisation.

Newcastle Permanent CEO Terry Millett said the award is an acknowledgement of the high quality home loan products and consistently competitive pricing delivered to Newcastle Permanent members.

“We were judged Home Lender of the Year following an independent assessment of our mortgage products across all categories by one of Australia’s leading financial services research firms, infochoice,” Mr Millett said.

“To be recognised as Australia’s leading home loan provider is especially pleasing as this is one of the few national awards where banks and mutual banking organisations compete on an open playing field.

“The reason we can offer such competitive home loans is that as a mutually owned organisation we are not aggressively focussed on shareholder returns and profits like listed banks. Newcastle Permanent is focused on delivering an appropriate profit, which is entirely retained in the business to provide highly competitive products and invest in the improvement of the business for the benefit of our members.

“Newcastle Permanent is the largest Building Society in NSW and is committed to being a genuine alternative to the traditional banks. Winning the Home Lender of the Year award for the second time reinforces that our ambition is achievable,” Mr Millett said.

Newcastle Permanent was also the only organisation to win four awards including three additional awards, Building Society of the Year, best Premium Home Loan Package and best secured personal loan.

Understand your business structure

The first thing to consider, with assistance from your Accountant, is the structure you are operating your business in (e.g. sole proprietor, partnership, company, trust or other). From this structure determine what are the tax, superannuation and legal implications of this? Are you utilising the correct vehicle?

Review the documentation held for the relationship between yourself and the other business owners

Consider what you have in place covering partnership agreements, buy/sell agreements, security for loan facilities, “wills” for yourself and your business, and risk insurance coverage.

Engage and interact with specialists who should know you and your business

Consider engaging the following specialists:
- Financier for loans and banking facilities;
- Financial Planner to assist with your financial goals;
- Solicitor for legal aspects;
- Accountant for taxation and financial requirements;
- Insurance broker for protection of property and assets; and
- Business coach to help you prioritise your personal and business actions.

Determine the life stage of your business and what you want to happen with it

Is it in the development stage, expansion stage, maturity or wind-down phase? What do you expect the business to be doing while in this stage? Plan and implement strategies to achieve this.

Establish an exit strategy from the business for yourself

Consider how you leave the business – will you sell your business, wind it up, pass it on to others, franchise it or do something else?

Think about yourself as well as the business

Do you have your own retirement plans and how will this be funded? Ensure that you have superannuation or something similar in place besides “the business”

Identify the people within your business who are essential for its successful operation

These can be both owners of the business and key employees. What do you have in place to protect them and the business in case of death, disability, illness or injury?

Evaluate and review the risks for your business on a regular basis

`This can include the impact of fire, theft, burglary, breakdown of equipment, cash flow, and liquidity.

Consistently review the financial situation of your business

Look at the profitability, income maximisation, expense minimisation, and impact of taxation (including the impact of taxation upon sale of the business).

Work “on” the business not just “in” the business

Take the helicopter view and see the business through the eyes of the target market, the customer, the supplier, the worker. You need to know what is going on and be in a position to act effectively as the business profile changes.

Take time to consider these tips for your business and utilise specialists to improve your strategic planning. Newcastle Permanent Financial Planners and Business Relationship Managers are available to assist with these tips and help you with your business. Drop into your local branch, call 13 19 87 or visit

www.newcastlepermanent.com.au
for more information or to make an appointment.

Christmas Parties can be the highlight of the year for every company, so think about why you are giving a party in the first place and what you are aiming to do.

For example, is the party a reward to staff for their work throughout the year or is it to impress suppliers and clients? The basics to organising a successful event remain the same. Establishing this will help to determine the look and feel of your party right from the outset; it will also help establish who should be invited.

It’s all in the preparation and planning so we have put together some useful tips to make sure you organise a night to remember.

• Budget - The budget will determine what you can do and the venue you can afford so work this out before you begin planning in earnest. The sooner you do this, the more choice there will be of venue and suppliers.
• Location - Your next priority should be Location. This is absolutely essential to a successful party. This is a time consuming process, only look at venues that meet your criteria. You will need to consider availability, costs, menus etc.
• Theme - Naturally, the theme of your event will have a bearing on your choice of venue, the style of the invitations, any dress code, the food and drink you choose to serve, the music and entertainment, as well as the way your venue is decorated. A well-executed theme can often be an icebreaker and sets the tone for the party. Do remember when confirming a venue to allow sufficient time for your suppliers to set-up.
• Music - In addition to the usual DJ and Band, you might also want some other form of live entertainment to support the evening, maybe a comedian, dancers, magicians or a speciality act. For larger parties or where events have use of several function spaces, a great idea is to hire in interactive games and activities so that your guests experience something wherever they are within the venue.
• Partners - If partners are invited, a sit-down meal with entertainment is the most appropriate option. We would strongly suggest a menu tasting with your caterer prior to the event to ensure what you serve is appropriate as more often than not; organisers get too personal and forget about their guests’ preferences. Always establish if anyone has any specific dietary requirements before the event day, as this can be an unnecessary headache for both the guest and the service staff if the venue or caterer has not been informed.
• Food & Drink - If you want everyone to interact with each other and create a more informal atmosphere, then a buffet, food stations, bowl or finger food would be a much better option. This offers greater flexibility with venue, catering and themes. With regards to drinks, consider an unlimited package of wine, beer and soft drinks; this will control the finances whilst ensuring everyone has enough to enjoy the party.

Read any contracts carefully and beware of any restrictions on licensing hours and local noise abatement orders. Ensure the venue has public liability insurance and that there are no hidden extra costs such as security, power and labour costs.

Final Tip, have fun!

Sourced from partyoffers.co.uk

The inaugural Slither and Slumber Executive Sleep Out was held at the Australian Reptile Park on 12th August, 2011 and was a overwhelming success. The event raised over $64,000 for two very worthwhile local charities – the Iris Foundation and Coast Shelter assisting those in hardship.

The Iris Foundation is building, through investment, a ready available resource for the Central Coast to be used for suicide prevention, primarily focusing on youth. Whilst building this legacy the Foundation also provides financial and physical support where appropriate, for projects targeting ‘at risk youth’. Based on current research young people are most vulnerable from early puberty to mid-twenties and it is vitally important to raise awareness of the need for early intervention as a means of prevention.

Coast Shelter operates six refuges, a homeless restaurant, a brokerage service and various outreach housing programs. The need for Coast Shelter’s services continues to grow with the increased cost of living. Coast Shelter is unable to provide housing for 70% of homeless people seeking their help, because they have no vacancies. Last financial year Coast Shelter was able to help 490 homeless men, women, youth and families by providing them with a safe place to live. Also, with the assistance of an amazing volunteer workforce, they served 52,877 free meals at the Donnison Street Community Centre.

Thank you to everyone who donated and participated in the Slither and Slumber event and a special thanks to the sponsors who helped make it possible – The Australian Reptile Park, 2GO 107.7FM, Essential Wellbeing, Treehouse Creative and Business 2 Business with a Twist

2011 Bluetongue Brewery Hunter and Central Coast Awards for Excellence in Tourism.

Tourism professionals gathered at Ausgrid Stadium for the prestigious 2011 Bluetongue Brewery Hunter and Central Coast Awards for Excellence in Tourism. The awards ceremony and gala dinner celebrated the industry’s leading contributors and recognise the high standards of the Hunter and Central Coast tourism industries.

Judging was chaired by Mr. Allan Ray O.A.M., one of the founding directors of Tourism Hunter. Mr Ray said “This year’s awards submissions were of such a high standard, it was highly competitive across all categories. It is always great to see not only the standard of submissions, but also the number of entrants.”

Winners were announced in 23 categories with an additional six silver awards and eight bronze awards being recognised. These outstanding results reflect not only the growth of the tourism industry, but the professionalism and world-class nature of the both Hunter and Central Coast’s tourism products and services. The most prestigious categories of the night were ‘Outstanding Contribution to Regional Tourism by an Individual’, ‘Outstanding Contribution by an Individual’ and the ‘Young Achiever’. These awards recognise the significant contribution these individuals have made to the success of Tourism in the Hunter and Central Coast.

Sandrine Gaymard – Tree Top Adventure Park took out the award for ‘Outstanding Contribution by an Individual’, for her significant contribution to the Hunter and Central Coast tourism industries.

Janene Rees – Moonshadow Cruises received the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Regional Tourism’ Award, being recognised for the role she has played at Moonshadow Cruises.

The ‘Young Achiever’ was awarded to Melanie Hutchinson - Maitland City Council, for her efforts in the development, delivery and management of the Maitland City Council organised flagship events.

Australian National Tourism Award winners in 2010, Scone Motor Inn and Wyndham Estate Winery once again proved leaders in their categories taking home the ‘Standard Accommodation’ and ‘Tourism Wineries’ awards respectively. Scone Motor Inn was also inducted into the Hall of Fame, having won the award for three consecutive years and are recognised as excelling in the sector. This was the second year that Wyndham Estate has won its category.

Also being inducted to the Hall of Fame were Christina’s Bed & Breakfast from Lake Macquarie for ‘Hosted Accommodation’, Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular for ‘Festivals & Events’ and Shoal Bay Resort & Spa for ‘Health & Wellbeing Tourism’. Shoal Bay Resort and Spa’s Country Club Hotel was also recognised as a winner in ‘Tourist Pubs’.

This year’s ‘Tourism Restaurant and Catering Services’ award was won by Margan Restaurant for the second year, proving their dedication to providing quality food.

First time winners were Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures winning two awards in Adventure Tourism and Tourist Attractions, Avoca Beach Picture Theatre in Heritage & Cultural Tourism, Château Élan Hunter Valley in Luxury Accommodation, Ex-HMAS Adelaide Artificial Reef in New Tourism Development, The Qantas Challenge in Major Festivals and Events, Kangarrific Tours in Tour and/or Transport Operators, Kooindah Waters Golf & Spa Resort in Meetings and Business Tourism, Norah Head Holiday Park in Tourist and Caravan Parks, and Strickland State Forest in Ecotourism.

All of the winners now go on to become finalists in the State Tourism Awards to be held in Sydney on Thursday 17th November.

Gold Winners were

• Adventure Tourism – Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures
• Tour and/or Transport Operators – Kangarrific Tours
• Heritage and Cultural Tourism – Avoca Beach Picture Theatre
• Ecotourism – Strickland State Forest
• Tourist Attractions – Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures
• Tourism Wineries – Wyndham Estate
• Tourist Pubs – Shoal Bay Country Club Hotel
• Tourist & Caravan Parks – Norah Head Holiday Park
• Health and Wellbeing Tourism – Shoal Bay Resort and Spa
• Festivals and Events –Christmas Lights Spectacular, Hunter Valley Gardens
• Meetings and Business Tourism – Kooindah Waters Golf & Spa Resort
• Major Tour & Transport Operators – Moonshadow Cruises
• Major Festivals & Events– Hunter Sports Group & Eclipse Media, PR & Events – The Qantas Challenge
• Tourism Restaurants & Catering Services – Margan Restaurant
• New Tourism Development– Ex-HMAS Adelaide Artificial Reef
• Hosted Accommodation– Christina’s Bed and Breakfast
• Unique Accommodation – Somewhere Unique
• Standard Accommodation– Scone Motor Inn
• Deluxe Accommodation – Hermitage Lodge
• Luxury Accommodation – Château Élan Hunter Valley
• Young Achiever Award – Melanie Hutchinson
• Outstanding Contribution to Regional Tourism by an Individual– Janene Rees
• Outstanding Contribution by an Individual – Sandrine Gaymard
`

How you spend your precious online marketing budget depends on your target market. For example if your business can trade nationally or worldwide it is wise to look at Google and Facebook for pay per click advertising rather than local advertising directories which can be limiting for new target market leads.

If you are only targeting local business: such as a hairdresser or food retailer; then in many cases online business directories can be limiting as one of the downfalls is often traffic within a small demographic area. However other strategies such as networking, referrals and printed magazines (like this one) are a great way to complement your online marketing plan. This allows you to focus on your local market as well as branding. I find that the use of advertising in printed magazines, such as this one, combined with networking and online marketing ensures us of a constant stream of enquiries.

Finding other businesses that can complement your business and send you referrals is also another great option. I personally try to send referrals to as many people within my network as possible to ensure business stays here on the Central Coast.

If you are signing up to a business directory make sure you find out the facts first. Ask them to show you proper live stats (not their marketing material), ask for a trial period of one month and then make sure you track how many click-throughs and how many of your enquiries are coming from the site.

A trial period will not cost them any money as it is often just a profile about your business and a link to your site which will allow you to test to see if the traffic is really there for your business - not theirs. Often the traffic statistics you are shown is traffic that has hit the home page of their site, not the sub pages where your advertising will be located. This is really important when considering online marketing, as initial home page figures can look impressive on paper. It’s really simple: if you don’t get a good return for your advertising money then it is not worth renewing it - be hard!

Ask new clients how they found you and record the answers so you can see a general pattern of where your leads are coming from. Often this information can be useful and if necessary you can spend more on successful online areas and stop advertising in unsuccessful online advertising media.

I spend time looking at online advertising for my clients and assessing what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes sites that look fantastic and full of content can be deceiving as they might not get you results which should translate into click-throughs to your own website or phone enquiries. My favourite is pay per click ads with Google and Facebook as you can target specific demographics in various areas whether locally, state-wide or nationally.

For B2B readers I’m going to give away a free one hour consults to 3 proactive businesses that are serious about advertising online. This will include an assessment of your website, analysis of your target market and what form of online marketing would work for your business.

To qualify for the free consult; your business must be ready to move to that next level which will involve allocating a small monthly budget for online advertising.

To book your appointment please email
Michelle Allen - admin@webstuff.biz
Join us on Facebook –
www.facebook.com/webstufferina

When I first started my career in web design in the early nineties, websites were considered a non- essential marketing tool for a company. In fact the majority of websites were created for personal use where people posted their family photos, talked about themselves and very rarely referred to their business. It could be considered an early form of social media - without the interaction. These days technology keeps improving with more and more advanced features on the market.

Commercial websites were initially small “brochure type” sites that contained information about the company and their products and services. There were no forms to collect information, hardly any spam or viruses. Traffic from anywhere was considered gold. The big advances in the early days of web design were animation and sound. From here the web took off and grew at a phenomenal rate.

In 2011 people’s expectations about the web have changed considerably. Now forms on websites are standard. The look and presentation of websites are a high priority and traffic is more focused towards a particular target market, rather than numbers. Social media has now become a major strategy for savvy business owners as a means of promoting their business and generating leads.

Surprisingly, I still see companies with ugly websites or ones that are quite old often containing outdated information. When I ask them about updating their website I get answers such as “I don’t have time”, “poor cash flow” ,or “ I don’t get much from my website - so why bother”?

Well it does matter! Mostly people will look for you online, check you out online before they contact you, or send your website address as a link referral to a third party. If you have a great business and someone refers your business website to a potential new client, what would you like to hear them say? “The company is great to deal with, however their website is terrible” or “the company is great to deal with and they have an informative website”? An effective website will help increase sales and gain more clients, leading to increased cash flow.

If your online presence is not professional, informative or designed to allow clients to easily move around your website, then there is every chance people will be looking at your competitors websites, who may present a more professional look online. Even if your business is small, a simple five page website that is well designed and set up to take new client enquiries, would be a great start.

If you are a larger business, then be objective about your site. Is your website old and out dated? If so, then make it a priority to update NOW!

Consider adding new multimedia to your website. Features like a video about your company or a new product, can bring fast, credible information to your website. If your website is set up properly, it will help your Google rankings to bring even more traffic to your website.

Webstuff.biz can refer clients to a company that offers a great “starter package” on video requirements. Webstuff.biz can sit face to face with you, review your website and discuss some alternatives and suggest affordable options to update the site or add new features. Our referral to our video contact is one example of taking you into the future! This company has a reputation of excellent work and of course are capable of doing high-end jobs also. Starting with a small video package on your website is a great idea which can be expanded as required.

If you are in need of a new website upgrade, I personally have more than sixteen years experience in the web industry and have learnt not to “overdevelop” websites with things that are not necessary. We have a team of talented people who specialize in particular areas and are extremely capable of developing advanced online solutions. We are upfront with the advice we give and look at a solution which will work for your business online, tailored to your business needs and budget.

Michelle Allen
02 4325 1188
www.webstuff.biz
www.facebook.com/webstufferina
www.michelleallen.com.au

Wholesale Managed Services Provider Verb has appointed Damien Wilde as the new CEO.

Mr. Wilde, who holds a BA from Sydney University as well as an MA from Bristol University in the UK is also the General Manager of commercial property developer Henry Kendall Group, owner and a major shareholder of the Verb Group.

Some two years ago Mr. Wilde saw that having technology business parks as the next key area of how the Henry Kendall Group could add value to both the IT and property industry alike. “Today business parks and Information Technology are synonymous. They are both vital for any business to operate, so I began looking at how we can bring the two together.”

“Besides the Henry Kendall Group being a 60-year old business, the team within Verb has over 100 years’ of combined experience in delivering Managed & Data Centre Services to the market. This team now provides an excellent Wholesale Managed Service offering for end customers, large and small, via our Partner Reseller Network on a ‘pay by the month’ basis without locking them into lengthy contracts.”

Moving forward, Mr. Wilde pointed out that “I believe the high density data center space will take off and that these types of data centers do not have to be a monolithic structure, but can be modular with highly agile services. This is what we have built at Verb and its market acceptance has been incredible ”.

About the Verb Group

The Verb Group is a group of companies specialising in the delivery of Wholesale Managed Services to system Integrators, Managed Services Providers, Independent Software Vendors and Telecommunication partners for their clients.

The Data Centre facility utilises modular technology from Tier One vendors and Service Providers that allows Verb’s existing and new customers to increase ICT efficiencies, contain costs and simplify the complexity of their IT environments.

The Group’s Data Centre Services are built around resilience and a high level of customer service, run by a management team with more than 100 years of industry experience. More information is available at http://www.verbgroup.com.au

The Business 2 Business networking event held on May 12th was a grand affair with guests taking a stroll down the red carpet, into the Erina Function Room, Erina Fair. The theme of the night was a black and white dress code “with a Twist”. Whilst members and guests donned business attire of black suits with white shirts, a more adventurous few were spotted! Our resident Master of Ceremonies, Chris King, looked sophisticated from head to toe in black evening suit, white shirt and “piano keyboard” tie and polished, two tone, black and white shoes. Our winner of the best dressed on the evening was Kate Morris, Events with Pizazz, looking rather dapper in black tails, white frilled bodice and black bow tie!

The networking event was an opportunity for the Buy Local Festival exhibitors, sponsors and supporters to reconnect with each other alongside of Business to Business members and guests.

Buy Local Festival photographs from Artistique Photography by Nicolette were on display and a video by BluStone Productions’ Brett Wallace, capturing the event, was played whilst networking began with guests eagerly chatting to old and new acquaintances.

This event marked the 4th birthday for Business 2 Business with a Twist. Two huge presents appeared centre stage. Joe Zappia a “singing security guard”, courtesy of Unique Security Group, jumped out of a box and serenaded the founding duo, Lyn Thompson and Suzy Allport. When the ribbon was pulled on the other present, a stunning B2B Birthday Cake, from The Sweetest Things, was revealed.

The Austrian Schnitzelhaus at Erina Fair provided the most delicious, authentic Austrian fare. Guests had a hard choice between a variety of schnitzel, Austrian sausage, veal croquettes and Austrian rissoles that all melted in the mouth. This was accompanied with premium lager courtesy of Bluetongue served from the Little Pub Co and Tamburlaine organic wines - reds, whites, rose and champagne - from the Hunter Valley.

It is events such as these where ideas are exchanged and initial contacts made have the opportunity to gradually develop into strong partnerships.

