Santa Grants a Small Business Owner his Wish

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

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"So what would you like for Christmas" Santa asked business owner Bob?

Bob thought for a few seconds as he got comfortable on Santa's knee. "I would like a regular flow of high quality enquiries for my business" he said. More.....

Dr Greg Chapman is the Director of Empower Business Solutions and The Australian Business Coaching Club and is Australia's Leading Advisor on Emerging Businesses and provides Coaching and Consulting advice to Australian Small Business Owners in Marketing & Business Strategies Planning & Systems. He is also the author of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success and Price: How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales.

2012 Small Business Articles of the Year

by Dr Greg Chapman

Thank you to all the visitors to this blog in 2012 – another big year. The top three postings ranked by page visits are:

3. Managing a Star Employee with Attitude

2. Accountants- Are you a Business Advisor or Bean Counter

but with 22% more page views is:

Ad of the Year 2012

by Dr Greg Chapman

Among the most popular posts on the Australian Small Business Blog are the Ad’s of the Month. Here are the top three Ads as ranked by the number of views.

3. Eyecatching

2. Seriously

But this ad was just beaten by a handful of views by:

Small Business Best Practice Benchmarks

by Dr Greg Chapman

There have been many studies on what great businesses do differently. Each have identified a number of common benchmarks. Over the next 12 months I will review key Small Business Best Practice Benchmarks for Australian businesses. These will include Business, Financial, Marketing and Operational best practices.

Big enough to Trust

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

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When selecting a new supplier for a product or service, particularly for a more complex sale, there is always a risk that you might not get what you want. So you look for clues to give you confidence.

Who recommends them? Do they have a guarantee? What sort of after sales support will they provide? Are there independent reviews? Who else has bought from them? What is the quality, or does the low price indicate it won’t last? More.....

Dr Greg Chapman is the Director of Empower Business Solutions and The Australian Business Coaching Club and is Australia's Leading Advisor on Emerging Businesses and provides Coaching and Consulting advice to Australian Small Business Owners in Marketing & Business Strategies Planning & Systems. He is also the author of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success and Price: How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales.

Ad of the Month - Viral

by Dr Greg Chapman

What is the secret of viral advertising? How do you know what will work and what will be an embarrassing flop, or even worse, ends up as a YouTube parody meme making you a laughing stock.

Here are two answers. The first is just the latest video going viral, a cute public service announcement, and doesn't the internet love cute.

The Online Threat to Retail– How to fix it?

by Dr Greg Chapman

Australian retailers are regularly bemoaning the problems for their business created by online competition, both from here and overseas. This has driven a number of retail stores to create online channels, but their model seems to be broken. It’s like the old joke about someone being lost in the country looking for directions from a local, who replies helpfully, “If I was you, I wouldn’t be starting from here.”

Three Key Small Business Trends in 2013

by Dr Greg Chapman

In business you can never rest on your laurels. What was great yesterday, will just be ok today and not good enough tomorrow. The goal posts are continually moving, but if you are watching the posts, you can adjust to make sure your kick goes through the centre rather than ricochet from a pole. There are three key trends that will move the position of the goals posts for all small businesses next year.

Increase Your Margins with Discounts

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

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With the current economic climate, many businesses are struggling to maintain profit. It’s therefore tempting to discount prices to increase sales. Unfortunately this is a difficult path to profitability. For example, if you have a 30% margin, a 15% discount halves your gross profit, and you must double the number of sales you make just to achieve the same gross profit prior to discounting. While this is not impossible to do, with added marketing costs, it is not easy. More.....

Dr Greg Chapman is the Director of Empower Business Solutions and The Australian Business Coaching Club and is Australia's Leading Advisor on Emerging Businesses and provides Coaching and Consulting advice to Australian Small Business Owners in Marketing & Business Strategies Planning & Systems. He is also the author of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success and Price: How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales.

Married to the Business - Media Interviews

Listen to media interviews with the author of Married to the Business, Dr Greg Chapman here.

Announcing new groups for Couples in Business

Married to the Business         Couples in Business      

You can download the first three chapters of Married to the Business: Honey I love you but our business sucks here or order now at www.MarriedtotheBusiness.com.au.