The great Rugby League referee, Bill Harrigan, was famous for saying that if he didn’t use the latest technology to his advantage then he would have been silly. So I pose the question - do you, in your business, utilise the best available technology? You may think that some technology is new and different, you may be hesitant, but there is technology available that is backed by large companies that can improve the productivity in your business. We’ve all heard the catch phrases - cloud computing, smart phones, imbedded laptops and Next IP networks - but how can these be of an advantage?

The good news is that one of the most trusted companies in Australia can help you with all these options, but what are they all about.

Cloud computing via Tsuite from Telstra allows companies to take advantage of a solution called SAAS or software as a service. It is enterprise software but made available to any business as a monthly payment on your Telstra bill. Such software includes Exchange on line, Mcaffee and Telstra Remote Back up. Exchange on line very simply utilises Microsoft instead of utilising your exchange server in your IT system. All you need is access to the internet. No more webmail when you travel. Virus protection and off site back up is not only very well priced but can be set and forgotten. Cloud computing really is a new way for you to get access to some of the latest technology and improve or increase your productivity.

It seems that mobile phones just keep getting more advanced. We hear about this all the time, but how can you utilise this in your business? We all know about getting email on your phone and the jury is out on productivity. But what about a solution iphone or android apps, facebook all linked to your phones? Everyone I talk to talks about increasing the customer service level, but how can you implement an increase of delivery to your customers? By contacting a developer such as Webstuff.biz to assist you in developing these apps . It really gives your customers a real time way to be in touch with you and allows you to respond to their requests promptly and deliver an increased customer service experience.

These are just a quick example of how, by utilising the new and exciting technologies that are available, you can really enhance your business performance, very similar to how Bill Harrigan did as a Rugby League referee.

Remember MI COMMUNICATIONS can assist you with these and many other solutions in your business to help reduce costs and improve the productivity of your business. Feel free to give us a call on 1300 642 667.

“Cloud Computing” is becoming an increasingly common term, and debate is hot as to whether it will be the next game changing innovation to affect businesses. Clearly companies like Google and Microsoft think it is. Why else would they be investing huge sums of money into research, development and now deployment of cloud based applications?

So what is cloud computing? There are many different definitions. For the purposes of this article, let’s define cloud computing as “the use of business applications that are running on systems (computers) that are not owned by you, are located outside your business premises and are accessed over the internet”.

The current Microsoft ® Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) and soon to be released Microsoft ® Office 365 solutions, are great examples of business applications that are delivered to customers via cloud computing.

So should business owners consider adopting cloud computing?

This will depend on the business benefits to be realised.

An appropriate cloud computing based solution will allow you to “rent” the features and functions you require and pay only for what you use, rather than what you might (or might not) use in the future. The solution should come with a service model that gives you the right level of support and protect your information from a variety of disasters that may or may not eventuate. The solution should be scalable (up and down) to support changes in your business growth, without needing to tie up valuable capital funds that are better spent on developing your core business. Finally, the solution should give you access to Enterprise grade systems at prices not possible if you adopted a traditional on premise, own it yourself model.

In order for this innovation to work, it requires quality infrastructure at several different levels, including a reliable broadband network. The National Broadband Network (NBN) should help address issues that have confronted business for far too long in this country and help businesses adopt cloud computing based solutions that deliver measurable improvements to the bottom line.

Computer Networks is a local IT services company who is well versed in helping businesses determine the benefits they can achieve from adopting cloud computing applications. As a Microsoft and Telstra T-Suite partner, Computer Networks can demonstrate the cost savings that can be achieved through adoption of cloud based solutions like BPOS and MS 365 and help businesses understand whether they are suitable for moving their systems into the cloud.

To see if your business is ready to take advantage of cloud computing,
contact Matt Rogers
(MRogers@thecngroup.com.au).

Interesting ideas, new technologies, and clever work practices are all just that - without people.

People are the key. People take ideas and turn them into innovations. This has been a recurring theme throughout the 2011 Hunter Central Coast Innovation Festival (HCCIF).

From kids playing rock music, to electronic bins, smart ways to keep in shape, new designs for berths at ports, and social media breakthroughs, the HCCIF has this year, more than ever before, showcased real innovation and real people across the Hunter and Central Coast.

The Festival’s opening event featured kids from Rosie’s School of Rock’s new Au:Sum Program, which encourages children with autism to excel through music. It showcased four Year 9 students from Merewether High School who won the Future Homes 2010 competition and designed a sustainable house, which was built in the playground by Future Homes competition manager and Central Coast builder, Craig Riddle. There are also amazing projects being quietly achieved by the team at Newcastle Innovation and the high level technology of Ausgrid’s Smart Grid Smart City Trial.

A plethora of events then began across a busy two week period. 42 events across the Hunter and Central Coast included: * The Buy Local Festival with a Twist – an event uniting over 200 exhibitor sites showcasing Central Coast business, government and service organisations to encourage residents to “buy local” contributing to business growth and therefore job opportunities on the Central Coast; * The Hunter Founders Forum’s - Hunter and (inaugural) Central Coast Breakfasts, where companies working on innovative ideas are matched with investors: * The Digital Showcase as the name suggests, showcased innovations in the digital and social media sphere;

* HVRF and CCRF’s Hunter and Central Coast Regional Economic Updates launched region specific innovation research.;* Year 4 children from Hunter and Central Coast schools participated in Engineers Australia’s Straw Tower Building Competition;

* Newcastle Innovation showcased the new Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources; * HMRI presented a public lecture on smart ways to improve the health of families; * Together Today hosted a workshop on the Hunter’s strategy to tackle the global challenge of climate change.

Hunter TAFE’s “Create and Innovate”, launched exciting new TAFE courses while “workshopping” innovative work practices and North Coast TAFE showcased innovative social, community and training practices. A tour of the Port of Newcastle highlighted new developments there.

The Central Coast Innovation Summit, the launch of Central Coast Manufacturing Connect and the University of Newcastle’s Ourimbah Campus’ “Towards a Smarter Central Coast” were hugely popular events that highlighted the scope of innovative people and businesses that exist on the Central Coast.

“With collaboration comes with innovation” is a theme being promoted amongst Central Coast manufacturers and embraced Central Coast wide companies working together and sharing ideas to encourage wide ranging opportunities for everybody.

The closing event, held on the Central Coast, reinforced the aforementioned idea, as well as the need to embrace our regions’ youth in innovation, which was showcased brilliantly by I-Factor - a competition introduced to the HCCIF this year, where Central Coast school students were invited to produce a multi-media presentation promoting the Central Coast as a business and lifestyle destination.

The Hunter Central Coast Innovation Festival is about encouraging new ideas and creating new ways of doing things. It is about motivating people to take a risk on a new idea and showcasing people that have done that and made a difference.

The 2011 Festival has reached more people than ever before and will continue to be a platform for innovation and creativity to be highlighted across the Hunter and Central Coast into the future.

For more information contact Kate O’Mara on 4908 7300.

To maintain ongoing momentum from the Buy Local Festival, this section promotes the ‘Buy Local’ theme. The Central Coast offers outstanding natural beauty in our waterways, beaches and National Parks and award winning attractions. An array of activities from swimming, fishing, pelican feeding to bush walking and horse riding abound on the Coast. Options for everyone from retail centres to local markets, arts and crafts, festivals, music, dining and accommodation.

Every time you spend on the Coast, you are supporting local businesses ensuring our area continues to flourish. We can all take a part in breaking down one of the biggest challenges facing our region – creating local employment and retaining young employees.

Did you know-

Our hospitality industry employs up to 50% of workers aged 35 years and under?

The retail and health industries provide the highest rate of jobs in the area, with retailing providing the highest number of entry-level jobs.

The Central Coast region has a population of approximately 314,000 residents. Spending just $20 per week per person locally instead of out of region generates approximately $280m per year for our local economy.

Our region is unique – let’s be proud and invest in our families future.

Join us on the We Love Our Central Coast Region facebook page - show your support, put forward your suggestions where to Shop • Stay • Play and hear of upcoming events.

The B2B publication will cover activities designed to provoke interest or provide fun and enjoyment for Coast residents and visitors.

Why Buy away or Go away when it’s only just a Step away!

The Government will provide additional cash flow benefits to small businesses through the tax system. The Government will reduce income tax instalments paid under Pay As You Go (PAYG) using the gross domestic product (GDP) adjustment method for one year. This change will deliver a $700 million cash flow benefit from lower tax payments in 2011-12, mainly to small businesses.

PAYG instalments in 2011-12 will be set at 4 per cent above a small business’s taxable income for the previous year, half the statutory rate that would otherwise have applied. This is a one-year benefit and the statutory rate will apply as normal from 2012-13.

The depreciation and PAYG changes will apply to all small businesses, including sole traders and businesses operating through trusts, partnerships and companies. These reforms will make tax simpler for small business, while increasing cash flows so they can reinvest and grow their businesses.

The Government will allow small businesses to claim up to $5,000 as an immediate deduction for motor vehicles, with effect for vehicles acquired from the 2012-13 income year. The remainder of the motor vehicle value will be pooled in the general small business pool (depreciated at 15% in the first year and then 30%).

Small businesses will benefit from accelerated depreciation for motor vehicles through increased cash flow and a reduction in tax payable, which will allow them to reinvest in their businesses’ growth and expansion.

A new ‘Buy Australian at home and abroad’ initiative will provide $34.4 million over four years to encourage better linkages between major projects in the resources sector and capable Australian firms. This includes:

• $12.1 million over four years to expand the Supplier Advocates Program to engage an additional four supplier advocates to target sectors where capability gaps and opportunities are identified;
• $15.5 million over four years to expand the Enterprise Connect program by engaging an additional 11 business advisers and increasing the number of tailored advisory services implementation grants and group development projects;
• $4.4 million over four years to expand the Supplier Access to Major Projects program to position an industry capability specialist in the procurement teams of some of Australia’s major resources sector projects to ensure that the capabilities of local suppliers are appropriately represented.

Continuation of the small business support line, with a commitment of $7.1 million in new funding over the next four years has been confirmed. The service provides advice to small businesses, including those in regional and remote areas of Australia, on issues such as: obtaining finance; cash flow management; retail leasing; personal stress and hardship counselling; and promotion and marketing. The support line will refer small businesses to specialist advisers for more complex and detailed advice.

Information sourced from NSW Business Chamber
– Federal Budget Overview 2011-2012

• The Government will provide $10.1 million over four years to enable the development of and reporting against, sustainability indicators for Australia. Sustainability impact statements will also be developed to assist the Government’s consideration of new policy proposals.
• The Government will provide $100.0 million over four years to assist state and local Governments to plan and provide for employment hubs to support local jobs, close to residential areas in order to reduce travel times to work and services.
• It will also provide grants to companies who fund innovative ways to use the National Broadband Network to reduce travel times.
• The program will focus on the outer suburbs of our major cities that are experiencing pressures from population growth and transport affordability.

The Government will deliver over $4.3 billion of initiatives commencing 1 July 2011 to ensure that individuals and communities across regional Australia share in the nation’s prosperity. These include:

• $1.8 billion over six years to provide critical infrastructure upgrades to hospitals and health services for regional Australians.
• $500 million over five years to strengthen regional higher education and vocational education and training institutions, through the regional priorities round of the Education Investment Fund.
• $109.9 million over four years for universities with regional campuses through increased and better targeted loading payments to regional areas.
• $916 million for the first projects under the Regional Infrastructure Fund to help unlock the economic potential of our regions.
• $1 billion over five years through the Regional Development Australia Fund to finance infrastructure projects.

Information sourced from NSW Business Chamber – Federal Budget Overview 2011-2012

• $359.3 million over four years as part
of the establishment of the National Workforce Development Fund. The Fund will support enterprise based training in critical occupations in identified ‘high need’ sectors in the economy. Industry will be required to make a co-contribution toward the cost of training places based on the size of the enterprise.
• $25.0 million over three years to establish the National Workforce and Productivity Agency.

• $100.0 million over four years to assist industry in developing and implementing strategies that lead to the incorporation of competency based progression in Australian Apprenticeships.
• $101.4 million over four years to provide mentoring support services to Australian Apprentices.
• The Government will realign the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive Program to better target incentives.

• Review the Commonwealth’s $1.4 billion per annum investment in the National Agreement on Skills and Workforce Development to secure reform outcomes and develop a whole of Government commitment to training.
• $1.75 billion over five years from 2012-13 under a new National Partnership with the states and territories, conditional on reforms to the VET system.

• $80 million for additional training places for single and teenage parents.
• $20 million to ensure disadvantaged job seekers can access the Australian Apprenticeships Access Program.
• Extending the ‘Earn or Learn’ requirements and eligibility for Youth Allowance (other) to unemployed young people aged 21, and increasing their rewards to work.
• $45.2 million over two years to extend the current Priority Employment Area initiatives, including Jobs and Skills Expos and Local Employment Coordinators, to 30 June 2013.

• $500 million over five years to strengthen regional higher education and vocational education and training institutions, through the regional priorities round of the Education Investment Fund.
• $109.9 million over four years for universities with regional campuses through increased and better targeted loading payments to regional areas.
• $690 million to regional higher education, training and research infrastructure through the Education Investment Fund.
• Strengthening national education policies to ensure they meet the needs of regional students.
• $19.1 million over three years to engage

34 Regional Strategists to develop regional education, skills and jobs plans aimed at improving access to education, training and employment in 34 non-metropolitan Regional Development Australia areas.

After two days at the Bridgecoast Stadium, Terrigal, the Events with a Twist, festival co-ordinators for the 2011 Buy Local Festival with a Twist, were full of praise and overwhelmed by the feedback from festival exhibitors and attendees.

Come rain (lots of it), hail or shine the Buy Local Festival with a Twist, was set to go ahead on Friday April 29 and Saturday April 30. Over 200 exhibitor sites showcased products and services, from a plethora of business and industry, encouraging visitors to work, stay and play on the Central Coast for the growth of our region, leading to more employment opportunities or, jobs for the Central Coast!

The rain did not stop an estimated 7,500 visitors, arriving at the Bridgecoast Stadium. April 2010, the inaugural festival, saw 1,500 visitors.

The success of the festival can be attributed to the support and involvement from our sponsors and supporters, as noted below, as well as the many exhibitors that put such effort and enthusiasm into displaying their products and services.

The festival proceeded smoothly thanks to our Master of Ceremonies, Mr Chris De Havilland.

A festival atmosphere prevailed as activities entertained and educated the attendees. Exhibitors sites were alive with interactive golf putting, soccer games, coights games, “guess the number of jelly beans in the jar” competitions, and even the “Pavarotti of singing security guards” giving an impromptu performance.

On the outdoor stage near the food, wine and coffee vendors, festivities were abuzz. 14 performances by singers, bands, drummers and dancers entertained the public and demonstrated the talents of local artists.

Participants commented on the positive vibe amongst the businesses some meeting each other for the first time and on the number of enquiries, leads and interest they received at their sites. An encouraging number of Feedback Forms were received from businesses and the attending general public. The main question asked on the form was “What do you think of the Buy Local Festival concept ie: promoting business growth and jobs for the Central Coast?” On a scale of 1 (poorest) to 10 (highest) - 81% of these forms were marked 8 and above!

Other interesting statistics showed that 17% of visitors were seeking information on Tourism and Lifestyle, 18% of visitors were seeking information on Business Information Services , 21% of visitors sought information on Marketing and Promotion services and a favourable 16% of visitors were attending to find information on Goods and Services.

To continue the enthusiasm generated by the festival, local businesses can register on the online Buy Local Online Connect website to offer great deals to local residents. All are welcome to make comments on the wonderful facilities in our area on our facebook page"We love our Central Coast Region".

As participants in the Hunter Central Coast Innovation Festival, the Buy Local Festival with a Twist, looks forward to additional businesses being involved in our festival next year and would like to thank all those business and organisations that participated this year, who showed working together, we can "Make it Happen"!

Visit www.b2bwithatwist.com.au to view all the action at the event.

Pacific Beverages, owner of the beer brand Bluetongue, has created a new beer category for Australian consumers – introducing Bruers Bright.

Pacific Beverages, a joint venture between Coca Cola Amatil Australia and SABMiller, was formed in 2006 and began importing, selling and distributing premium beer brands, including Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft and Pilsner Urquell, joined later by Miller Chill and Grolsch. In December 2007, Pacific Beverages acquired Bluetongue Brewery and its stable of Australian premium beers, including Bluetongue Premium Lager.

In its four year history, Pacific Beverages has grown market share of premium beer in Australia from 3.6% to approximately 10%. They unveiled their new “uncooked” draught beer, Bruers Bright, by releasing online videos, which shows consumers the absurdity of boiling beer and the benefits of Bright Beer. The tongue in cheek videos, reflect that unlike other draught beers coming out of major breweries on the Australian market, Bruers Bright is filled directly from bright beer vats into kegs without any “cooking” or pasteurisation – giving the beer full flavour, freshness and real draught taste.

Paul Gloster, Chief Marketing Officer, Pacific Beverages said, “Bruers Bright demanded a different marketing strategy to the other beer brands in our portfolio for several reasons. Firstly, the way in which it is brewed is unique to any other major brewery’s draught beer on the market. It truly is ‘bright beer’ in that it isn’t “cooked”, in other words pasteurised, before it is kegged. Secondly, it was created as a result of discussions with our key customers, the pubs and clubs of Australia, who identified Bruers Bright as a solution to a gap in the market. Most consumers don’t even know their everyday draught beer is being boiled, so we need to educate them on this fact, show them why it tarnishes taste, and present them with a solution – bright beer”, said Gloster.

"We asked key customers what was missing in their venues and they told us that they needed innovation in the draught beer category, which would bring consumers back into pubs. We listened and Bruers Bright was born,"said Gloster.

Bruers Bright is made with all Australian ingredients to be a highly drinkable Australian style draught lager, with a clean fresh aroma, a fruity individualistic palate and a soft bitter aftertaste, delivering the ultimate fresh beer experience!

Bruers Bright was successfully trialled at a number of venues since November 2010 and will now become available on tap in over 500 venues nationally.

Established for over 5 years, diVine tours have created a niche in the Central Coast tour market. Whether you’re a visitor to the Central Coast, a long-term resident or local business owner, diVine tours can show you the Hunter Valley like no other tour operator.

Coming from a hospitality background spanning over 15 years, owner/operator Roy Fraser-Watson focused on starting a tour business specialising in day tours from the Central Coast to the Hunter Valley, showcasing the very best this world renowned wine region has to offer. With over 140 cellar doors, top-rating restaurants and a range of other gourmet providers such as cheese manufactures, olive producers and specialist chocolatiers, the Hunter Valley has everything required for the perfect day out!

With an enthusiastic knowledge of wine and the wine-making industry, Roy embarked on creating a wine tour with heart... not to mention ‘nose’, ‘legs’ and ‘body’... the result is the ultimate wine tasting experience! Five years later, diVine tours are a highly recommended Central Coast business offering a door-to-door service from the Central Coast and Lower Hunter regions.

For your next trip to beautiful Hunter Valley wine country, contact diVine tours and...treat yourself to a diVine day out!

diVine tours services include:

Gourmet Wine Tour – Your small group tour allows unique wine tasting opportunities at boutique vineyards in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Sit back, relax & enjoy the scenic journey through the historical Hunter Valley wine region. Enjoy private wine tastings at 4-5 cellar doors, restaurant lunch including glass of wine, and cheese & chocolate tasting.

Private Tour – Book your group on a diVine private tour and receive a personalised itinerary to meet your individual needs. Visit wineries of your choice or let diVine arrange an itinerary to suit the mood of your day.

diVine Wine Tour – Held once every season and limited to a maximum of 10 guests, this exclusive wine tour is the ultimate Hunter Valley experience. Be spoilt with a Champagne breakfast, carefully selected private wine tastings, a two course lunch and cheese & chocolate tastings. Suitable for couples or small groups up to 10 guests.

Charter Services – diVine tours offers a range of charter services perfect for social groups, special events or business functions. It’s a popular option for Hunter Valley concerts, Sydney/Newcastle restaurant or event transfers, or any other Central Coast small group transporting needs.

diVine tours operates 7 days – for further tour information please visit

www.divinetours.com.au or contact
diVine tours on: Ph: (02) 43 85 8181 or
Mbl: 0414 858 671

Coast Shelter providing accommodation and support for persons who are homeless and disadvantaged on the Central Coast and the Iris Foundation for the prevention of suicide, primarily focused on young people and their families on the Central Coast, have partnered together to create awareness of the plight of homeless people and raise much needed funds through the Slither and Slumber executive sleep out to be held on Friday August 5 at the Australian Reptile Park.

The partnership for this executive sleep-out during "Homeless Persons Week" is meaningful, because Coast Shelter supports people who, due to their homeless circumstances, are at possible high risk of suicide. This includes homeless families often living in cars, or wherever they can find a temporary bed for the night, mothers and children forced from their home due to violence/trauma and young people from the streets, who for a variety of reasons are not able to live with their family.

The lead up to the night out has people talking, with companies eagerly registering, after raising $1,000 to send their managers or perhaps relatives or friends, into the "wilds" of the Park!

Raffles of "Central Coast Experience" Packages including resort stays, dinners and passes to Central Coast Tourist attractions, are waiting to be won!

The Slither and Slumber event, challenges all Central Coast businesses to participate in an overnight, under the stars, sleep-out. Escape the snapping teeth of the corporate world, rest your weary head amongst the wilds of the Australian Reptile Park, mingling with like-minded supporters of those in need.

Put the word out amongst your staff, families, suppliers and clients to sponsor you by raising $1,000 for this unique opportunity, supporting Coast Shelter and the Iris Foundation.

Coast Shelter is a not-for-profit charity, attempting to meet the needs of the disadvantaged within our community through advocacy and the provision of direct services.

Providing accommodation to approximately 110 homeless men, women and children each night, Coast Shelter also coordinates the provision of over 200 meals every day, at the Donnison Street Community Centre in Gosford, with the help of an amazing volunteer workforce.

Coast Shelter refuges, which look more like ordinary homes, accommodate homeless men, women, families and youth, whilst staff help them to get their lives in order. Staff are skilled in problem areas, such as domestic violence, financial difficulties, gambling, alcohol and other drug issues, behavioural difficulties and living skills. Programs aim to meet the specific needs of people, providing guidance and support to assist them to obtain their own accommodation and manage their lives effectively. Coast Shelter is a strong advocate for social justice, particularly in relation to those on low incomes and suffering "housing stress".

The Iris Foundation is for the prevention of suicide on the Central Coast, primarily focused on young people and their families, but does not exclude any individuals identified as at risk. Creating awareness of the importance of early intervention, as a means of prevention for those at risk of suicide, is a priority.

Bev Baldwin and Dawn Hooper established the Foundation in 2006 under the United Way Central Coast Community Chest Trust, as a result of the suicide of Bev´s 21 year old grand-daughter.

"Iris" means "vision of light" and was the name of both the mothers of Bev and Dawn. It seemed a natural fit, as the name of the Iris Foundation, to give hope to people suffering.

The Foundation is a lasting legacy to the Central Coast providing assistance to Central Coast services in detection and appropriate intervention of "at risk" individuals and assistance for their families.

Collectively the Coast can make a huge difference in helping to prevent the tragedy of suicide by supporting initiatives aiming at early intervention.

The Little Pub Co is a unique, privately owned business operated by Wayne & Marilyn Ansell. Just think, you can have your own little pub – anywhere, anytime (which happens to be the company motto)!

Setting new standards in the provision of alcohol and drinks related services, is what the Little Pub Co strive to provide. Whether your venue is indoors at your home, or “on the prairie”, at a function or convention room, or by the sea or a tranquil river, they can be there with their purpose-built, stainless steel bars and covering marquee!

The design of the bar creates a professional feel and ambience for your special event, wedding, party, festival or corporate function. The Little Pub Co is not just for “little” events. They specialise in small or large functions, offering efficient, professional service and quality products for your guest’s enjoyment and providing a range of stunning, custom designed mobile bars, suitable for all occasions indoors or outdoors.

"Catering for the different needs of consumers, you can choose different components to complete your requirement. Services include Beverage Packages where The Little Pub Co. takes care of everything for you including bar set up, glassware and related equipment, bar staff, clean up, and of course, the alcohol itself" Wayne said. They offer a complete range of beverages, keg beer (served icy cold straight from the tap), packaged beer, wine, spirits, cocktails, champagne, juices and soft drinks - you choose to suit your tastes and budget. Or you can simply order your choice of Keg beer and equipment for "icy cold beer on tap", along with a Cocktail machine, and have a “DIY” experience! The Little Pub Co has a team of RSA certified, fully trained professionals, who are dedicated to making your event a successful and memorable experience.

You can contact Wayne on 4332 0979 or mobile 0421 549 694 or jump on their website and check out their photo gallery at: www.thelittlepubco.com.au.

Take yourself back to the days of old. In the rural countryside of the Central Coast, in the northern reaches, you’ll find a heritage style country homestead, located next to the Warnervale Train Station. A quaint General Store is located on the premises and alongside it, the fabulous Warnies Cafe. At the cafe you might see a picture of “Warnie”, the prawn character, who is an inspiration for conservation, the environment and a reminder of the days when the local lakes were teeming with fresh prawns. Warnie is named after local larrikin Albert Warner, the original settler of Warnervale and also an environmentalist of his time.

Warnies Cafe is the perfect spot to drop into on your way north, or simply get away for the day, to an idyllic, picturesque area, where you can relax, while the children play on the huge lawn surrounding the cafe. A shady terrace overlooks natural bushland where bellbirds sing happily. Even the gentle rattle, of trains pulling out from the station gives you a comforting, “yesteryear” feeling!

Your host at Warnies Cafe is Linda Bennett. The team under Linda’s great guidance, are renowned for their warm hospitality and friendly country manner. “Warnies” as it is known by the locals, is the perfect location to hold any function. Linda’s staff can help you choose from a delicious range of menu ideas to suit any type of function. Warnies Cafe proves their versatility by offering catering for your office or home!

For sit down meals, a varied menu is offered and daily specials are promoted. The food is good ol’ country cooking including mouth watering homemade soups, huge meaty burgers and scrumptious scones and cakes!

Early opening hours entice early-risers for breakfast as the sun comes up. Delightful Morning Teas are a great way to catch-up with friends and if you extend that into a long, lazy lunch you are sure to enjoy the experience.

Wow - markets as well! Held behind Warnies Cafe, on the 3rd Saturday of each month. There is a wide variety of exciting stalls including, antiques, clothing, jewellery, home produce, native plants and face painting for the kids. Plus there is always a special feature for each market day!

Warnies Cafe run a BBQ for the Markets and serve their usual delicious selection of food throughout the day - so you certainly won’t go hungry! Market stall enquiries -Wayne Wood
0405 487 779 or email markets@warnies.com.au

Franchising is not a business itself, but a way of doing business.
You could open your own takeaway chicken shop, or open a KFC or Red Rooster franchise.
Many people who are looking for the flexibility of being their own boss, but lack business experience, will consider purchasing a franchise.

The benefits of buying a franchise include the fact that you are buying a tried and tested "system", which is usually set out in great detail in an Operations Manual, you are buying the goodwill attached to a recognised and established brand and products, and you get ongoing support and training from the franchisor. Standardisation, consistency and uniformity across all aspects are key principles of the franchise business format.

However, some people can find the inflexible nature of a franchise system frustrating, and unfortunately, some franchisors do not provide the promised support. Because of the nature of the relationship, and the franchisor's need to remain in control over certain standards critical to the ongoing success of the franchise system, the Franchise Agreement is usually imbalanced in favour of the franchisor.

Franchising is regulated by the Franchising Code of Conduct, which prescribes strict disclosure requirements upon the franchisor, and imposes certain obligations and conditions into the Franchise Agreement.

Buying a franchise is a serious decision. It is important that you obtain proper legal and financial advice from professionals who are experienced with the laws of franchising before proceeding, and carry out all of your due diligence including reading the documents carefully, talking to other franchisees, researching the franchisor, and assessing your financial resources and ability to meet the requirements of the franchisor.

Anna Cruckshank and the Commercial Law Team at Aubrey Brown Partners is very experienced with advising clients in relation to buying and selling franchises, establishing new franchises, and franchise disputes.

We have also assisted several franchisors with setting up a franchise system, and meeting their legal obligations.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a franchise, or setting up a franchise as a franchisor, please contact us on 4350 3333.

Remember the carefree '60s when surfing dudes and beach babes hung out at their favourite beach? That's what you will be reminded of when you enter The Ettalong Beach Cabana. You will be greeted with plenty of smiles and laughter! Funky beach decor, inside and out - a casual ambience is the cafe's theme.

Owner Amanda, has years of experience travelling the world as a Flight Stewardess experiencing great food and good music. Her aim is to source local produce and offer meals full of healthy fresh ingredients.

The Cabana also makes a mean coffee!
Open 7 days a week from 9.30am, breakfast goes all day, the specialty being the Cabana Big Breakfast – a plate full of pure beef sausages, crisp bacon, eggs how you like them, grilled tomatoes, baked beans, and inch thick toast. Choose from a menu of burgers, including the Whopper with everything you can think of spilling over the bun, wraps with healthy grilled chicken, smoked salmon or loads of garden salad, quiches, lasagnes, cakes, fresh fruit smoothies or freshly squeezed juices.

The Cabana opens at night on Fridays only, offering 10 mains at $10 each. There are 7 seafood dishes, also a steak, chicken and vegetarian dish. Visit The Ettalong Beach Cabana at the Buy Local Festival and pick up your Friday Night Voucher of a $10 Main Meal & Free Dessert. You can't beat that – bookings: 4341 1123
175 Ocean View Rd, Ettalong Beach

Well here we are, our first edition as an official member of the B2B With a Twist family.

We are delighted to have recently formalised a partnership with Lyn and the team at B2B With a Twist, which sees the Central Coast Academy of Sport on board as a platinum sponsor and B2B With a Twist joining our extremely valued group of major business partners including 107.7 2GO, Central Coast Express Advocate, Communities NSW – Sport and Recreation, Greater Building Society, Mars Food Australia, Mingara, NBN Television, 101.3 Sea FM, The University of Newcastle and Webstuff.biz.

This is an exciting partnership, which will see great benefits and further growth across both organisations, who operate under the same key principles and share a genuine passion for community engagement.

From our perspective, we will be looking to make the most of the partnership by further promoting awareness and understanding of the Central Coast Academy of Sport within our community and further afield.

The Central Coast Academy of Sport is a non-profit organisation that exists to provide locally based sports training, education and overall personal development opportunities for our aspiring athletes, coaches, officials and administrators of the region. We are proud to be considered by many as a leading regional academy of sport and we continue to strive to ensure we are providing the best possible service and support not only to our athletes, coaches, officials and administrators, but also to our valued partners, sponsors and suppliers.

We survive through the support of our sponsors and we are always looking for additional support across all areas of our business. I trust our exciting new business partnership with B2B With a Twist will assist us in opening more doors and attracting more great organisations who have an interest in assisting us to provide opportunities and influence generations through sport.

Each year, we participate in the ClubsNSW Academy Games, which is a mini Olympic style event that brings together all NSW regional academies of sport. This year we will be taking a touring party of over 100 athletes, coaches, officials and support staff to Armidale for the event between Thursday 14 – Sunday 17 April.

We are currently looking to attract tour sponsors, so for just $500 + GST, your organisation can show its support for our very own local academy of sport. If interested, please contact me at the Central Coast Academy of Sport office on
(02) 4349 7756 or luke@thinksport.com.au and we can discuss the benefits involved. We look forward to having you on board when we tour Armidale!

Yours in Sport;
Luke Tucker
Executive Officer
Central Coast Academy of Sport

Visit our official website - www.thinksport.com.au
Join us on Facebook – www.facebook.com/CentralCoastAcademyOfSport
Follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/ccasport

The Central Coast Business Enterprise Centre (CCBEC) launched its comprehensive survey results recently under the CEO, Mr Wayne Gates.

During the past 10 years, the Central Coast has experienced unprecedented growth with the population of the Coast expected to grow by another 100,000 people in the next twenty years. Based on such a rapidly rising, growing population, employment creation is critical. The CCBEC's aim is to support small businesses on the Coast to help them grow, creating greater employment opportunities on the Coast and reduce the numbers of Central Coast workers commuting to Sydney for work. One of the key goals of the Central Coast regional economic development plan, is to create another 45,000 jobs over the next 20 years.

"We supported around 500 start-ups and 400 existing small businesses last year", Mr Wayne Gates said. "In addition to employment growth, the CCBEC's mission is to bring small business practice on the Central Coast up-to-speed with the latest business developments in Australia" he said. To achieve this, the CCBEC surveyed their existing small business clients to ascertain business growth trends, analyse small business statistics and pin-point what their small business clients most need, to help shape the CCBEC's business support services and programs.

CCBEC Client Survey Results

"CCBEC gained a huge thumps-up – 94% of clients said when they acted on the business advice they received from the CCBEC, it had a positive impact on their business. This result outstripped the state average of 73%".

"CCBEC exceeded the state average in every category for delivery of Business Advisory Services".

"Small Businesses surveyed see the CCBEC as a partner in growth with 91% stating they would use our services again and 96% saying they would refer the CCBEC to other small businesses , family members and friends".

"Central Coast Small Business rated the CCBEC as an essential service. They rated 'Access to Quality Business Advice and Training', as the second most important service for their business".

"The survey also found the CCBEC assists businesses across a broad range of industries, giving us far greater reach and impact than any other association on the Coast."

Services, Support on offer from the BEC

As small business face their day to day challenges on the Coast, often under resourced and working through ongoing legal business requirements, the CCBEC aims to offer needed services, to ensure their futures and accelerate their growth.

The CCBEC accelerates small business success in a number of ways including,

• Help fast track start-up growth
• Support existing business to grow faster
• Guide businesses through challenges
• Support existing business to sell their business for the best return

Last year CCBEC ran technology workshops supporting more than 440 businesses with on-line programs including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. The CCBEC receives funding from all tiers of government, Federal, State and Local, to support the CCBEC's core programs.

Visit CCBEC at the Buy Local Festival in April, where all types of Central Coast businesses will unite to showcase their products and services, encouraging the public to "buy local" to create business growth and jobs for the younger generations of the Central Coast.
CCBEC phone (02) 4355 4885

Member for Wyong, David Harris MP, hailed the Planning Minister Tony Kelly's decision to refuse the Wallarah 2 Mining Application, as a victory for common sense.

Mr Harris said the decision vindicated his position to oppose the project since 2007.

"I have led an active campaign on behalf of the community to stop this application which would have allowed mining under the important Wyong Water Catchment," Mr Harris said.

"I have written submissions, spoken at Inquiries, spoken in Parliament and lobbied all levels of Government to fight this mine proposal," Mr Harris said.

"I have always maintained that a proper and rigorous assessment process was required so there could be no legal issues with the final determination by the State Planning Minister," Mr Harris stressed.

"Despite criticism from some members of the community and the State Opposition I had faith in the system."

"My faith has been rewarded with the right decision – the right decision for the benefit of the whole community." Mr Harris said.

Mr Harris said that he had even had suggestions that he should ‘jump ship'. "If I had done as some had suggested, my voice would have been removed from the debate and I would not have been able to effectively advocate on behalf of our community."

"My strategy has proven to be correct; I stayed at the table where I would be most effective as a voice against the proposal from within the Labor Government."

"I never took the easy way out – up until the last minute I was still organising representations to relevant people within Government." Mr Harris said

"It was clear to me from the beginning that this was a bad proposal for the people of Wyong – the people I was elected to represent."

"The Central Coast Water Supply is protected and I am proud to have fought so hard for this to happen." Mr Harris said

"This has been a community battle and I pay tribute to Craig Thomson MP, Cr Bob Graham and the many other community people who have fought this issue for so long," Mr Harris said

Mr Harris said that he was pleased that he had honoured his commitment to his constituents and had continued to fight to ensure their concerns were recognised.

"I am proud that other commitments such as better bus services, hospital improvements, more road funding, new school at Warnervale and having the Central Coast recognised as a Region, have also been achieved," Mr Harris said

Mayor Doug Eaton has praised the community of Wyong Shire following news the NSW Government has rejected the Wallarah 2 coal mine proposal.

"At the end of the day, it was community who stopped this mine from going ahead", Mayor Eaton said. "Council conducted a survey a couple of years ago that showed 82 per cent of our community were against this mine and everyone has kept that level of pressure bubbling along to help get this result" he said.

"In my 20 years in public life, I have never seen so much opposition to one single proposal." While the Planning Assessment Commission recommended the approval of the project, the PAC report admitted disappointment at the level of information provided in the Environmental Assessment by the proponents.

"One of the Minister's key points in refusing the proposal was the issue of insufficient ground water modelling", Mayor Eaton said. "Council experts were able to demonstrate this clearly to the Planning Assessment Commission and it was one of the critical findings of the report". "We spent $250,000 engaging experts and staff resources to respond on behalf of our community, and that was ratepayer's money which the community were happy for us to spend because they didn't want this mine". "That money spent on engaging experts has proved to be money very well spent given their findings that showed how flawed the proponent's ground water studies were."

The Mayor praised Member for Wyong David Harris, who publically announced at the Blue Haven on March 4, that Planning Minister Tony Kelly has rejected this proposal. "Mr Harris has taken this issue up in Parliament on behalf of the community and has stood firm and I congratulate him on this result," Mayor Eaton said.

"The State Opposition was also clearly against this mine, as was the Federal Member for Dobell, Craig Thomson, while members of the Australian Coal Alliance and the Stop Korean Coal Mine Group

Also took the fight right up to the Government." Mr Harris praised Council's role in lobbying strongly on behalf of the community.

Businesses of the Central Coast came together to support Central Coast Radiation Oncology Institute in its bid to secure free public radiotherapy treatment for patients on the Central Coast.

For the first time many business groups joined forces for this worthy cause including Central Coast NSWBC, Gosford Chamber of Commerce, B2B With a Twist and Business Women Connect.

With just over 50 businesses represented and Gosford Mayor Laurie Maher in attendance it was a great opportunity to seek support from the business and wider community to circulate support petitions and educate them on the current system in place for treatment of public patients on the Coast.

CCROI provides radiotherapy for cancer patients on the Central Coast utilising "state of the art" technology and has been a local business in Gosford since 1995.

Unfortunately there are no free public radiotherapy practices on the Central Coast so if you would like to be treated where you live on the Central Coast private treatment is your only option. Free treatment is only available if you are able to travel to Sydney or Newcastle, which is taxing and difficult for an already unwell cancer patient. Support us in our Campaign "Treat Free, Treat Local, Treat Now!" CCROI is currently trying to negotiate public access to radiotherapy treatment for Central Coast residents NOW. This would greatly benefit Central Coast cancer patients and their immediate treatment plan.

We have asked the NSW State Government and the Minister for Health to partner with us in Gosford to form a Public-Private Partnership to allow CCROI to provide immediate free public access for radiotherapy patients on the Central Coast.

To assist in the fight for free treatment please go to our website http://www.radiotherapy.com.au/ where you will see the "Treat Free, Treat Local, Treat Now!" tab and you can download a petition to sign.

Further information phone 4349 8000 and we look forward to assisting you.

One of the most topical subjects this year is the rising cost of electricity to business owners and families alike and the possible inclusion of a price on carbon in the near future. When you way up the financial effects on small business our normal day to day functions could really end up costing us a lot more than we really think.