The Australian Small Business Blog

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Couples in Business - Dr Greg Chapman Interview

Listen to Dr Greg Chapman, author of Married to the Business – Honey I love you but our business sucks being interviewed on 4BC by Kevin Turner

Married to the Business Book Launch

Free Event – RSVP Essential
Date: Wednesday October 31st Time: 5:30 for 6pm
Venue: Smiths Alternative Bookshop, Melbourne Building
76 Alinga Street, Canberra City 2601 (opposite the Canberra City Post Office)

Hear Peter Strong, Executive Director of the Council of Small Business Australia, launch Dr Greg Chapman’s new book:

Married to the Business – Honey I love you but our business sucks

This is what one reviewer said:

You can actually feel the raw emotion in Greg's latest book. But rather than just telling the story and leaving you to wonder what's next, Greg actually walks you through the pain, processes and delivers realistic solutions. Greg is going to reduce the workload of a lot of marriage counsellors and put a smile on many small business people's faces began. Jim Prigg Financial Services Sales Academy

RSVP here, or you can read more about about Married to the Business here

The Australian Small Business Blog

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Couples in Business - 5 Golden Rules

by Dr Greg Chapman

When a business is run by a couple in a personal relationship, there is a very different dynamic compared with other business ownership arrangements. It can be wonderful, or not so much. One business owner said to me "It helps if you are only 4 ft tall, so it all goes over your head!"

There are Five Golden Rules for Couples in Business Together.

Ad of the Month – Solving Man’s Greatest Problem

by Dr Greg Chapman

Advertising is all about presenting solutions to problems that you face. This month’s ad solves a problem which, until now, appeared insoluble. Fortunately a clever Swiss company has come up with an answer which may make the world a better place.

90% of Business Success is ......

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

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While I very much enjoy marketing, sometimes it can feel like a bit of a chore. There are things I need to do each week, each month, and at particular times of the year, but I know I need to do these things as that is what drives my business. More.....

Dr Greg Chapman is the Director of Empower Business Solutions and The Australian Business Coaching Club and is Australia's Leading Advisor on Emerging Businesses and provides Coaching and Consulting advice to Australian Small Business Owners in Marketing & Business Strategies Planning & Systems. He is also the author of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success and Price: How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales.

New Facebook powered Business Directory

Two months ago Dane Westerweller launched Mate of Mine local business directory, a new breed of classifieds, which enables users to leverage their Facebook friends for more business.

Couples in Business - Are You Arthur or Martha?

by Dr Greg Chapman

Small business owners are usually chief cooks and bottle washers. They have to be capable of doing everything while they are watching everything. It is a little easier if you have a partner in business to watch your back, but if you are in a personal relationship with your partner, roles can easily become blurred. The question is, if you are in business with your personal partner, are you Arthur or Martha?

Ad of the Month - Writing

by Dr Greg Chapman

Recently I discovered this memo from David Ogilvy, the father of advertising. It was sent to his staff in the Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency. Ogilvy was renown for his written communication skills, an art that seems to have barely survived today if we are to judge by the quality of most website content and social media postings which tend to be littered with abbreviations and misspellings and incoherent thoughts.

How Big are Small Businesses?

by Dr Greg Chapman

The official Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) definition of a small business is one with less than 20 employees which, according to their latest data, make up 96% of all businesses. Together they contribute 35% to industry GDP, so they are important.

What kind of tie to wear in the Sahara?

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

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A man lost in the desert was wandering aimlessly becoming more and more dehydrated. After crossing endless empty dunes, he sees a dark shape moving in the distance. He started shouting and running toward the speck in the distance. After a few minutes, the speck seemed to have changed its course and started moving towards him. As it came closer, he could see that it was a man in traditional Arab attire apart, from a very colourful tie, on a camel. More.....

Dr Greg Chapman is the Director of Empower Business Solutions and The Australian Business Coaching Club and is Australia's Leading Advisor on Emerging Businesses and provides Coaching and Consulting advice to Australian Small Business Owners in Marketing & Business Strategies Planning & Systems. He is also the author of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success and Price: How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales.

How much should you pay for your brand?

by Dr Greg Chapman

There is much hype talk about branding, but how much should you pay for your brand development. Below is a list of nine well known brands. See if you can guess the most expensive and the cheapest.

Ad of the Month – Counter Call to Action

by Dr Greg Chapman

This month’s award goes to a campaign by Little Caesars, a US pizza chain, built around their point of difference which is that they have all their menu cooked ready for pickup so there is no waiting. So they don’t want you to call them. It starts with a radio ad.

National Small Business Summit Address

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

Recently, Mr Tim Reed, CEO of MYOB, spoke at a dinner as part of this year’s National Small Business Summit. His theme was on the growing digital divide between big businesses and some small businesses with the majority of small businesses, who are unprepared for changes in consumer behaviour.