Did you know that each piece of paper produced in the office accounts for 8.4 grams of carbon per sheet; therefore if a company produces 1000 pieces of paper per day, they are effectively emitting 8.4 kilograms of carbon per day.

Similarly based upon the current cost of electricity (electricity price rises may just be something we all have to deal with), a Multifunction Printer could be costing your business over $5000 per annum in Electricity costs alone.

A managed print services company, such as Viatek, can work with business small and large and show them solutions that are not only tailored to their business but ensure their business has minimal impacts on the environment and minimal impacts on energy use. They will make sure the business achieves the following results;

• Reduce overheads
• Simplify billing and accounts
• Minimize waste
• Provide easy to use Document Management Capabilities
• Document recognition – Bar Code printing and scanning
• Decrease paper based operations such as invoices, proof of delivery slips, consignment notes and order forms
• Decrease environmental Impact

The most difficult aspect of finding out how businesses achieve these outstanding results is asking. For a free onsite assessment of your business please contact; Cameron Lawes 4324 7288 or 0412 008 831.

I hope you all had a wonderful break over Christmas and New Year and managed to take some time off to spend relaxing with loved ones as I did: here's to a successful 2011.

When you don't know the name of a business that sells the product or service you are looking for, or if you have a business in mind but can't think of their correct name - you have to think creatively when searching online.

What search words would you use? Or more importantly what words do you think your potential clients would use to search for your business if they didn't know your name? You may have heard of Google adwords. You can purchase set keywords which when used in a search, will allow your business to appear on the search results page of Google. The position your business appears on the page will be determined by the adwords you purchase. The idea is to be positioned on the front of the list or at the top of the page so searchers can find you more easily.

Your business can even appear as an advertisement on the right hand side of the search results page, dependent on your adword purchase.

Do you know what keywords your competition is using on Google? Try typing in your full company name e.g. Webstuff.biz Pty Ltd or a variation such as Webstuff or Webstuff.biz and see what comes up in the search results. Try a few variations to see if another company is trying to trade off your name. If your search finds this situation is occurring; try contacting the company and ask them to stop using your business name.

Usually a phone call or a stern email can persuade the company to stop using your business name. It is a must that you keep a written copy of your request so there is a record of it.

This has actually happened to my company. The perpetrator responded to me and said it was "fair competition" to use my company name as part of their advertising – would you agree with this statement? How would you feel if this happened to you?

It is important that you spend some time checking to see what is said about your company online – even if you don't have a website! There could be blogs, reviews or news forums saying defamatory things about your business or you. However you may even be receiving praise from a customer via their website. This is something you must make time to check at least every month, given the changeable nature of the World Wide Web. Schedule the task into your calendar and set up a monthly reminder.

Resources to help you online

Webstiff.biz is currently offering a two hour consultation with myself on "Searching for your Business" for only $20.00. This is funded by the government and endorsed by the Central Coast Business Enterprise Centre. If you find a problem with someone using your business name I can show you some strategies to alleviate the problem. Ultimately you may need the services of a solicitor if all else fails – however it may not be required. This consultation can also be used to assist you to set up a business Facebook account. There are limited consultation vouchers available, so please get in early – phone 4325 1188.

Online Marketing

Webstuff.biz can also advise and direct you to a site that will assist your business in driving traffic to your website.
For a reasonable annual investment; businesses can learn about and then action online marketing strategies for themselves. New resources are loaded into the member's area of the site from social media, online marketing, web, and e-commerce areas to keep you informed and up to date on processes to help your business growth. For marketing professionals this is a great resource for your clients.

Do you want to set up an internet business? The site can provide the focus, direction and structure you need to get started and improve your online presence or build affiliate marketing. Bloggers can find a way to increase traffic through their efforts and quickly create content. I have followed the guidelines to create my new blog of my journey in health and fitness explaining how the journey has helped me take my web design business to a new level, visit: www.michelleallen.com.au

Michelle Allen
Webstuff.biz Pty Ltd

Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/webstufferina
Visit our website to see our client portfolio: www.webstuff.biz

2GO and SEA FM had just started a buy local campaign on air, when a chance meeting, 5 weeks back, with Lyn Thompson and Sue Liptrott, took both organizations down a parallel path.

Lyn and Sue were on the charge of an already successful Buy Local Festival With a Twist 2010, and were out promoting the Buy Local Festival With a Twist 2011, to be held at a new venue at Bridgecoast Stadium, Terrigal.

The synergies were instant, both Lyn and Sue, like 2GO and SEA FM, had a similar focus on local business, encouraging all Central Coast people to support our local business and hence increase available job numbers on the coast, for our kids in particular.

It was an instantaneous decision that we joined the 2011 Buy Local Festival With a Twist, assisting with the marketing and promotion of this already popular event.

The Buy Local Festival With a Twist, will become the premier event in Terrigal and the Central Coast, I am sure.

Lyn and Sue made it clear in talks they were catering for both local business and for all people of the Central Coast to enjoy a great two day event.
At Central Coast Radio we are proud to back such community initiatives. As an example we recently ran our own buy local campaign, as stated earlier, but we typically assist organization's initiatives such as Central Coast Group Training's "30 apprentices in 30 days", in conjunction with Greg Best. Greg recently advised he has had the best result ever, placing our Central Coast kids into apprenticeships, and the initiative exceeded all expectations, improving year on year.

This is local kids commencing apprenticeships - we are very proud to help Greg every year.

We acknowledge we have youth unemployment problems on the Central Coast and will assist where ever possible.

Central Coast Radio have a full time community liaison officer, Cressy McLean and we assist non-profit organizations whenever we can, whether they are charities or organizations like CCGT.

You can contact Cressy at Central Coast Radio on 4324 2400 to discuss possible assistance.

Our CCR executive team has empathy with local business, as most have been on the other side, working in businesses of their own. The General Manager, the General Sales Manager have all owned a local business, even our Promotions Manager, Sarah Ferman, assists in a local business with her partner.

A large number of our sales force have owned a business locally. They know what it is like to be in business on the Central Coast. Our staff know how to give helpful marketing advice utilizing our two well established radio stations.

At 2GO and SEA FM we have 45 full time employees and a good number of casual staff. Most have children, and we understand that a strong local economy means jobs for our children.
We have buy in!

I encourage everyone to attend the 2011 Buy Local Festival With a Twist and participate if possible. Purchase an exhibition space, or at very least, visit and support our community on Friday April 29 and/or Saturday April 30.

We will be promoting it hard, so let's create some jobs!

I love my GM position at Central Coast Radio 2GO/ SEAFM.
I love my community and I am proud to be a Central Coaster.

Paul Wrigley
General Manger
2GO/SEA FM

The Buy Local Festival with a Twist, is pleased to announce our Master of Ceremonies, a veteran of international performances, Mr Chris De Havilland.

Chris is a professional presenter, motivator and humourist.
Chris uses humour extensively to motivate and educate audiences at events such as conferences, product launches and conventions.

Chris invariably instils a message – at the Buy Local Festival, a message of supporting Central Coast businesses to help create jobs, contribute to business growth and assist in creating a comfortable lifestyle in our beautiful, scenic region.

The message is sure to be recalled, as throughout the day, Chris will introduce various characters to assist the Master of Ceremonies role as ambassador of the festival.
Amongst the personalities you're likely to see are "Sean Connery", "Kevin Rudd" and "Ozzy Osbourne".

Remember, this is the Buy Local Festival with a Twist - there will be many more personalities, interactive activities and surprises to educate and entertain throughout the 2 days.

If you would like to catch a glimpse of Chris' talents visit: www.ChrisDeHavilland.com

Gosford City Council is delighted to once again support the Central Coast Buy Local Festival. Following the success of last year's inaugural event, the 2011 Festival is set to be even bigger and better.

Hosted over two days, with more local businesses displaying their wares and greater opportunities for long lasting ties to be established across our community, the second Buy Local Festival is dedicated to achieve its aim of "Making it Happen".

Buy Local grows confidence in our local economy and gives us the opportunity to develop a strong and prosperous region. It also helps us to realise that every dollar we spend in our area is an investment in our local community.

Buying outside of our region can threaten the viability of our businesses and threaten the job security of local workers.

Less than half of our population is actually employed in the Central Coast area, with only 40 per cent of residents working locally, which is a damning statistic and is only compounded by our central positioning between both Sydney and Newcastle.

I believe we need to look to change this statistic as a community because the follow on effect it will create will mean benefits to all types of businesses on the Central Coast, injection of new money into the economy and job security for local works and their families.

Buy Local is about encouraging investment in our local community and showing pride in our region. Supporting one another is what our Central Coast community is all about.

As Mayor of Gosford City, I would ask that you support the Buy Local Festival and give your local businesses – who employ your children, friends and relatives – a genuine opportunity to do business together.

Councillor Laurie Maher
Mayor of Gosford City

Kooindah Waters is a stunning haven of tranquility, where visitors and locals alike enjoy the resort and its relaxed lifestyle. However, the site hasn't always been so attractive. It's undergone a transformation in recent years.

The site was originally Strathaven Golf Course. Surrounding this unimpressive 13 hole course was bushland which was used as the local dumping ground. When Investa Property Group purchased the land, it was severely polluted and degraded. Much of the native flora and fauna were long gone.

After years of environmental work to reverse the negative impact of years of illegal dumping, the Kooindah Waters Golf Course opened in 2006 as an 18 hole championship standard, wetlands golf course, designed by leading golf course architect Ross Watson with input from PGA professional and current Kooindah Waters Ambassador, Craig Parry.

The first houses at Kooindah Waters were built along Boundary Rd. Today, there are 83 homes at Kooindah Waters with several completed houses and land for sale.

Mantra Kooindah Waters Golf and Spa Resort opened in January 2008. Its accommodation offering comprises studios, one, two and three bedroom villas. Karinyas restaurant and wine bar sits at the heart of the Resort and provides a fine dining experience for both leisure and corporate guests. Karinyas' chefs use the highest quality ingredients, sourcing local produce and suppliers whenever possible to support the local economy and provide the best products to our customers.

Kooindah Waters is passionate about supporting Buy Local and contributing to the growth of the Central Coast economy, through initiatives such as hosting the Kooindah Acquisitive Sculpture Prize Exhibition (KASPE). This sculpture exhibition is run by Northlakes Toukley Rotary and raises money for the Iris Foundation, a Central Coast charity for suicide prevention. On April 3, the Resort will hold its fourth annual Family Fun Day, to raise money for Central Coast Kids In Need and Central Coast Health's Children's Fund. Come and join us!

Job Centre Australia is a Disability Employment Service that has been providing innovative recruitment and training solutions to the Central Coast community for over 20 years. During this time they have placed over 2000 local jobseekers into meaningful employment. With this experience you can trust that the knowledgeable consultants can assist in providing employment solutions to both jobseekers and employers.

Job Centre Australia can see the benefit of buying local. Many of our regular employers are sole traders and small businesses who rely on the income that is provided by other local businesses and consumers. Buying local also assists in the hiring of local staff by building local economies which in turn helps make the Central Coast a better place to live and work.

With youth unemployment on the Coast now at a staggering 41.2% (Feb 2010 15-19 year olds) Job Centre Australia has decided to combat youth unemployment through its latest program Youth2Work. This is a program that has been specifically designed to address the issues that young people face when transitioning from school into the workplace. Youth2Work assists youth with an identifiable disability to learn how and where to look for their perfect job, gain work experience opportunities, receive advice on resumes, cover letters, interview techniques, career planning and goal setting. When the candidate is ready for work Job Centre will look for employers in the community to provide career opportunities. This will be backed up by ongoing support and training in the workplace.

The Youth2Work program ensures that employers have a great selection of local, trained and very keen prospective employees who are ready and willing to get the job done. This service is free to both employers and participants and comes with a pool of incentives and support programs. So why don't you help us uncover the next generation of skills.

Job Centre Australia sees the importance of growing the local Central Coast economy by not only buying local but employing local too. So help Job Centre Australia tackle local unemployment on the Central Coast by contacting us in one of three ways.

Visit one of our local offices at Gosford,
The Entrance, Woy Woy or Wyong, go to our website at www.jobcentreaustralia.com.au or phone us on 4322 5511.

Regional Development Australia Central Coast NSW (RDACC) is leading and partnering on many local programs to create successful and sustainable communities.

Small and Micro businesses are the foundation of our business community here on the Central Coast, totalling more than 22,000. RDACC is working closely with the Business Enterprise Centre (BEC), Business Chambers and other government departments to support our local businesses.

RDACC are partnering with a Wyong Shire Council led initiative to improve the sustainable policies and procedures of a group of small businesses in the Tuggerah area. Other delivery partners include State Training Services from the Department of Education and Statewide Business Training, a Registered Training Organisation.

This ‘Green Skills' sustainability program is aimed at helping and supporting local businesses with changing environmental management systems. Statewide Business Training has developed a training program specifically for the Central Coast Region , designed to engage local business in accredited training that will develop, integrate and promote sustainable policies and procedures to be implemented in their workplace.

RDACC understand that environmental issues will be important in shaping aspects of future economic development of the region, and this is just one of the project's RDACC are partnering with local government and training organisations in supporting local business.

At the Buy Local Festival on 29 and 30 April, key business support agencies will team-up to present a ‘one stop shop' for businesses to discuss their business needs. Representatives will be able to access advice on business expansion, criteria for government funding support, and general mentoring advice.

The Festival showcases local businesses, attracting consumers and gathering all under one roof. Held over two days, the Festival will drive the Buy Local concept to enhance the growth and sustainability of our Central Coast region, promoting job creation, a vibrant business community and great networking opportunities.

The Festival supports our Central Coast region with the following priorities to:

• Promote local business, tourism and community interaction
• Identify and engage businesses and services with common goals for business growth
• Engage the community to embrace Buy Local
• Promote unity and pride in our region
• Promote a vibrant business community attracting new businesses

RDACC has teamed-up with Industry and Investment NSW to support this event as it specifically supports our agenda of strengthening the business community capacity and spirit.

RDACC also operates the Central Coast Business Incubator. The major objective is to provide assistance to small to medium sized businesses to expand into successful businesses and to help accelerate its growth, achieve its potential and attain long term viability.

Enquiries can be made by calling 4349 4949.

Mi Communications is a fully accredited Telstra Business partner based wholly on the Central Coast. We are proud to say that all our staff live, work and play right here on the Central Coast.

After 5 years based at Erina Fountain Plaza, Mi Communications made the decision to relocate to larger premises and in conjunction with the move, target our services exclusively to the business community. Our philosophy is simple. We have a "whole of business approach" which simply means, we look at all aspects of your communications. We take the time to understand how your business works , talk to you about how you may like it to work and we design a proposal to suit your needs. We often even save you some money. Many Telco dealers only look at one aspect of your communications, but when we combine all aspects, that is when we are able to tailor a solution that fits all your business requirements.

Recently Mi Communications was called into Webstuff.biz to review their communications. Michelle Allen wanted to simplify and increase the professional image of her business, but didn't want to be restricted with a solution that could not grow along with her business. Michelle's staff were struggling to manage the call flow of her customers, let alone deal with the challenge of using a phone system too small to handle the amount of incoming calls. The solution we provided, simplified the call flow, with options on answering calls, managing calls, call diversion and voicemail. Wireless headsets provided for some staff meant an ergonomically comfortable work practice. A corporate voice agreement provided more economically priced calls and cost savings.

LBH promotions also recently took advantage of Mi Communications expertise, and were supplied a solution that simplified their communications but also saved them money in comparison to their previous carrier. Their new system was installed professionally with emphasis on listening to their needs and matching those requirements.

Mi Communications is a community minded company. Surf Life Saving Clubs and community groups such as Gorokan Community Pre School, Sixty Five Roses and Telstra Child Flight are the organisations we favour with support.

Tim O'Neill, General Manager of Mi Communications said "it is important to support the community that supports us". "The Central Coast is a great place to live and work. All the team at Mi Communications are committed to supporting our local community and working together to secure a better future for us all".

Tim O'neill

Formed in 2006, by the merging of several of the Coast's most successful accountancy and business advisory firms, Fortunity has a Board of Directors focused on impressing their clients with exceptional service, as well as building a culture aimed at inspiring and supporting the local community wherever possible.

As a local firm, investing in the future of the Coast is important. Employing a team of over 40 makes Fortunity the largest business and financial advisory firm on the Central Coast. Being able to offer young professionals a secure, dynamic team environment with rewarding career opportunities is testament to the commitment Fortunity has to being one of the most progressive companies on the Coast. The cadet program, offering school leavers the opportunity to build a career in business or financial advisory, is seen as just one of the strategies to help strengthen the local economy.

"Fortunity in the Community" is the firms' charity group aimed at supporting various charitable organisations and events. Contributing to charities such as Central Coast Community Chest, Coast Shelter and the Haven Education Centre, as well as offering an additional day off per year to dedicate to community service, ensures the team are engaged with the community and committed to improving the quality of life of those living in it. The Fortunity team also held a recent BBQ, selling bacon and eggs rolls to local businesses to help raise funds for those impacted by the floods in Queensland, Victoria and parts of NSW.

Particularly pleasing to Fortunity's Directors is their association with several local sporting groups including the Mariners and the Central Coast Bears. Fortunity have been the largest Central Coast sponsor of the Mariners since 2006 and are proud of the role their support plays in building community spirit, as well as the economic benefits that these sporting teams generate for the Coast.

Having a buy local policy is a part of the firms' philosophy. Understanding how far the local dollar stretches and the impact this has on the local economy is one of the key reasons for the policy. Together with building strong client and supplier relationships, it's important to understand the commercial benefits of supporting local businesses.

Currently celebrating the success of being named the only Central Coast firm listed in the prestigious BRW Top 100 Accounting Firms, Fortunity ranked number 70 in the 2010 listing. With their sights firmly set on becoming one of the top 10 regional firms in 2011, they are a local firm offering exceptional business and financial advisory services to the Central Coast.

With offices located in Erina if you're in need of a firm to help your business grow, or help build your personal wealth, you can contact them on 02 4304 8888
for a confidential discussion about your business or personal needs.

Mark Izzard is unique – unique because he puts his money where his mouth is. Often asked "why do you donate security services that equate to the value of a median priced home on the Central Coast?", his answer is simple. "I love the Coast and its community!"

Mark is director of Unique Security Group, a company he established in 2006, seeing the vital need to protect local businesses.

A proud family man, Mark advises that his children attend a Coast school and play football in their local team. Unique Security Group sponsors Woongarrah Wildcats Football Club, which boasts 52 teams this season.

Mark also acknowledges that his wife supports the many shopping precincts on the Central Coast with her avid belief in "Retail Therapy". He delivered a significant contribution to the community when he offered to conduct the live monitoring of the Community Safe CCTV Program. Watching a network of public space CCTV cameras located in Toukley, East Toukley, Wyong and Budgewoi, the value of this work is calculated at $300,000 approximately per year.

The first stage of this program involving 6 cameras in the Toukley shopping district, was launched recently at Unique Security Group's Alarm & CCTV Monitoring Centre, located at Charmhaven. VIPs in attendance included Member of Parliament, David Harris, who was instrumental in securing the funding for the cameras, Mayor of Wyong Doug Eaton, Tuggerah Lakes Area Police Commander, David Swilkes, plus many supportive Toukley business owners.
Mark was recognised for supplying state-of-the-art equipment.

A Rotarian, Marks' professional company, Unique Security Group is also sponsoring for the 3rd year, the Kooindah Acquisitive Sculpture Prize Exhibition (KASPE) with security manpower and electronic services.

If you, or your community, need security, consider a local, experienced and uniquely skilled company.

Phone Unique Security Group on 4394 0799

Central Coast leading travel agent Maxeine McKeon is a true local having lived in the region all her life. Now acknowledged as the Central Coast's most experienced travel professional, Maxeine has a thirty year plus, well respected reputation in the industry. She has been at the leading edge of travel and holiday innovation, strategic development and industry governance for many years.

Recognised as among Australia's most experienced travel professionals, Maxeine's many travel industry achievements include being the first franchisee for Harvey World Travel when she operated the first agency in West Gosford in 1979.

Since that time she has owned and operated eleven travel agencies on the Central Coast over a distinguished career. Maxeine was also a foundation shareholder of Harvey World Travel Franchises and served as a director on the company's Board for many years.

Maxeine was the winner of the Central Coast's Women in Business Awards for 2010 in the Hospitality, Tourism and Travel category. She was also awarded a Women in Business Awards life time achievement award in 2009.

Maxeine's Harvey World Travel Erina Group presently operates three retail travel agencies, one at Fountain Plaza at Erina and two in Erina Fair.

In 2006 Maxeine was appointed as one of only nine travel agencies to support and sell space travel by Virgin Galactic. These nine agencies were the first appointments in the World and resulted in Maxeine's Erina Group being listed by Travel Weekly as among "Travel's Top 50" most influential. The magazine said: From the hundreds of applications received, Virgin Galactic selected nine lucky agents to represent the Galactic brand and send future clients into space.

Maxeine said the travel industry has become much more challenging today with online travel bookings, reduced commissions, suppliers selling direct and some financial institutions also offering travel products. The more successful travel companies have and continue to develop new market segments, products and services.

"These agencies understand that success means staying ahead of the pack, anticipating changes in the business environment and planning accordingly, doing the marketing and delivering the products, services and support to customers with experienced, professional travel consultants."

"My strong advice to businesses and other customers is to stick with established travel agencies. That way you will get the professional travel support and related travel products that can't be matched elsewhere, plus other benefits that will drive your money further and avoid the disappointment and inconvenience of a ‘deal' that goes bad," Maxeine said.

Over the years Maxeine has placed particular importance on being involved in and financially supporting the Central Coast community, sporting groups, schools and the local business community. "I also continue to assist industry business development, training and mentoring programs as opportunities arise."

Recently Maxeine's travel group has become the lead sponsor and partner of the Business Leaders Series of the NSW Central Coast Business Chamber that runs breakfast seminars and other functions to promote business success on the Central Coast.

Phone Harvey World Travel Erina 4365 2337

Sandra Kerr has aspired to become a manager in the tourism industry since her teenage years. Currently in her role as General Manager, Mantra, Kooindah Waters, Sandra was born on the Central Coast.

Living in Point Frederick, then Gosford whilst attending Gosford Primary School, Sandra's family then moved to Erina, where she revelled in her environment of an old farmhouse, surrounded by grazing cattle, chickens and ducks.

Sandra's teenage years were spent at Erina High and on weekends she spent her time enjoying endless summers with friends on the idyllic Terrigal Beach.

A "people person", Sandra knew the spectacular wonders of the coast she loves, would be a drawcard to visitors from Sydney and beyond. The lifestyle is infectious! Living in Terrigal, Wamberal and now Bateau Bay, Sandra knows just how good life is when you can look out your back door to a National Park or walk 5 minutes to reach a golden beach.

She believes our region is still a beautiful, scenic part of Australia and the modern necessities of shopping centres, educational institutions and medical facilities have been built to enhance the lifestyle of residents.

Sandra progressed her career, as the Central Coast expanded, having previously held management positions at Crowne Plaza Terrigal, Mantra Ettalong Beach, Dooralong Valley and Cypress Lakes Resorts. Her success was crowned in her current role at Kooindah Waters Golf and Spa Resort, located in Wyong. "I am passionate about my work and the opportunity this role gives me to attract visitors to the historic Wyong Shire" says Sandra.

A board member of Wyong Chamber of Commerce, Sandra hosts events such as The Kooindah Acquisitive Sculpture Prize Exhibition (KASPE) March 19 – April 30, an initiative of Northlakes Toukley Rotary, as a step towards establishing Wyong as an arts precinct.

What an asset Wyong has acquired!

Looking forward to seeing you at the Central Coast Buy Local Festival 2011 Friday April 29 & Saturday April 30.

Sharpe Bros. (Aust) Pty Ltd is one of Australia's premier road companies, leading the way in the development and provision of viable solutions and technologies to improve the quality and safety of Australian roads.

Based on the Central Coast, Sharpe Bros is a family owned company that can trace its roots back over three generations and 60 years.

During the 1950s and 60s the Sharpe family started their business in development and building construction. By 1970 the business had expanded into asphalt operations. Today, Sharpe Bros is regarded as one of Australia's leading asphalt paving companies, providing innovative services for road surfacing and maintenance operations throughout Australia.

Brothers and Joint Managing Directors Michael, Richard and Hayden Sharpe have remained committed to providing unparalleled service over the years, taking pride in their superior workmanship and ensuring all operations are in line with the strong family legacy.

The company has grown exponentially over the years and now, with its trademark colour green, the company's trucks and machines are often seen on road surfacing, building, construction and maintenance projects all along the coast.

Sharpe Bros has long been recognised for its commitment to innovation; leading the way for the rest of the industry. They have invested millions of dollars in developing the Sidewinder and Flexipaver technology in their Gosford depot to overcome the limitations of traditional road maintenance machinery.

Sharpe Bros also has a strong sense of community and a proud history of offering support to a number of community organisations including schools, fire brigades, charity organisations and fundraising committees.

They have a longstanding partnership with the Gosford Regional Gallery. This currently includes a five-year, $25,000 sponsorship of the annual Sharpe Bros Art Prizes.

Sharpe Bros remains committed to its community involvement, with the benefit flowing both ways.

"The company volunteers its services for community involvement which creates a lot of enjoyment and pride for all our employees and their families. So everyone benefits through working and volunteering for the community," Michael says. "We continue to develop new ways of helping, while having a lot of fun along the way."

Sharpe Bros' ongoing commitment to being an industry leader, a good corporate citizen and a company dedicated to occupational health and safety has been recognised with a number of awards in recent years.

The company has been awarded the Gosford City Australia Day Award for Business of the Year, NSW Family Business of the Year, the Central Coast Manufacturer's Award for Innovation, the National Safe Work Australia Award for Best Practice and the WorkCover NSW Award for Best Practice.

Sharpe Bros has been committed to the highest quality of work for over 60 years. If their past and current performance is anything to go by, this family company is set to be paving the road to the future for many more years to come.

Our very successful Annual Delta Business Awards were held on Friday evening at Kooindah Waters. Congratulations to the following members:

• Large Business - Nurses Now
• Small Business - LBH Promotions
• Micro Business - Inspire Success Pty Ltd
• Excellence in Marketing &/or Business Development - Mantra Kooindah Waters
• Excellence in Innovation in Business - Nurses Now
• Excellence in Training & Development – KARBEN
• Training Solutions
• Excellence in Implementation of Values or Culture – Nurses Now
• Community Service Award – Unique Security Group
• Young Business Person of the Year - Sarah Cassidy Poppy Events
• Chamber Business of the Year - KARBEN Training Solutions
• Presidents Award - Kevin Faulks
  Judy Faulks was honoured and touched to accept the Presidents award on behalf of Kevin Faulks. Kevin was a man whose dedication to the Wyong area was instrumental in the revitalising of the Township of Wyong and much more. In recognition of Kevin's efforts and commitment to the Wyong Shire the Presidents Award will be renamed the "Kevin Faulks Award" at all future Wyong Business Awards.

Benefits of Chamber of Commerce Membership

Membership of a local Chamber of Commerce gives you the opportunity to be part of the business community where you work and or live. As a not for profit organisation, your local Chamber of Commerce is focused directly on building business growth in the area in which it operates.

As we're all operating in a very diverse and now global arena, Chambers of Commerce are always looking at how they can add value to their members so that membership retention is a focus as well as membership growth.

You'll find that your local Chamber of Commerce is working with all the organisations in your area to provide a high level of service to their members and the wider community in general.

As with everything, there is strength in numbers and a Chamber of Commerce with an active membership and a dedicated board of innovative people that offer their time to volunteer can help foster business growth in your area, region, and State.

Chambers of Commerce give you the opportunity to promote your business via a variety of programs and networking events. You'll typically be given opportunities for sponsorship and event advertising at very reasonable rates. You'll also be able to grow professionally and personally by enhancing your own skills.

Peter Miller President - Wyong Regional Chamber of Commerce

LBH Promotions & B2B with a Twist have had a long affiliation with Wyong Regional Chamber of Commerce.
We are honoured to have received the award for Small Business of the Year at the 2010 Delta Business Awards.

There is great fulfilment in being part of the local business community and building alliances and friendships with like minded business people through the Chamber of Commerce.

Lyn Thompson - Principal, B2B with a Twist

Being a member of the Wyong Chamber of Commerce has allowed us to connect with all levels of business and organisations within the local business community. The chamber is a vital link for information regarding issues both locally and regionally. Without this link our business would not be as successful as we are.

We are very proud to be winners of the Wyong Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Development Award. Winning the award helps us to continue to grow our business through the advertisement of this endorsement.

Sandra Kerr - General Manager, Mantra Kooindah Waters

More and more technology is finding its way into our day to day lives, and business is no exception. Today information technology has become the backbone of commerce. It underpins the operations of individual companies, ties together global supply chains, and increasingly links businesses to the customers they serve. Hardly a dollar changes hands today without the aid of computer systems. The way companies utilise these systems dictates how successful they are.

Choosing the right computer systems for your business and maintaining them can lead to increased efficiency and profitability through minimisation of unproductive downtime. Purchasing quality branded equipment like IBM and HP, then coupling this with appropriate business applications will give you a solid IT foundation for your business. You may not be running one of the world's largest discount airlines, but unexpected downtime in your systems can have just as dramatic an impact on your customers. For this reason you need to have solutions in place that reduces the risk of unexpected downtime, or, if the unexpected does happen, solutions that allow you to recover quickly.

Purchasing quality branded systems for your business is only the start. Regular maintenance and monitoring are required to ensure that the systems run at optimal levels. Who hasn't experienced the frustration of slow system responses, continually restarting equipment when frozen and even wasting time checking unwanted email because you didn't have a suitable SPAM solution in place.

Computer Networks (CN) understands these requirements and offers the highest level of equipment, maintenance and professional service to help companies implement the computer systems their business needs. With offices at Gosford, Newcastle, North Ryde, and Brisbane we have a team of over 65 staff offering a full range of strategic and day to day operational services.

For an obligation free quote, please contact Michael van Dartel at Computer Networks michaelv@cnpl.com.au

Gurney Financial Services has been assisting individuals and families on the Central Coast and greater NSW for the past 5 years. We specialise in family budgeting, consolidation and management of superannuation and the implementation of income & lifestyle protection through insurances.

We pride ourselves on providing individual advice that is just for you and your family. What was once right for you may need to be updated –maybe you have bought a house, got married, kids came along, or changed jobs. When these milestones happen in our life we need to make sure we are protected.

Gurney Financial Services is concerned about protecting the local community and their families. So many families these days are losing their homes due to disablement or death of the main bread winner. But what if you could protect yourself for about the cost of a cup coffee a day?

Just think:

• What would happen to you and your family if you were injured and off work for some time?
• Worse still, what happens if you were to pass away?
• Would the bank repossess the family home?
• How would your family pay the monthly bills?
• What about the kids, would they be able to go to soccer, dancing, school excursions.

I hear you say, this will never happen to me, or I have some insurance in my super – but would it be enough?

With medical expenses sky rocking, the costs of funerals on the increase – what would be better for you and your family – debt and the potential loss of the family home or debt free and a lifestyle?

We all protect our home and car against theft and fire, but what about our families, aren't they worth more than anything else in the world?

If you would like a complimentary appointment to discuss solutions for your family, then Gurney Financial Services would love to meet with you. What are you waiting for call now 4393 5979.

Tarnia Gurney t/as
Gurney Financial Services

Gurney Financial Services is a Authorised Representative of Sentry Financial Planning Pty. Ltd.
(AFSL 247 105) ABN 74 099 029 525

"Identifying the potential threat of the GFC on my business, I recognised I needed a mentor, but didn't quite know how to go about it. So I went searching on the Central Coast for a business mentor," explains James Carter, MD of Carter Universal.

"I've had other mentors in the past, so I was aware of the value of having a mentor. Any professional, business person who is serious about their business needs a mentor from time-to-time. You can't always be objective about your own performance.

When you're a pickle inside a jar you can't see the label," James adds.

On the website, James discovered the Central Coast Business Enterprise Centre's mentoring programme. "After meeting with a CCBEC business facilitator, I was confident that their support would not be a waste of my time and effort," said Carter.

The CCBEC mentoring programme is backed with one-to-one sessions with an expert approach, growth groups participation, practical hands-on educational workshops, or a referral to either an accountant, solicitor or franchising consultant.

"Twelve months ago my expectations for a mentor was someone with a good track record in business to bounce ideas off. A thinking partner who would challenge my perceptions and ideas. Someone who would hold me accountable to my goals and timelines. The outside insights without a set of instructions, a secret agenda or quick fix answers, proved to be invaluable."

"With my mentor we have been able to grow my business through the GFC, and I'm doing very well now. We have altered the course of my business operations with far reaching results."

"The distinct advantage of the CCBEC is that they matched me with the right mentor. My assigned mentor's ability to ask questions that forced me to get very clear definition was phenomenal. He never gave me the answers, but helped me discover the "why" and "how". I don't know where I'd be without my mentor. It's been a life-saving experience", concludes Carter.

On the 23rd of August this year, the GPT Group withdrew its plans for the $600 million redevelopment of Newcastle's Hunter Street Mall. This decision hit the city hard and will carry with it numerous implications for both the community and Council. But it is not the death knell.

Newcastle can still achieve the future it deserves with a distinctive, attractive and welcoming city centre. Key to realising this future however will be a holistic and integrated approach to the city's renewal, backed by government and a united community.

Recently, in a show of unity, civic leaders, state agencies and members of parliament met in Newcastle to discuss opportunities for revitalisation in the wake of GPT's decision to opt out of our city's centre.

Essentially the meeting was about creating a common vision and fostering cooperation between different levels of government, in a bid to deliver positive outcomes for the community.

I'm optimistic about the discussions that took place at the meeting. There was a high degree of engagement, a high level of commonality and a firm commitment by everyone present to make things happen. Issues discussed include land-use mix, connectivity and parking, public domain, heritage and culture, enterprise, land ownership, look and feel and community space.

The outcome is an agreement that Council and the State Government will work collaboratively to renew our city centre, while at the same time encouraging and supporting business.

In the short term there are no less than 45 revitalisation opportunities identified in the Hunter Street Revitalisation Master Plan (HSRM) Strategic Framework. In the medium to long term we hope there will be further opportunities available through funding from Infrastructure Australia.

Meanwhile, a working party has been formed comprising myself as well as Councillors Shayne Connell, Mike King, Aaron Buman and Graham Boyd. We will now develop a prioritised action plan, which is expected to go before Council for consideration in the near future.

The outcome of the Federal election has put “Regional” Australia well and truly on the agenda of Government. In a number of speeches recently by Simon Crean MP Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government Minister, he has clearly stated the opportunity for Regional Australia to attract significant focus and investment.

Minister Crean said in a Speech to the 2010 Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia (SEGRA) conference in Townsville “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to entrench regionalism into the system of Government. Done properly it cannot be unpicked”.

The Regional Development Australia (RDA) network has been identified by the Federal Government as the primary conduit to the local communities and their needs.

Here on the Central Coast, the RDA organisation is working closely with Councils, State government and other stakeholders to maximise the opportunity presented by the promised increase in Regional Australia investment.

RDA Central Coast is a partnership between the Australian and State governments to support the growth and development of Australia’s regions. RDA committees are building partnerships between governments, regional development organisations, local businesses, community groups and key regional stakeholders to provide strategic and targeted responses to economic, environmental and social issues affecting the regions of Australia.

RDA Central Coast is leading the implementation of the Regional Economic Development and Employment Strategy (REDES) which will support the growing population of the Central Coast, expected to reach 405,000 by 2031; this represents an additional 100,000 people living and working in the region.

Recently we have partnered to deliver the inaugural Central Coast Indigenous Jobs Market, Central Coast Business Showcase held at Parliament House in Sydney, and have hosted monthly forums entitled ‘Focus on the Coast’ covering topics such as Climate Change, Health Services and Broadband.

RDA Central Coast is proud to support our business community and in particular this valuable Business publication.

Please visit our website for more information www.rdacc.org.au

The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) provides vital support to over 950 children with significant hearing or vision impairment and their families across Australia, as well as vision or hearing screening to thousands more each year. RIDBC has had a strong presence in the Central Coast and Hunter Regions for many years.

Based at Floraville, RIDBC Hunter provides education and support to 41 local children and their families through its preschool, early learning program, parent support groups and early learning groups. RIDBC also recently opened an Early Learning Centre in Gosford for hearing impaired children and their families.

Educating and supporting children from their first weeks of life, this support continues for a long as needed, which may be an 18 year commitment. We need to ensure we have the funds necessary to honour that commitment.

With only 30 per cent of services Government funded, RIDBC relies heavily on community support to help provide the remaining 70 per cent.

RIDBC needs to raise approximately $1 million every month in order to maintain its intensive educational and research programs and continue to make a difference in the lives of these children.

While this makes fundraising a critically important facet of the organisation, we do believe this is a positive, as it allows us flexibility and discretion over how we run our programs. It also allows us the freedom to be innovative and to go above and beyond.

Australians are an increasingly supportive community. While there is more competition for the charity dollar – total fundraising proceeds are actually growing in real terms each year which we hope to see continue in the future.

RIDBC, which is celebrating 150 years of excellence in education and research this year, is calling for donations to help them support the needs of children with impaired hearing or vision. Your donation will help them to overcome the many challenges associated with deafness and blindness, so that they too can reach their full potential in life.

Paul Freeman
Director, Community Relations and Fundraising

To donate to RIDBC please visit www.ridbc.org.au/donate or call 1800 043 411

The State Government has predicted that by 2031 the Central Coast will have an additional 100,000 residents, and this will require around 45,000 more jobs, (as outlined in the Central Coast Regional Strategy). The proposed Warnervale Town Centre will help manage this growth in population, employment requirements and retail demand.

The Warnervale Town Centre (WTC) is bounded by Hakone Road to the North, Hiawatha Road to the east, Sparks Road to the south and extends west of the Great Northern Railway Line to include land that is owned by the NSW Department of Planning, adjacent to the Sydney-Newcastle Railway.

The site consists of approximately 119 ha, of which 79 ha is proposed for development with the remainder to be utilised for public recreation, environmental management and conservation.

It is proposed that the town centre will include:

• Transport upgrades including a new major railway station including bus interchange and commuter carpark, a new road, cycleways, footpaths and more public transport
• Employment opportunities for approximately 12,000 people in retail, commercial and bulky goods sectors
• A new multi-purpose Aquatic and Recreation Centre
• Increased community and entertainment facilities including integrated child and family centre, home and community care facility, a knowledge centre incorporating a library, youth space, arts and cultural centre and cinemas.
• A focus on a mix of retail commercial and residential areas including cafes, restaurants and entertainment facilities on the main street
• Diversity of housing choice for 4,000 to 5,000 residents in a mix of single dwellings, town houses and apartments
• Open space and conservations areas

The timing of these facilities is dependant on development of the area and, in some cases, the availability of funding to assist in paying for construction.

Sourced from Wyong Shire Council

Landcom is planning to deliver a new residential neighbourhood on its 13.8-hectare land holdings in Warnervale, north of Sparks Road. The precinct will reflect Landcom’s long-term dedication to foster sustainable communities within sympathetically designed neighbourhoods that fit within their natural environment.

It will encompass up to 150 lots for contemporary homes, semi-detached townhouses & apartments and is slated for release in 2011.