Couples in Business

The initial reviews are in for Dr Greg Chapman's latest book Married to the Business: Honey I love you, but our business sucks! -

"I LOVED Married to the Business"

"A compelling case study"

"This should be prescribed reading for Business Advisors"

"You can actually feel the raw emotion in Greg's latest book"

"Any couple who live and work together will relate to this book"

"Easy to read and hard to put down"

"Every business should be given a copy of your book before they start up"

"I felt as though you knew me and my problems personally"

"Very practical dossier that is relevant for any family business"

"An empathetic approach to husband/wife businesses that has never been explained before in such a consummate, easy to apply and simple to follow manner"

"Great advice on the issue of work/life balance"

"Greg is going to reduce the workload of a lot of marriage counsellors"

Announcing new groups for Couples in Business

Married to the Business         Couples in Business      

Find out more about this new book by the author of the best selling small business book “The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success”, Dr Greg Chapman, at www.MarriedtotheBusiness.com.au.

Finally a book for couples in business.

Are You Giving Your Customers Clues?

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

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A man walks into a bar and asks for a rum and coke. It comes in a tall shaped glass, with assorted fruit on the rim and umbrella and swizzle stick. “That’ll be $18,” says the barman. More.....

Dr Greg Chapman is the Director of Empower Business Solutions and The Australian Business Coaching Club and is Australia's Leading Advisor on Emerging Businesses and provides Coaching and Consulting advice to Australian Small Business Owners in Marketing & Business Strategies Planning & Systems. He is also the author of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success and Price: How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales.

Victorian Building Commission Hangs Unregistered Builder Out to Dry

                                 

The Victorian Building Commission is getting tough on unregistered builders. In the past, fines placed on unregistered builders were little more than a slap on the wrist of a few thousand dollars. Worth taking the risk if you are turning over hundreds of thousands of dollars, right? Not any more.

Married to the Business - Honey I Love You, but our Business Sucks!

"As I began 'browsing'. I became so engrossed; a couple of hours later I felt as though you knew me and my problems personally. The book is enlightening, informative and very easy to read. The style of the book is very clear and draws the honest reader in. The central characters are very engaging. They are anyone and everyone in business. I believe the true value to couples reading your book is how to keep the monster they have created growing and fed!

Your book has given me the understanding and motivation to keep going towards our dream and get help before the business swallows everything we have worked for. Thank you!

Every business should be given a copy of your book before they start up and it make mandatory that they re-read it periodically before reporting to their advisor."
Yvonne Rutherford - RD Foundations

Find out more about this new book by the author of the best selling small business book “The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success”, Dr Greg Chapman, at www.MarriedtotheBusiness.com.au.

Finally a book for couples in business.

Ad of the Month - Online for Retail

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

Online sales have been challenging retail for some time but one retailer has fought back using social media to engage and connect buyers to their store.

Small Business Answers: What are the best ways to increase staff productivity?

Dr Greg Chapman answers the question often posed by small business owners:


In small business it is common that poor communication and lack of controls cause inefficiencies or 30-50%. Dr Greg Chapman explains how small business owners should address their staff productivity issues.

Making Your Business Run Without You

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

Imagine for a minute. You are on a tropical island, laying by a pool on a banana lounge. Your biggest concern right now is whether you will have another swim, or order another drink. Your mobile trilling the James Bond theme interrupts your resolution of this most vexing issue, and you see you have just received a text.

Increasing Prices in a Difficult Market

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

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It seems there is never a good time to increase your prices, even if your costs have gone up. So it is interesting to see how it is done in one of the most competitive industries around. More.....

Dr Greg Chapman is the Director of Empower Business Solutions and The Australian Business Coaching Club and is Australia's Leading Advisor on Emerging Businesses and provides Coaching and Consulting advice to Australian Small Business Owners in Marketing & Business Strategies Planning & Systems. He is also the author of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success and Price: How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales.

Small Business Answers - What are the best business strategies?

Dr Greg Chapman answers the question often posed by small business owners:


What are the best business strategies?

Business Makeover – A Case Study

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

While not a small business, it is interesting to see what Fairfax is doing about its newspaper business. Back in the 90’s, they still talked about the classifieds as rivers of gold for the Age and Sydney Morning Herald. With the internet and sites like Seek for jobs, car sales and real estate websites, these revenue streams have all but disappeared.

Married to the Business

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

I am currently undertaking research for my next book about couples in a personal relationship operating a business together. If that is you, I would love to hear about your experiences. There is also a modest thank you gift for completing the survey. The survey is completely anonymous. You can take the survey here.

Married to the Business is a series of posts about a couple who together run a building business. (See earlier posts here.)

May Your Business this Year be - As You Plan It.

Over to You. What do You Think? Post Your Comments Below.

Dr Greg Chapman is the Director of Empower Business Solutions and The Australian Business Coaching Club and is Australia's Leading Advisor on Emerging Businesses and provides Coaching and Consulting advice to Australian Small Business Owners in Marketing & Business Strategies Planning & Systems. He is also the author of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success and Price: How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales.