With the Central Coast one of Australia’s fastest growing regions, with projections of 100,000 additional people by 2031, Landcom’s residential release promises to be a boon for a mounting local demand for quality, diverse housing, particularly addressing the needs of older couples and younger families.

A defining feature will be Landcom’s construction of an ecologically sustainable wetland, to be fed by local creeks, part of an integrated water sensitive design network, set to be a local landmark and popular meeting place.

It is envisaged that Landcom’s neighbourhood will act as a catalyst for the future development of Wyong City Council’s proposed Warnervale Town Centre.

Recently, Landcom on behalf of the other two landowners Wyong City Council and Woolworths, completed detailed design and costing for the major entry road, off Sparks Road, into the future Town Centre. This road is an important part of the local infrastructure, linking the proposed retail core and new railway station and Landcom’s residential precincts to Sparks Road.

On September 20th, 2010, dignitaries including The Member for Wyong David Harris MP officially unveiled Landcom’s information billboards on Sparks Road. Landcom will keep the greater community appraised of project updates through regular advertorials in the local press.

Landcom anticipates calling for expressions of interest from builders and developers to co-venture the development in coming months and submitting a Development Application for the residential development in the next six months.

It is expected the residential release alone will support up to 100 new construction jobs for the Central Coast, with the road development itself expected to generate 14 full-time jobs.

Landcom is a well-respected NSW
State-owned corporation with a charter to create ‘People Places’. Over 30 years, it has developed some of the State’s more outstanding projects, from The Royal, Newcastle Beach; The Sanctuary, Fletcher to Prince Henry at Little Bay, Sydney.

For more information contact,
Rod Smith, Landcom 02 9841 8600, www.landcom.com.au

Earlier this year Webstuff.biz launched our social media management service for companies that find it difficult to manage their social media presence like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. We have received record enquiries for this service as many businesses require support for their social media online presence.

Webstuff.biz is now launching another new service - mobile phone application development (phone apps). We can set up websites for mobile phone iPhone applications (iPhone apps) and create other mobile phone applications for use on Android phones.

There’s a boom in popularity of smart-phones and web browsing capable mobile phones. Smart-phone sales are expected to exceed desktop PC sales in 2011; on these devices traditional websites don’t always look the way you expect. To ensure your viewers have a pleasant and easy experience on your website using their mobile phone you should consider having an alternative. You can have a small “mobile phone friendly” web presence or you can have a custom application designed and built for your online presence.

Mobile phone applications can be designed to meet your online business requirements. For example if you sell goods online you can have a scaled down site that would make it easy for someone to purchase goods via their mobile anytime they like. There are many options and ideas that can be implemented into mobile phone application development which can help promote your business and gain new sales: this is limited only by your imagination.

With the enormous growth of mobile phone internet applications, many of the major companies are now creating mobile phone applications to meet their client’s requirements. As a small business owner you have the advantage of being right at the cutting edge of technology if you embrace this. In saying that, not all businesses are suited to this technology and that’s why I am happy to meet with you to discuss your online requirements. Don’t worry; if we think your business isn’t suited to this new technology we will tell you.

As we can build quality websites, provide social media support and now create mobile phone applications: we are in a position to offer businesses a complete online solution that will work for their business. We also have a very large network of great business service providers such as graphic designers, business coaches and marketing people that we are happy to recommend to you if we cannot help you in the area you need.

If you have an idea and would like to discuss it with us, please contact our office on 4325 1188 or visit our website to electronically submit your details 24/7.

The Webstuff.biz team and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and merry Christmas and thank the business community for their ongoing support of our company.

Michelle Allen

Join us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/webstufferina
Visit our website to see our client portfolio - www.webstuff.biz

We all know Gosford City Centre is the capital of the Central Coast; and we all know the Central Coast is an important region in Australia. Our population is similar to the ACT, Northern Territory, Illawarra and Hobart.

Now, following years of lobbying from Council, the NSW State Government has officially acknowledged the Central Coast as a Region.

This announcement was made at the same time as the announcement that the Central Coast Regional Development Corporation had been formed to, among other things, focus on the revitalisation of Gosford City Centre.

Hot on the heels of this announcement was the announcement that the Minister for Planning is considering the Gosford City Centre's waterfront as a state significant site.

Then the Minister of Lands announced the State's Land and Property Management are requesting proposals from developers to develop Gosford City Centre's waterfront.

The momentum is compelling. Creating a thriving Regional Capital will bring many benefits to the people of the Central Coast. One of these benefits according to the NSW Department of Planning will be 6,000 more jobs.

At the moment all of our Region's headquarters are in Newcastle or Sydney. The people of the Coast who work in their own Region's headquarters have to commute, or worse those representing our Region don't live in our Region, and so know little of it.

This will not just bring these jobs. For every extra job directly created in the City Centre there are flow on benefits right across the Central Coast as people spend their money locally rather than in Sydney or Newcastle.

Another benefit the people of the Central Coast Region should expect from a revitalised Gosford City Centre is the same level of investment in infrastructure that other regional capitals across Australia have enjoyed. So what have the capitals of the ACT, Northern Territory, the Illawarra or Hobart got in terms of infrastructure that the Central Coast hasn't?

A Regional Performing Arts Centre, a University Campus and City Playground were the top 3 'wants' according to more than 1,000 people who provided input to the Gosford City Centre Masterplan. This is the kind of infrastructure that gives a city heart and makes it a place of pride.

The State Government announcements and the momentum they have created is pleasing. Our community and Council have worked hard to produce the Masterplan for Gosford City Centre to become a world class regional city. Now, together we should look forward to a bright future."

Over the last year, The City of Newcastle has been working with the community to develop a long-term shared vision and plan for our local government area. The plan is called Newcastle 2030 and it will help set our city's direction for the next 20 years by recognising and building on our strengths, realising our opportunities and addressing our challenges.

Council is playing a lead role in the initiation and preparation of the plan but will not be solely responsible for its implementation. State and regional agencies, business, community groups and individuals will work in partnership to deliver the Newcastle 2030 plan, which will provide a strong platform for making sustainable choices in planning and providing services.

More than 1400 members of the community have had direct input into the project through a range of engagement activities including workshops, surveys and public forums.

During the first round of consultation, a number of priorities for the future were identified. Overwhelmingly, the people of Newcastle want to see improved public transport, including cycle ways. Other priorities recognised include a revitalised and vibrant city centre and an actively engaged community. Also seen as important is a protected and enhanced environment, a liveable and distinctive built environment, a smart and innovative city and open and collaborative leadership.

With a clear picture of the priorities established, Council then held a series of workshops to identify practical ways of moving forward and addressing those priorities. More than 300 energetic and passionate participants joined Peter Kenyon from the bank of I.D.E.A.S. and generated in excess of 500 ideas - from simple initiatives to long-term visionary strategies.

There is still more consultation to be done including staff workshops, youth and aboriginal community forums and then it is hoped the plan will be on exhibition for public comment by November this year.

The overwhelming message however is while Newcastle has already gone a long way to reinvent itself as one of the more desirable cities to live, work and visit in Australia, it has the potential to become even better.

Webstuff.biz is a proud Platinum sponsor of B2B with a Twist along with Job Centre Australia. Through the fantastic opportunities created by the B2B networking evenings they have developed a great working relationship and will continue to support one another in the local community.

Michelle Allen, Managing Director of Webstuff.biz says, "it's great working with Job Centre Australia, they identify the skills we require from our staff and send us suitable candidates. They make the process really easy for employers to find the right person for the job. I highly recommend contacting Job Centre Australia for your staffing needs as they are a no cost, no obligation service."

"Webstuff.biz commenced in 2002, it was a home based business where I executed everything myself. It has now grown into a very successful business with an office located in Erina. We currently have 5 employees and are expanding due to the high demand." Michelle explained.

A new aspect of the business is Social Media management (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Blogs). Michelle will be hiring two clients from Job Centre Australia to work in this area. Cale, a jobseeker from Job Centre Australia will be joining her team. He brings extensive experience and fresh ideas to the business to assist her clients to market their business using Facebook.

Michelle to date has employed three jobseekers from Job Centre Australia.

Webstuff.biz has recognised the benefits of hiring people with a disability and is "setting the benchmark" for employment on the Central Coast for people with a disability.

Benjamin Gearhart (pictured below) is the first employee from Job Centre Australia to be employed by Webstuff.biz. He commenced as a trainee web designer at the beginning of February this year. Ben comments, "To me, this is my dream job, something that I have always wanted to do and I am grateful to my employer and Job Centre Australia for allowing me to learn something new everyday and look forward to the future." Michelle says, "We have found him to be passionate, focused and very loyal. Ben has fitted into our team really well and is now working on account management for our clients. He is a valuable part of our team."

Michelle has taken the opportunity to place her jobseekers into a Disabled Australian Apprentice Wage Support (DAAWS) traineeship that is available to employers who employ a person with a disability. Government incentives are payable to eligible employers during the course of the traineeship/apprenticeship of up to $104.00 a week. Tutorial, interpreting and mentoring assistance are also available through the program if required.

If you would like more information on how Job Centre Australia can benefit your business please call Lesley on 4322 5511.

Over the years our skilled young IT graduates have in many cases had to relocate for their job, taking with them the next generation of young families.

Verb DC has the potential of generating many jobs in the IT industry as well as attracting technology related businesses to the area.

Our nation is currently in the middle of a debate around the merits of a National Broadband rollout to 93% of homes around Australia. The Central Coast as a regional area, is one location keenly interested in the outcomes. For businesses, access to business grade internet services has been available for quite some time, however it is Data Centres which store data, deliver services and manage business environments in the 21st Century.

The Central Coast has for too long been starved of Data Centre availability. Verb Data Centre last week launched the first Data Centre on the Central Coast. Located at North Wyong, it sits in the middle of the Sydney to Newcastle corridor. The site at North Wyong is therefore ideally placed as a Data Centre. It sits adjacent to a Power substation and has access to gas as an alternative power source. Fibre, via both the Optus IP EVOLVE and Telstra IP MAN data and internet products is available. This means that businesses can connect via high speeds from their location to Verb Data Centre.

The Verb Data Centre is a Data Centre with a difference. Built on the HP POD (Performance Optimised Data Centre), it is an Asia Pacific first in sustainability as well as a world first as a commercial data centre of this type. The POD is ground breaking technology that enables power efficiencies of 60% compared with a normal Data Centre which is very significant considering that data centre industry is predicted to overtake the aviation industry in terms of carbon emissions by 2020. This is great news for the environment and great news for business efficiency.

The Verb Data Centre asset will not only provide services to Central Coast businesses, it also has the potential to generate many millions of dollars in business from companies in Newcastle, Sydney, Australia-wide and internationally. It has the potential of generating many jobs in the IT industry as well as technology related businesses being attracted to the area.

Although Verb Data Centre brings international companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Cisco, Telstra, Optus, APC, ADC Krone and Kaseya as its business partners, it is a local business success story. Henry Kendall Group has its roots traced on the Central Coast, having been established in the 1970s. The Wilde family has a renowned heritage dating back to the 1890s on the Central Coast. Chris Clifford, a Verb Data Centre Director and shareholder also has family roots going back to the 1800s, as local Chemists and Farriers in the Gosford area. "There is not a business today that does not rely on IT in some way. The Verb Data Centre offers a huge new economy opportunity to establish the Central Coast as an IT hub," said Pat Wilde at the launch of the Data Centre last week.

For Central Coast businesses requiring state-of-the-art and cost effective IT Support, Data Storage and Back-up, Email and Internet Services, Verb Data Centre is ideally placed to assist you today. Verb can demonstrate how SMB customers can best utilise cloud computing to bring efficiencies to their business.

You can arrange a tour of the Verb Data Centre by calling today on 1300 653 115.

Wyong Council has worked closely with the developers of the Verb Data Centre to ensure that the facility was established within Wyong Shire. The development will contribute greatly to the local economy and provide employment opportunities for residents of our community. The centre which is the first of its kind in the South Pacific region, has embraced modern technology and has the support of such large companies as Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Optus and Telstra.

This facility will provide IT services to both local and national organisations and will undoubtedly lead to the establishment of other businesses within Wyong Shire. Initially the centre will provide an opportunity for 13 jobs however as the industry establishes its niche in the market there is no doubt that the number of employees will grow rapidly and provide an opportunity for our skilled IT workforce to secure local employment.

The council also appreciates the faith shown in the region by the developer Henry Kendall Group in locating this modern IT operation within Wyong Shire.

Finally Council is convinced that this centre and its association with the major companies listed above will ultimately lead to further opportunities and employment for the residents of Wyong Shire. This is a great result for our community.

Garry McLachlan

Wyong Shire Council

The new Verb Data Centre which was officially opened in North Wyong recently with support from the NSW Government, will create up to 13 full time high tech jobs on the Central Coast within 12 months.

The Verb Data Centre will provide a state-of-the-art facility for businesses to house data as part of their core operations, or as back-up and for disaster recovery. It is the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region and is seen within the industry as the way of the future.

The company undertook considerable analysis of the market before making its decision to locate in North Wyong. It's a valuable addition to the Cental Coast and will boost the region's profile as a perfect location for this industry.

The NSW Government had provided assistance to help attract the company to the region through Industry & Investment NSW's Regional Business Employment Fund, which supports small to medium businesses' efforts to create new employment opportunities, establish or expand their operations or diversify and strengthen their business.

David Harris MP

Member for Wyong

Parlimentary Secretary Central Coast

"What an addition to the Central Coast and Wyong's IT offering!" was the reaction of Anthony Dow, CEO of Regional Development Australia Central Coast (RDACC) after attending today's launch of the Verb Data Centre.

He says RDACC is focused on bringing the best information technology infrastructure and applications to the Central Coast including attracting priority status for the rollout of a national broadband network.

Mr Dow added "The Wyong community should be proud that, through the Verb partnership, they have attracted major national and international interest with this 'first in the Asia Pacific' modular type Data Centre. I look forward to working with Damien and the Verb team to attract new high technology businesses to the Central Coast."

Anthony Dow

Regional Development Australia

Patrick Wilde AM BA LLM (Hons) MBA

Chairman Verb DC and Henry Kendall Group

Patrick was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his contribution to the retirement village industry and to medical research. He is currently the President of the Westmead Medical Research Foundation and a director of the Westmead Millenium Institute (WMI) one of Australia's preeminent medical research institutes. He is a Governor of the Historic Houses Trust.

As the CEO of the Henry Kendall Group since 1976 and having established the first Henry Kendall Village in 1985, Patrick has been a pioneer of the retirement village industry. He was the moving force and is the Industry Partner to establish a major study of the industry and its social and economic impact on Australian society. This study involving the Universities of Sydney, New South Wales and Bond University is the largest ever undertaken in relation to this industry.

The Henry Kendall Group is part of the Wilde family property investment business and has real estate investments and businesses throughout New South Wales . It is however predominantly a Central Coast focused investment group. The Group's businesses include not only the Verb Data Centre, but self storage, child care, car wash, medical centres and commercial and industrial investments.

KEVIN FAULKS

Kevin, a man with stamina and strength, right to the end, sadly passed away on Saturday 24th July 2010. His loving wife of 53 years and best friend Judith, daughter Sarah-Jane, son Simon and daughter in-law Jodie were by his bedside.

The smooth talking marketing genius had a way of making everyone feel special and before you knew it you were on-board lobbying with him for the Wyong Shire. Kevin was appointed Wyong Town Co-ordinator in 2003 and passionately went about his job of implementing the Strategic Plan to revitalise the town of Wyong. He also had a vision that the Wyong Regional Chamber would be up there with the best. When Kevin was first appointed there were only 60 members and today the chamber boasts a membership of over 220 members.

Kevin had a very charitable heart and this was acknowledged in 2007 when he was awarded a Rotary Citizenship Award as part of recognition of his outstanding achievements within the community

We should be thankful for the dedication and vision Kevin brought to Wyong Shire and the Central Coast.

A Few Media Quotes

"Kevin Faulks, Town Co-ordinator for Chamber, urges RTA rethink on four lane highway through Wyong."
"Roads to be made safe for Wyong residents"
"The Annual Baby Show & Expo"
"Canberra asked to Investigate Mining"
"Town Co-ordinator discusses the future of the Coast railway with Minister of Transport."
"Town Co-ordinator unveils Tuggerah Planning Strategy"
"Town Co-ordinator opens the Central Coast Buy Local Festival"
"Thumbs up for new centre"
"Town Co-ordinator Kevin Faulks honoured with plaque at new Village Central."
"Keep-it-local bid will create jobs"

He will surely be missed by all

Most individuals yearn to be fulfilled, well and happy; most teams want to be competitive and excel and all businesses and leaders want to be successful. Why do some of us fulfil our potential and others not?

LIMITATIONS! Where do these limitations come from?

Often our greatest limitations come from within, in the form of our own conscious and unconscious beliefs, assumptions, attitudes and knowledge learned and developed from exposure to our life experiences. Paradoxically our previous life experience and learning's can be our greatest asset and the greatest limitation for ourselves, our relationships and our work life and business. Prior knowledge and experience becomes the limited lenses we view the world, ourselves and everyone else through.

In small business, just as in large corporations, many constraints to fulfilling personal and professional potential also lie in limitations. These limitations can negatively impact strategic choices, productivity, decision making, behaviour, stress levels, interpersonal skills, business culture, teamwork and the personal well being of the individual as well as the commercial bottom line (well being) of the business.

Greater complexity and marketplace change has meant that in many cases past strategic approaches, problem solving methods and skill sets are no longer enough. The way in which business was once transacted has altered significantly requiring a greater skill set from those responsible – technically, emotionally and psychologically. To positively impact the bottom line in any business today requires that business owners understand themselves and their teams from the inside out. Limitations of our own self awareness, experience and understanding of others can manifest as limited success and often failure in terms of fulfilment, financial wealth, relationships, health, stress, business and in the overall quality of our inner lives and business/work performance.

So how can you grow yourself and improve your business?

Two ways - In business as with elite sport, we can be coached on the more technical aspects such as strategy, methodology, technique and practice i.e. the external things that help us "do" better. This can expand our capabilities (our range of choices and capacity to respond to the challenge) which builds more confidence and improves performance. Additionally and just as importantly we can cultivate capacities that support the quality of our inner being which can be severely compromised by a lack of awareness, stress and pressure. It is scientifically proven that the quality of our "being" (inner states) affects the quality of our "doing" (outer performance) which the Business Review Weekly (BRW) recently highlighted as critical.

InsideOut Coaching and Consulting works closely with businesses, leaders, teams and individuals to transcend limitations, improving commercial competitiveness and personal performance. This is achieved by utilising professional frameworks and models from business, strategy, leadership, psychology, neuroscience, stress management and elite sport, building capacity from the inside and out while improving the bottom line in personal, professional and commercial contexts.

Usually only available to larger corporations in the major cities, our own strategic expansion means our highly sought after services are now available to small, medium and large businesses in the Central Coast and Hunter Regions.

Our team has worked internationally and are all recognised as extremely successful business people in their own right, from diverse entrepreneurial and business backgrounds and experience grounded by formal university business degree's and coaching qualifications. We are also internationally accredited and present the clinically proven Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program which can be conducted on or off site. For more information on our next MBSR programs beginning in October at Gosford, Wyong, Lake Macquarie and Newcastle or any of our other Business and Personal Coaching Services:

Check out our website at:
www.insideoutconsulting.com.au

Michael Ryder-
Director, InsideOut
Coaching and
Consulting.

There has been a long campaign being waged to deliver Regional status to the Central Coast. Community members, local organisations and business groups have lobbied hard as they have understood the economic benefits associated with such a move.

In 2005 an application to the Geographical names board was successful and the Region was officially acknowledged as the NSW Central Coast.

Application was made to organisations such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the Region to stand alone in their calculations and Government needed to follow suit.

In 2009 a new push for Regional Status began with Community. The then Premier Nathan Rees set up a special Office of the Central Coast under Marie Roberts and tasked them with finding out how specific Regional status could be achieved.

Ms Roberts located the specific legislation under the Planning Act, which grouped Gosford and Wyong under the Greater Sydney Region.

Current Premier, Kristina Keneally with the support of Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly made the decision to remove the two local government areas – thus formalising the Central Coast as its own Region.

This will start to have effect, particularly in terms of how Government Departments regard the Region. It will allow access to different funding arrangements and most of all give local residents greater pride in our beautiful region of the world.

Greater recognition was already underway with the announcement of a Regional Cancer Centre, a new Bureau of Meteorology office proposed and excellent "Buy Local" campaigns being run.

Regional status has also led to a Central Coast Development Corporation being formed by the NSW Government.

Great news for local residents and business and the announcements will continue as the Region's status continues to grow.

Thursday 29th July 2010; Jennifer Hawkins and John Singleton toasted the first Bluetongue Premium Lager coming off the packaging line at the new $120 million Pacific Beverages-owned brewery on the Central Coast.

Bluetongue Brewery started brewing its first batch just weeks ago. The brewery has taken just 18 months to become operational and boasts global state-of-the-art brewing technology.

Since being established just four years ago, Pacific Beverages has cornered approximately 10 per cent of the Australian premium beer market and the Bluetongue Brewery is designed in a modular format to allow for expansion as the company continues to increase its market share in Australia. The $120 million brewery has an annual capacity of 50 million litres, equivalent to about 6.5 million cases, and is easily expandable to 150 million litres over time.

What this means to the Central Coast

JOBS

The Bluetongue Brewery brings significant employment opportunities to the Central Coast. Once fully operational the brewery will provide around 100 full time jobs in a range of functions including:

• Brewing
• Packaging
• Maintenance and Engineering
• Quality Assurance
• OH&S
• Commercial
• Marketing

The flow on from this will see a significant number of related jobs in sales and distribution.

ENVIRONMENT

The new brewery can also boast about being one of the most environmentally sustainable breweries in the world. The sustainability efforts have focused on six main areas namely water and energy consumption, product packaging usage, waste generation (water and solids), atmospheric emissions and considered land use.

The largest investment has been in the water recovery plant, which utilises the most modern technology including an anaerobic methane reactor, aerobic (membrane biological reactor) and reverse osmosis treatments to produce high quality reusable water. This recycled water will be channelled into the general maintenance of the brewery including wash down and cleaning, boilers, refrigeration, staff amenities and fire water top-up that results in water usages equalling about half the global average. The Brewery has also invested in storm-water harvesting to capture 900,000 litres for later supply to help sustain the much needed water for the future Porters Creek scheme.

Peter McLoughlin further expands on the sustainability credentials, "From an energy perspective, we are in a position to recover the methane from the anaerobic part of the water plant and feed it into a methane boiler. When the boiler is operating at a full head of steam we will get a 15% reduction in energy. Combining this with all the other sustainability measures we have implemented across the brewery, such as flash pasteurisation and dry bottle conveyors, our carbon footprint has been substantially reduced".

LEADING TOURIST ATTRACTION

The site at Warnervale is close to the F3 and will be a great stopover for tourists travelling up and down the freeway to and from the Central Coast and Hunter . The brewery will include a visitors centre and restaurant opening late 2011. Guests will have the chance to taste beers from the brewery and take a tour of the brewing facility providing further job and tourism opportunities.

I recently had the honour of turning the first sod to signal the start of construction on one of the most important water infrastructure projects seen on the Central Coast in more than 25 years - the Mardi-Mangrove Link.

Not since Mangrove Creek Dam was built and commissioned in 1982 has there been such a major investment to protect our future water supply.

When the new 2.1km pipeline from Wyong River to Mardi Dam and the 19km pipeline from Mardi Dam to Mangrove Creek Dam are built and commissioned - along with two new pump stations - the Mardi-Mangrove Link will help secure the region's town water supply for the next four decades.

Presently, Mangrove Creek Dam is only 28% full. With current demands and rainfall patterns in mind it is anticipated the Mardi-Mangrove Link will help storage levels recover to around 60% by 2015.

We also have both Gosford and Wyong Councils working together as initiators of the project and liaising closely with the Federal Government which has committed $80.3M through the Water Smart Australia Program.

The Councils are jointly funding the remaining $40M. Construction will continue over the next 12 months with all project elements ready for commissioning by June 2011.

I look forward to the day when the Mardi-Mangrove Link is up and running and our Central Coast water supply system is a lot more secure.
-Councillor Chris Holstein Mayor of Gosford City

World Environment Day is upon us with this year's theme being "Many Species, One Planet, and One Future". There no bettertime to reassess how we live within the broader scope of our environment and how the actions of humans affect other living things on our planet. The theme ties in nicely with the Year of Biodiversity which also has a focus on the importance of many different living things to give balance to our world.

We are losing species at a rate faster than any other time recorded in history.

Achim Steiner UN under-secretary-general and executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme says "Many economies remain blind to the huge value of the diversity of animals, plants and other life-forms and their role in healthy and functioning ecosystems from forests and freshwaters to soils, oceans and even the atmosphere."Humanity has fabricated the illusion that somehow we can get by without biodiversity or that it is somehow peripheral to our contemporary world.

Rather than get into a funk about the plight of the world – we can all use this day to celebrate how precious and fascinating our world is and realise that we can all make a difference. Educating ourselves is a good first step. Being actively responsible in our personal lives and within our businesses is even better.

Think about what resources we use at work – can you recycle your waste better? Can you get involved with a 'green' corporate volunteering group? Changing habits and making small differences can make a big difference.

Kristina Keneally makes young job seekers night

On Friday 7th May a fundraising event was held at Kooindah Waters for David Harris MP. Over 100 guests attended the evening including Kristina Keneally – NSW Premier, all reports were that is was a great success. Assisting in the success of the evening was loyal employee of Kooindah Waters, Alex Wesson, who had the pleasure of meeting both Kristina and David on the night.

Alex commenced employment with Kooindah Waters as a casual room attendant and kitchen hand at the 4.5 star Golf and Spa Resort located in Wyong, in April 2009 and was made full time in September. Alex's employment is supported by Job Centre Australia, a not for profit specialist employment agency that has been assisting jobseekers with a disability, illness or health condition for nearly 20 years.

Job Centre Australia and Kooindah Waters have been working successfully together for the past 18 months. To date Kooindah Waters have employed 5 jobseekers in various roles within the resort.

The General Manager, Sandra Kerr, commented that "as a result of our ongoing relationship with Job Centre Australia they have saved us time and money by offering work experience placements, wage subsidies and trainers. This allows us to give people a chance to find out if they are the right fit for our organisation."

Jamie Ryan, Executive Chef, is enthusiastic about the program and states "from day one, nothing was too much trouble for Alex, he came willing to work and to learn. Alex is the type of guy that when you pile a massive amount of dishes in front of him, from a 300+ conference, he smiles and say's thanks".

What once was a dream is now a reality for Alex. Congratulations Alex! Keep up the Good Work.

Bluetongue Beer signs on for another two years as naming rights sponsor of Bluetongue Stadium 10th May, 2010:

Bluetongue Brewery today announced that it will renew its naming rights at The Central Coast Stadium in Gosford for another two years, which includes exclusive pouring rights.

Peter McLoughlin, CEO of Pacific Beverages who owns the Bluetongue Brand says "We are proud to announce our ongoing partnership with the Stadium. Bluetongue's affiliation with the Central Coast region is very important to us, particularly with the new Bluetongue Brewery being commissioned within weeks in Warnervale.

We are the local brewers in the region and investing into the local community is important to us. Our progress to date is in no small way attributed to the support from local customers and consumers and the decision to continue to support the region was an easy one."

Monique Marks Managing Director of Bluetongue Stadium, says, "We are very pleased to welcome Bluetongue back for a third term as the naming rights sponsor of our stadium. Given Bluetongue's strong Central Coast 0heritage and its popularity in the region, the brand is an ideal fit for us. Our patrons recognise it as a home-grown success story and are proud to drink a brand that is their own".

The NES are set out in the Fair Work Act 2009 and comprise 10 minimum standards of employment. Each standard is covered in detail in separate fact sheets (see below), but in summary, the NES involve the following minimum entitlements

• Maximum weekly hours of work – 38 hours per week, plus reasonable additional hours.
• Requests for flexible working arrangements – an entitlement allowing parents or carers of a child under school age, or of a child under 18 with a disability, to request a change in working arrangements to assist with the care of the child.
• Parental leave and related entitlements – up to 12 months unpaid leave per employee, plus a right to request an additional 12 months unpaid leave, plus other forms of maternity, paternity and adoption-related leave.
• Annual leave – four weeks paid leave per year, plus an additional week for certain shift workers.
• Personal/carer’s leave and compassionate leave – 10 days paid personal/carer’s leave, two days unpaid carer’s leave as required, and two days compassionate leave (unpaid for casuals) as required.
• Community service leave – unpaid leave for voluntary emergency activities and leave for jury service, with an entitlement to be paid for up to 10 days for jury service.
• Long service leave - a transitional entitlement for employees as outlined in an applicable pre-modernised award, pending the development of a uniform national long service leave standard.
• Notice of termination and redundancy pay – up to five weeks notice of termination and up to 16 weeks severance pay on redundancy, both based on length of service.
• Provision of a Fair Work Information Statement – must be provided by employers to all new employees, and contains information about the NES, modern awards, agreement-making, the right to freedom of association, termination of employment, individual flexibility arrangements, union rights of entry, transfer of business, and the respective roles of Fair Work Australia and the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Wyong Shire Council’s Councillor Emma McBride along with Wyong Regional Chambers’ Executive Manager Kevin Faulks has shown great initiative in providing a Local Preference Policy to be implemented this March.

Local Preference Policy

The NSW Government announced the Central Coast regional development vision to support 45,000 new jobs, new businesses and industries in the region over the next 20 year.

Premier Keneally said the Regional Economic Development and Employment Strategy (REDES) will support the growing population of the Central Coast – expected to be 405,000 by 2031 - an additional 100,000 people moving in. .

"Our long-term plan for sustainable economic development in the Central Coast, will build jobs, industries, businesses, close to home for people living in this great region," Ms Keneally said. .

"We have worked closely with stakeholders, businesses and the community to create this vision for the Central Coast – we have listened to your priorities, and will now begin working to implement this strategy. .

"The Central Coast is the ninth largest population centre in Australia and the third largest residential region in NSW – we will continue to support and plan for its bright future." .

Premier Kristina Keneally joined Minister for the Central Coast, Ian Macdonald, and Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, David Harris, at the University of Newcastle and TAFE NSW - Hunter Institute Central Coast Campus, Ourimbah. .

To develop the strategy, the Government consulted with more than 80 large business and regional stakeholders, 300 businesses small and medium enterprises and 400 individuals. .

The REDES is a partnership between the NSW Government, the Regional Development Australia Central Coast (a State and Federally funded body), Gosford City, and Wyong Councils. This partnership will be honoured through a Regional Compact for Economic Development and Employment. .

"Today we will sign a cooperative agreement to implement this strategy as quickly and as effectively as we can," Ms Keneally said. .

A taskforce, chaired by Minister Macdonald, has now been set up to manage the implementation of a broad range of improved government services to this vital regional hub. Each proposal will be given proper government consideration before they are implemented. .

The Regional Economic Development and Employment Strategy (REDES) includes: .

• Attract new businesses to the region especially in logistics, manufacturing, tourism, government agencies and call centres;
• Build on successful industries such as food production, logistics, manufacturing, and tourism;
• Create new investment opportunities in health, ageing and green industries; and
• Support business growth for small and medium sized enterprises through mentoring, development and training programs
. .

• Establish a Central Coast Learning Region Network to increase take-up of education and training;
• Develop action plans to cover skill shortages, emerging industries and small business;
• Broker business engagement with schools to develop future employment skills for young people, and increase work experience programs and apprenticeships;
• Provide targeted skills programs to re-skill mature aged workers and work skills for disadvantaged people, displaced workers and indigenous communities. .

• Create education and research precincts at Ourimbah, Gosford and Tuggerah-Wyong;
• Develop existing health sciences, education, sports science, coastal ecologies and agribusiness;
• Research new sectors in environment, energy, ageing and logistics;
.

Infrastructure to support economic growth


• Undertake feasibility assessments to improve regional public transport systems including bus, rail and road;
• Promote the Central Coast Region as a priority area for the National Broadband roll out;
• Undertake an audit of land for employment, with an initial focus on industrial land;
• Facilitate the development of the Wyong Employment Zone;
• Provide logistical infrastructure and support for the sinking of HMAS Adelaide off the Central Coast.

"The REDES provides direction and priorities for creating real, lasting jobs, close-to home, for skilled, well-educated workforce over the next two decades," Ms Keneally said. .

The Regional Development Australia Central Coast - one of the partners - will lead the implementation of the REDES. A review of the strategy will be undertaken every five years. Minister for the Central Coast, Ian Macdonald, said the Compact is a commitment to the future of the Central Coast and is based on a number of key principles.
"We commit to work together to create a vibrant and sustainable Central Coast Region, with high skill employment opportunities for a growing community," Mr Macdonald said.

Under the Regional Compact for Economic Development and Employment :


1. Create a prosperous and sustainable future for the Central Coast
2. Link the Central Coast as a vibrant and integrated economic region
3. Generate new high skilled jobs in the local areas
4. Ensure job growth keeps pace with regional population growth
5. Make the Central Coast an attractive location for new investment and new businesses
6. Ensuring a long term planned approach to developing infrastructure that will support jobs
7. Develop education and skill levels of the community

"We are committed to working together to develop and implement plans and actions to enable these outcomes to be achieved.

"The Compact reaffirms the commitment of all parties to ensure that we have a coordinated approach to sustainable economic development for the Central Coast region," he said.

"As part of the strategy I will Chair an Executive Group that will lead and monitor the implementation of the strategy and encourage the region’s future economic growth."

Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Wyong, David Harris, welcomed the strategy as a long term vision for the region.

"The development of this strategy has involved extensive consultation with the local community across all levels of Government - providing a unique opportunity to shape the future direction of our region," Mr Harris said.

"The Central Coast is a great place to live and work and this strategy will encourage investment in the region."

Fair Work Information Statement to help create better Australian workplaces

Australian workers now have a new tool to help them better understand their workplace rights.

A Fair Work Information Statement (FWIS) has been released by the federal Fair Work Ombudsman.

Fair Work Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson says the statement aims to assist employees to understand their minimum entitlements and other workplace issues.

"From January 1 this year, employers must provide a copy of the FWIS to all new employees either before, or as soon as possible after, they start work," he said. "It is a two-page document which provides basic information for workers on matters that will affect their employment and points to where they can find out more."

The Fair Work Act requires the Fair Work Ombudsman to publish a Fair Work Information Statement explaining key aspects of Australia’s national workplace relation system.

The Act provides a safety net of fair, relevant and enforceable minimum employment terms and conditions through the National Employment Standards (NES) that will come into effect on January 1, 2010.

The statement covers the following topics:

• Minimum entitlements under the NES
• Modern Awards
• Agreement-making
• Individual flexibility arrangements
• Freedom of association and protection from discrimination
• Termination of employment, including redundancy and other dismissals,
• Union right of entry into workplaces, and
• The role of the Fair Work Ombudsman and Fair Work Australia.

The Fair Work Information Statement can be downloaded from Fair Work Online at www.fairwork.gov.au Mr Wilson says that with less than a month before important workplace relations changes take place, Fair Work Online has been updated to assist employers and employees alike with helpful information. A new-look Fair Work Online Homepage links web users directly to information on four key areas – the Fair Work Information Statement, the National Employment Standards, Modern Awards and Flexible Working Arrangements.

The Fair Work Ombudsman is an independent, statutory agency responsible for educating employers and employees about workplace rights and obligations, ensuring compliance with workplace laws and where appropriate, commencing proceedings for contraventions.

Information is also available from the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94 from 8am to 6pm weekdays.

Marketing & Sales

Effectively reaching your customer is critical for business success. While this might seem obvious, it is an area which companies struggle with the most. No matter how good your product or service is, customers will not come and find you, you must go out and find them. Marketing and sales go hand in hand, but they are two distinct functions within a company. In a small business, both functions may be carried out by the same person.
Marketing supports the sales effort, helps to create the lead and paves the way for the sale to be made.
Selling is about closing the deal and bringing revenue to the company. There is a natural flow-on from marketing to sales, and this synergy must be understood in order to create effective marketing and sales strategies.

The marketing plan

• what is unique about my product / service?
• who are my customers?
• what do my customers want or need?
• what need will my product / service fulfill?
• why will customers buy from me and not my competitors?
• To develop your marketing plan, cover:
• market research
• marketing strategies and goals
• marketing tactics
• monitoring and controlling the plan.

Small business marketing tips

Review and adjust marketing strategies to meet changing situations Focus on needs and expectations of existing and potential customers Find a niche – small businesses succeed by offering something different Look for promotional opportunities that fit business strategies Build networks to promote the business and its reputation.

The sales plan

• broadly defined sales goals (either expressed as a percentage of growth, a revenue figure or both)
• specific sales targets
• how sales will be made
• to whom sales will be made
• timeframes
• who will be responsible for making the sales.

A sales plan should be very action orientated and specifically define who is going to do what, when. While longer term goals can be stated, sales plans are generally more short term in nature so they can be easily monitored and updated.
The sales plan should be linked to the marketing plan to ensure a flow-on from one to the other.

Remember, it is more expensive to gain a new client than retain an old one. Therefore make sure your sales plan is not just targeted at new prospects, but takes into account retaining past and current clients. This can include customer loyalty programs, special discounts, client visits or additional service offerings.

Information sourced from www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au

For most businesses, information is the most important asset after staff.

Today's use of computers for storage of business information demands that responsible business owners implement disaster recovery solutions to backup and (if necessary) restore data that is lost, corrupted or stolen.

Research shows that many businesses fail within 2 years of a significant data loss.

In the event of a major system failure, the time required to restore normal business computing operations includes:

• the time to setup replacement machines;
• the time to restore lost data and
• the time to enter data that was backlogged while your system was down.

Effective disaster recovery solutions require

• Regular backups of data and system settings to be taken and verified as being correct. Too many businesses only take a single backup at the end of the day. Many of these businesses fail to check if the backup was successful.
• Offsite storage of selected backups. A disaster (like fire) that destroys your entire system will likely destroy backups that are stored at the same location.
• Restoration tools that allow systems to be rebuilt within hours (not days) in order to minimise the downtime impacts on the business.

Affordable technology exists today that allows the implementation of reliable and efficient disaster recovery solutions that meet these criteria.

There is no excuse. "Disaster recovery is business insurance you just can’t afford to live without." #1

---

If you would like further information on disaster recovery solutions for you business data, please contact Mick at Computer Networks Central Coast on 4322 0665.

#1 Jeff Godlewski (Network World) Sep 2008

Federal Member for Dobell Craig Thomson welcomed the appointment of the interim Local Employment Coordinator to the Central Coast-Hunter.

The Local Employment Coordinators have a key role to play in the Australian Government's $77 billion Nation Building Recovery Plan to support jobs today by investing in nation-building infrastructure for tomorrow.

"I am pleased to introduce Mr Peter Taylor who is already working to play a critical role in helping to drive local responses to keeping Australians working," Mr Thomson said.

"As part of the Australian Government’s Nation Building Recovery Plan, $608.568 million is being invested in Central Coast-Hunter to support jobs and training opportunities."

"Mr Taylor will work with local business and other key stakeholders, such as local councils and unions, to develop strategies for keeping people in work while recruitment for the permanent Local Employment Coordinator is underway.

"He will identify ways to ensure that local people are able to access the job opportunities created by the Government’s economic stimulus measures.

"He will also work with key Government and community agencies to develop rapid responses to best deal with emerging employment issues in Central Coast-Hunter and promote job opportunities."