Married to the Business

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Ad of the Month - Bookmarking

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

When you are visiting a media website, do you get annoyed by the ads that pop up and cover the whole screen. Almost everyone closes them, although some inadvertently click on them because they can’t find the close link and are taken to a page they didn’t want to go to. So the advertiser is paying for clicks from hostile visitors. That doesn’t seem a great strategy to me.

No-one Ever Got Fired for Choosing IBM

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

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Have you ever offered your services to a large business who decided that it was safer to choose a larger supplier to provide the service, possibly the elephant in your industry, even though their prices were higher? More.....

Dr Greg Chapman is the Director of Empower Business Solutions and The Australian Business Coaching Club and is Australia's Leading Advisor on Emerging Businesses and provides Coaching and Consulting advice to Australian Small Business Owners in Marketing & Business Strategies Planning & Systems. He is also the author of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success and Price: How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales.

Married to the Business – Who’s the Boss?

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

Married to the Business is a series of posts about a couple who together run a building business. Mike is the builder and Lyn runs the office. (See earlier posts here.)

Up till now, Lyn had just ran the office. She would pay the accounts and issue invoices and pay the staff. She would balance the books and manage most the other office paperwork.

Mike met the clients, did the quotes, organised the onsite staff and contractors, co-ordinated the suppliers and oversaw the works. Almost none of this could be managed by Lyn as she did not have the technical background, but even she could see that things never seemed to go to plan. There was a lot of wasted time and fixing of mistakes, which Lyn believed should never have occurred.

Small Business Answers - How much money should my business be making?

Dr Greg Chapman answers the question often posed by small business owners:


How much should my business earn to be financially viable?

Increasing Prices Without Losing Clients

An interview with Dr Greg Chapman by the Sydney Morning Herald

SMH: What are the key considerations when businesses set prices?

Ad of the Month - Used Car

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

Last month their was a terrifically well written ad for a used car on Gumtree. Unfortunately it was a heavily plagiarised copy of an original ad that shot to fame on Craigslist a few years ago.

In the same way that Porsche likes to associate its buyers with a particularly desirable stereotype in its target market, this ad does so in its. It is just a little less subtle! Magnificent copywriting.

Accountants Are You a Business Advisor or Bean Counter?

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

[This article was originally published in National Accountant Magazine]

Almost every small business owner has an accountant but how many actually use their accountant as the primary source of (non-tax) business advice? When an owner first starts their business, they are usually very dependent on their accountant for advice. They are seen as knowledgeable, independent – someone they can trust. They help them set-up the business, suggest the right structure and who can help them do the many things a new business owner must do.

However, this dependence does not last.

Google vs Facebook

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

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With the advent of Google+ evidently Google sees Facebook as its biggest threat, but is it? Certainly Yahoo, Bing and MSN are almost nowhere to be seen in the English speaking world (although Yahoo is big in Japan and Badu in China).

While Facebook has now overtaken Google in terms of Page Visits in the US, in terms of revenue it is still less than 10% of Google’s. One key reason for this is that advertising on Facebook is more problematic.
More.....

Dr Greg Chapman is the Director of Empower Business Solutions and The Australian Business Coaching Club and is Australia's Leading Advisor on Emerging Businesses and provides Coaching and Consulting advice to Australian Small Business Owners in Marketing & Business Strategies Planning & Systems. He is also the author of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success and Price: How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales.

Married to the Business - Priorities

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

Married to the Business is a series of posts about a couple who together run a building business. Mike is the builder and Lyn runs the office. (See earlier posts here.)

Mike is always busy, with clients calling him all the time about changes, things that need to be fixed or just progress updates. Inevitably this means that what he plans to do each day and each week get delayed. Mike will often finish a day tired, but feeling he has not achieved anything.

The first thing their new business advisor did was to review their Profit and Loss statement, which at first glance showed a healthy turnover, but on closer inspection revealed hidden cross subsidies in their business.

Builders – Survive the Building Downturn

                                 

With the regular reports of a decline in the building industry builders are starting to feel the pinch and clients are becoming more demanding. This has forced many builders to cut their margins just to keep their team together and stay busy.

If things were not tough enough, the reputation of the industry is also being negatively affected due to a few unscrupulous builders, and the patchwork enforcement of claims by the regulator. This makes clients even more fussy about who they deal with.

Ad of the Month - Do you want Technology with your Pizza?

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

My son who has long since left the comfort of the nest, often recommends ads for these posts, and I have in the past used some of the ads he recommends. This is one that I think says a lot about him- he loves both technology and pizza! (I don’t know where he gets it from – it must be from his mother.)

Managing a Star Employee with an Attitude

by Dr Greg Chapman, MBA

In any business there are 4 types of employees. If you understand these types and their key attributes, how you manage them becomes much easier.