For further information on Keeping Australia Working and the Jobs Fund go to: www.deewr.gov.au/Employment/KeepAustraliaWorking/

For enquiries please contact Craig Thomson's office on (02) 4351 1223.

The NSW Government will provide a free online business tools as part of a $6.5 million investment in programs to support NSW small and medium businesses in the NSW Budget.

The NSW Minister for Small Business Steve Whan said the business e-learning portal is being developed by the NSW Government and the University of Western Sydney.

"This will be a fantastic resource for small business operators. The site will offer real, practical assistance. For example, users will be guided on how to develop their own business plan which they can use when seeking finance or for monitoring the performance of their business," he said.

The site will also include a ready checklist and self-assessment check to assist in reducing the number of small business failures in the State.

Small business operators will also be able to access free training in finance, marketing, legal requirements, employment and export.

The small business e-learning portal and website will compliment a range of small business programs on offer by the NSW Government.

"Business Advisory Services will continue to provide free business guidance from experienced business facilitators at strategic locations across the State.

The new online portal will be able to do a lot of the early work, like writing a business plan, at home, before they visit their local BAS.

There are almost 650,000 small businesses in NSW, providing jobs for more than one million people.

What a productive and informative day the Central Coast had with the visit from the Minister of Small Business, Independent Contractors and Service Economy, Honourable Dr Craid Emerson.

Starting with a business leaders luncheon held by NSW Business Chamber with President of the Regional Advisory Council – Ken Baker, NSW Business Chambers Regional Manager – Mary Doherty and Member for Dobell Craig Thompson was also in attendance. Held at Diggers at The Entrance, where Craig Emerson gave an informative speech followed by a round of question and answer discussion. Then at 3pm it was off to the Central Coast Business Enterprise Centre situated at the Zenith Centre, Tuggerah Business Park for an afternoon forum with local small businesses.

Dobell's Craig Thomson shared his awareness of the challenges faced by business on the Central Coast and made suggestions on how to help cut employment.

At least 30 different businesses were represented, ranging from sole proprietors to medium sized manufacturers.

The Minster Craig Emerson has a PHD in Economics with experience in small business including setting up and running his own business. He shared his vision for a one-stop shop and was pleased to see that the Central Coast Business Enterprise Centre had implemented this concept for small businesses.

He mentioned that Central Coast businesses riding the current economic roller coaster makes for good economics and social achievement. He also posed the question "Can we do more to keep people local" and indicated the he and his department are committed to do everything they can to support local small business.

Craig Emerson, the Minister, also gave a commitment that the Federal Government were endeavouring to remove burdens and red tape in the area of regulations at a Federal, State and local level for small businesses. In turn this would give small businesses incentives, keep more earnings, reward efforts and promote more free enterprise.

Questions were raised concerning unfair dismissal, ATO (Australia Taxation Office), carbon footprint and training, help for manufacturers, employer incentives, bank relationships, the tender process and "Buy Local" and the extension of the stimulus package.

Recent changes to the SIS Act (effective from 24 September 2007) mean that trustees of superannuation funds may now borrow in prescribed circumstances, and may in fact pursue a geared investment strategy, provided that the requirements specified in the SIS Act are followed. The New Super Rules present fresh opportunities to leverage into the property market using your superannuation savings.

The many tax incentives introduced by the Government into superannuation laws, mean that many Australians may potentially accumulate wealth faster in a superannuation environment than they could by investing in identical assets outside of their superannuation. Now, under the new rules - superannuation funds can invest in direct property without the need to have accumulated the full purchase price. Superannuation funds are able to do this by using an Instalment Warrant Arrangement.

With the equity markets worldwide doing so poorly and with the lower cost of interest on borrowing and property being fairly priced – many real estate agents and financial planners are predicting a surge in the number of individuals opting to get control of their own super and experiencing heightened numbers of new SMSF’s being setup for the specific reason of purchasing property through the new IW arrangements.

There has not been a better time to take control of your superannuation.

Budget Stats

• Deficit of $57.6 billion;
• Reduction in tax receipts of $210 billion over next four years;
• Contraction in GDP of -0.5% in 2009-10 with a forecast of positive growth of 2.25% in 2010-11;
• Unemployment rate projected to rise to 8.25% in 2009-10;
• CPI expected to remain steady on 1.75% in 2009-10;
• Budget savings of $22.6 billion over four years.

Budget at a Glance - Announcements

• Creating a $260 million paid parental leave scheme to begin in 2011;
• $14.2 billion reform of the pension system including a rise in pension age to 67 with the pension for single people raised by $32.49 a week and couples increased by $10.14 a week.
• Cutting personal income tax by $9.8 billion;
• Investing $22 billion in national infrastructure including;
• Spending $8.5 billion on roads, rail and ports; with $2.16 billion for NSW.
• Investing $4.7 billion in a national broadband network;
• Increasing the Small Business and General Business Tax Break to 50 per cent for eligible assets ordered between December 2008 and December 2009
• Extending the First Home Buyers Boost for a further six months — including three months at the full rate, before stepping it down;
• Changes to superannuation including a reduction in the amount that can be salary sacrificed at a concessional tax rate.
• Commitment to $4.5 billion for the development of clean energy generation and new technologies in a bid to reduce carbon emissions.

The second Swan Budget is projected to deliver an underlying cash balance of -$57.6 billion, or -4.9% of GDP.

Total revenue for 2009-10 is expected to be $290.6 billion, with 42% coming from individuals' income taxation and 20% coming from company and petroleum resource rent taxation.

Spending

The IMF insists that fiscal stimuli must be sustained and (if possible) increased in 2010.

IMF points out that the credibility of extraordinary government spending can only be maintained if it:

• addresses the medium-term challenges brought by an ageing population, notably increases in social security and health costs; and
• boosts long-term economic capacity through adequate investment in infrastructure; and
• is reduced once recovery begins and so avoids inflating asset price bubbles.

Debt

The Federal Government's mediumterm fiscal strategy consists of:

• allowing the level of tax receipts to recover 'naturally' as the economy improves, while keeping taxation as a share of GDP below the 2007–08 level on average; and
• holding real growth in spending to 2% a year until the budget returns to surplus.

Small business tax break

The Government will inject an additional $141 million to expand the Small Business and General Business Tax Break for small businesses. This provides a greater incentive to invest in new capital items such as vehicles as well as existing equipment. Small businesses will be able to claim a bonus tax deduction of 50% of the cost of eligible assets ordered between 13 December 2008 and 31 December 2009 and installed by 31 December 2010. This will give a small business spending $30,000 an extra $6,000 upfront tax deduction. The 30% announced earlier this year can still be obtained by all other businesses that acquire eligible assets before 30 June 2009, as well as the rate of 10% applying for eligible assets acquired before 31 December 2009.

Personal income tax cut

Treasurer Wayne Swan’s budget delivers $22 billion in nation building infrastructure, focused on transport, communications, energy, education and health.

New Announcements

• $8.5 billion for nationally significant infrastructure projects
• $43 billion over eight years for National Broadband Network
• $3.6 billion for Clean Energy Initiative
• $2.6 billion million from the Education Investment Fund
• $3.2 billion from the Health and Hospitals Fund towards hospital Infrastructure

New Announcements - (NSW)

• $91 million for pre-construction work of Sydney West Metro
• $1.5 billion for new dual carriageway between the F3 and the New England Highway near Branxton.
• $618 million for the construction of a 14.5 km dual carriageway bypass of the Kempsey and Frederickton

Skills and Workplace Participation

The Government has increased education spending by around 50 per cent over the current five year period

Skills

• $1.5 billion ($799.5 million in 2009-10) for the Jobs and Training Compact,
• $650 million Jobs Fund to support local jobs, build skills and improve facilities in local communities
• $277 million Compact with Young Australians to keep them engaged in education and training and increase educational attainment,
• $438 million Compact with Retrenched Workers will give retrenched workers immediate access to intensive employment services

Workforce Participation

• $731 million over five years to implement a Paid Parental Leave scheme from January 2011,
• $2.4 billion savings over 4 years on Family Tax Benefit and the Baby Bonus

Higher education

• $578 million over three years to increase the rate of indexation for higher education funding
• $491 million over four years to uncap the number of public university places from 2012,
• $325 million to reward institutions for attracting and retaining students from a low socio-economic background

Research and Development

The incentive to undertake research and development will be doubled for most small businesses from 2010-11 under the new Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit – replacing the existing R&D Tax Concession. As an interim measure, the Government will lift the expenditure cap on eligible R&D for firms in tax loss from $1 million to $2 million for the 2009-10 financial year, at a cost of $65 million.

Small Business support line

The Budget also provides $10 million over two years to establish a Small Business Support Line and referral service to assist small

1. Know your priorities

Look at all of the different areas of your life including career, partner relationship, family, friends, health, finances, creativity and self care and think about what is most important to you. What are your personal values? What is your definition of success? Make sure you plan time for activities that you find pleasurable and for the things that really matter.

2. Choose your attitude

Having a positive outlook really makes a difference. Each morning before your feet hit the floor think about three things you're grateful for.

3. Make time to relax

One of the things that is missing for many people is that little bit of space where we simply stop and do nothing. Practise yoga, tai chi or meditation to help you learn to physically and mentally relax.

4. Breathe

Taking a few deep breaths is one of the most effective ways to reduce and manage stress.

Here's a simple breathing exercise. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Breathe deep into the abdomen, taking the breath deep into the belly and allowing the ribs to expand out to the sides and the belly to the front, hold the breath for a moment and breathe out using a loud ‘sigh’ sound. Repeat at least seven times, making each breath slower, longer and quieter.

5. Get healthy

Exercise is one of the key factors to reducing stress as it not only increases your fitness level which provides you with more energy, it is also the best way to flood your system with positive hormones which counteract the impact of the negative stress hormones.

Remember to eat a healthy diet with lots of fresh vegetables, drink at least two litres of water each day and replace coffee and tea with herbal alternatives.

6. Plan breaks

Make sure you get away from your desk to eat lunch. It's also important to schedule a holiday each year and preferably, a couple of mini-breaks such as a long weekend, in between.

7. Find an interest

This is beneficial on many levels as it provides you with 'you' time, plus many hobbies also give you the opportunity to express yourself creatively, engaging the right side of the brain.

8. Connect with friends

Make contact with a friend. Reaching out to others helps you gain perspective and changes how you think and feel about your problems, which will definitely help to relieve and manage your stress. Most people don’t need therapists. As long as you can talk openly and honestly and have someone really listen to you, you can reap similar benefits by talking with a trusted friend.

9. Know your boundaries

Learn to say 'no'. Be clear about your personal boundaries and learn how to say a gentle but firm 'no' when people make requests of you that push those boundaries.

10. Laugh!

Laughter is one of the most valuable resources to help you reduce and manage stress. See a funny film or a comedy show. Remember to create time to 'play' and remind yourself to lighten up and not take life so seriously.

Positive wrd-of-mouth is the main source of new business for many soloists, and networking is a good way to build it. But people have to remember you to refer clients, so how you introduce yourself to people you meet is important to boost referrals.

When we meet someone new and they ask what we do, most of us take the easy option and respond with a label: "I'm an accountant", "...writer", "...graphic designer" and so on.

Labels can be very limiting. With so many new people to meet, it’s very easy for other networkers to get the wrong impression of us anyway, but we add to the problem if we use labels that don’t articulate the true nature or value of what we do.

When I first set up as a soloist, I proudly called myself a marketing consultant. A mate of mine rang with an opportunity for me. He knew someone who was opening a waxing salon and needed some ads written. Now this was someone who knew exactly what I did for a living, that I had a background in industrial marketing and specialised in writing proposals. Or so I thought. In fact all he’d absorbed was that I worked in marketing. To him that obviously meant ads for XXX Brazilians. Ouch.

Here's another example. A graphic designer might specialise in consumer packaging or magazine design, focus only on websites, or do cheap and cheerful business cards and pizza flyers. What you think about what graphic designers do depends on your own experience of them. So when someone introduces themselves as one, you’ll immediately think of those you already know whose businesses may be very different.

To focus attention on the words we use when networking and to boost referrals, I came up with an introductory statement I call the 10-word teaser. It is your opening line when someone asks: "So what do you do?"

Why 10 words? Because you have three seconds to make an impression and 10 words is the most anyone will remember when meeting you for the first time. There are two options:

1. Use your 10-word teaser to articulate your specialist positioning; or
2. Talk about the problems you solve or the results you create for your clients.

With two 10-word teasers up your sleeve, you can choose which one you use. My first option is to introduce myself as "a proposal strategist and writer". That's my specialist positioning and it's usually enough to get the conversation rolling. Otherwise, I can talk about the problem I solve; "I help companies win hundreds of millions in new business". It's a more aggressive opening, but sometimes this is necessary to get attention.

A personal trainer might position herself as "a wellbeing coach" or as someone who "helps people change behaviours to become healthier". A publicist "negotiates specialist media exposure" or "helps clients build brand awareness in niche markets".

For more about specialist positioning, and why I think it’s essential for success as a soloist, take a look at my article Why specialist positioning matters.

To create the 10-word teaser about problems you solve or results you create, think about what triggers people to pick up the phone and call you. Many more people buy to solve a problem than to create an opportunity, so first try to find a problem-centred statement you can use.

Let's say you're a tax accountant. You start telling the people you meet through networking that you "specialise in solving tricky tax problems." One of them is talking to a friend at a barbecue, who says he’s dreading a call from the tax man because he hasn’t filed a return in four years. Who is your networking contact going to remember? Chances are it will be you, so this can be a great way to boost referrals.

If you can keep your cool while economic mayhem abounds, you could set up your business for not just survival, but for greater profit and cashflow when things improve. Here are some money management tips to thrive and survive in the downturn.

It's all over the news that business and consumer confidence is low and that Australia and other Western economies are heading for tough times. Money is tight and many business sales are falling. This is not good news for many small to medium enterprises, but it can present a chance to take stock and even get the edge over competitors who don’t treat the situation as an opportunity.

This is a time when business owners need to show leadership and retain the confidence of staff and stakeholders. SMEs often have an advantage over larger businesses in that they are able to act more quickly and decisively. Larger businesses often have to contend with office politics and various departments trying to protect their own turf, whereas SMEs are more down to earth.

Just because SMEs can act quickly, it can be detrimental to employ ‘slash and burn’ money management tactics to survive a downturn. i.e. indiscriminately cutting costs without really thinking about how this might impact on the future of the business.

The best place to begin preparing for a downturn is to work towards where you want to be when things pick up again.

Ask yourself:

• Are there better ways to structure the business?
• What type of customers do you want to work with?
• How will you market/sell your product or service?
• What resources will you need to deliver products and services and how will you deliver them?
• Where will you operate your business from?
• What price and cost structure will exist?
• How will your business be funded? Will external funding be required or will it be self-funding?

Once you have a picture of your ideal business, you can begin to look at the cost of running it and other money management issues. Start with a review of your Profit and Loss Statement for a prior period e.g. for the year ended 30th June 2008.

When times are good most business owners spend little time worrying about every cent that gets spent. When sales start to fall though, this is the best place to start.

Look at direct costs e.g. cost of products for sale and labour costs. Are there alternatives or better methods of delivering your product or service? Perhaps do some research on the Internet to see how other businesses are doing it.

The next money management tip is to work your way through every line item on the Profit and Loss Statement. Time put aside to focus on this issue can be some of the most profitable time you will spend in your business. It may seem tedious, but when every cent is coming out of your pocket as a business owner, believe me, it's worthwhile.

I went through this money managment exercise myself a couple of years ago and came up with approximately $250,000 per annum worth of savings. I looked at every single item and thought "How can we do this better, more efficiently and more cost effectively?" Lots of self-discipline is necessary and a little sensible ruthlessness as well.

The important point in relation to cost savings is that every dollar saved is a dollar straight onto the bottom line. Whereas every dollar of extra sales may only be a matter of cents onto the bottom line, because a sale carries with it direct costs and overheads.

Cashflow also needs serious attention during a downturn. Stock needs to be more closely managed to ensure only the stock that is required is purchased. If you are purchasing stock on credit terms you could get a double whammy of reduced sales and collections at the same time as paying for stock that is taking longer to sell.

All of the above may sound like Doomsday stuff, but if you can be realistic and take the tough money management decisions now, your business will be in a much better position when the downturn ends.

Your business will also be in a far stronger position than competitors who haven't properly managed the downturn or indeed survived it. When the upturn arrives your business could be even more profitable and valuable.

How will you make your business robust enough to thrive through the downturn?

Sue Hirst is the founder of CAD partners (also known as 'CFO On-Call'), a team of Financial Controllers who can help business owners grow their business safely

Many retailers are searching for ways to stand out from the crowd in order to generate extra sales.

Here are a few simple ideas that smart retailers are using in their stores and showrooms to enhance their customer service and distinguish themselves from their competitors.

Eye catching displays

First, try displaying moving promotional images in your storefront.

Moving images are a great way to attract the interest of passing foot traffic.

In the past this promotional technique was rarely adopted by retailers due to the expense and relative poor quality of the video and graphic images available to them. The sheer physical size of the TV based display technology also prohibited the use of this technique in most shop displays.

However, it is now a viable option for most businesses to display moving promotional images using flat screen (LCD and plasma) monitors and digital multimedia technologies.

All in one digital systems are now available for use in retail showrooms that feature slim lined flat screen monitors with multimedia equipment attached.

The rapidly advancing quality of multimedia imagery now allows even small businesses to cost effectively produce an eye-catching range of multimedia product information displays and advertorials.

The display screens are also becoming increasingly more affordable. The display screens can now range in size from 15 inch LCD screens through to large plasma screens. These screens can produce crisp high quality images and due to their flat slim design they now only require a very limited floor space, making them suitable for inclusion in most shop displays.

You may also find the use of multimedia based promotional displays particularly useful during the Christmas shopping period when trying to attract the attention of passers-by who are otherwise aimlessly wondering the retail arcades looking for gift ideas.

Encouraging interactivity

The next idea is the use of touch screen information kiosks in your store.

You will have seen various types of computer information kiosks before. The actual kiosk units are often a flat touch screen computer monitor mounted on an upright stand or wall mounted. Both options are suitable for a retail showroom, though if you have a store with limited floor space, the wall mounted kiosk in an easily accessible area may be the best option for you.

Touch screen kiosks can offer customers a wide range of information including full product catalogues and product specifications, customer testimonials and they can also assist in educating customers about terminology and concepts used in your industry.

If you wish, you may also allow customers to design or modify product specifications and place orders using the kiosk. Recent trends indicate that using in store kiosks to allow customers to order products is becoming increasing popular overseas.

The kiosk is best used in a store environment to entertain customers when sales representatives are busy serving other customers or as a means of customer self-education. The benefit of the interactive nature of information kiosks is that they will often engage and amuse customers when customers otherwise may have left your store or become impatient when waiting to be served.

Personalised service

Another very simple and yet effective idea is to create personalised printed catalogues for your customers.

This idea requires some simple catalogue creation software, a computer, a printer and possibly a digital camera. Using these tools you can select specific products from your range and produce a printed personalised catalogue for a customer on demand.

For example, if a store customer was interested in three of your products, you could print a personalised catalogue for that customer featuring their preferred products. The catalogue can include pictures and specification details of the three products together with your company logo, the name of the sales representative, company contact information and ordering information.

You may already have found that customers are often overwhelmed with information when shopping. By taking this type of active step to offer extra customer service through a personalised catalogue that you will go a long way towards demonstrating your genuine interest in the customer and reinforcing your product and brand.

These three ideas are just a few examples of ways that you can gain enhanced benefits from applying simple e-business technology to basic promotional and customer service concepts.

Sharon Wild – Strategy and Marketing Director of e-Jaz
e-jaz.com.au        sharon@e-jaz.com.au