Does this get easier ?? I’m the first to admit that in the past 20 years that I have been running my own business I have thought to myself (and on more than one occasion 😁): “Does this ...
What next for Birkenstock shoes? Birkenstock, the 250 year old German sandal company once associated with Steve Jobs and Hippies who make their own yogurt raised $1.48 billion in an initial public ...
Outstanding Gift Vouchers When a new client started working with me recently we first took a look at a review of the business financials and we uncovered a significant amount of outstanding gift ...
Katrina Foe from Nutritional Pilates invited me to run a session for her clients: 5 Steps to build your Pilates Business Plan You can watch the session: No matter what business you are in, you ...
Money 911 with Kris Miller: I was invited me to be a guest on Money 911 show This is such an honour as this is an amazing Money 911 Show You can watch us click here We discussed why it is so important...
Book review: Let’s Get Physical; How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World by Danielle Friedman I’m not sure who recommended this book to me and I wish I could remember so I could ...
When it comes to finding ways to protect or increase your revenue and therefore you income there is a vital question to ask: To take deposits or not to take deposits in your business? This is a hot ...
“You need a coach” she said “they’ll keep you on track” “A coach? Really?” he quizzed “Yep! You’re all on your own in that business of yours. You won’t even BE in business ...
The Secret of The Five Percent: A Harvard study found that a five per cent improvement in customer retention can lead to up to an 85 per cent increase in profits. This proves that the relationship you...
When is the last time you felt you did something brave? Was it this morning? Maybe it was yesterday? Do you think of yourself as brave? Maybe when you think about “being brave” you think of ...
As business owners we need to be alert to the threat of Business Email Compromise (BEC) and not just here in Australia What is BEC – Business Email Compromise? BEC is a fraud technique used ...
When it comes to your business – are your business accounts correct? If you do the accounts yourself, who checks them? If you have a bookkeeper, how would you know if they are correct? How much ...
I was stuck – procrastinating! It’s been a while between Money Matters newsletters … and podcasts and blog posts and social media posts …. I’ve been procrastinating ...
Empathy is nice and encouragement is better Self-doubt creeps up when we least expect it and even those who can see it coming, can be side swiped by all the feelings associated with self-doubt ...
How to raise your profile with a podcast. People often ask me about podcasts and especially because mine has been running continuously for more than 5 years. People want to know how I get started ...
What numbers are important to pay attention to when it comes to your business financials? Has this ever happened to you? Do you ever look at the financial reports for your business and wonder what you...
In this podcast with Michael Jay we discuss how and why finance is way easier than anatomy – if you understand the body, then finance is a breeze! Michael Jay is Yoga Biz Camp and every day he ...
Here’s what I learned about business from counting corals and clams on the Great Barrier Reef. It’s funny how things come about, how opportunities present themselves. Are you the sort of ...
Do You Have a Business Hero? When it comes to seeking inspiration? What keeps you going? Do you have a business hero to keep you inspired? Maybe you are like me and have a few different ...
I’m currently reading Atomic Habits by James Clear and hands down this is one of the best self-improvement books I have read for quite a while – and I read a lot!! There are a lot of really...
Geeta runs a multi-million dollar business and is the host of her podcast Activate Yourself. She asked me onto her show because she is as passionate about women understanding about money as I am. ...
Every day I read for about an hour in the afternoon. It’s my end of work day routine. One of the books I dip in and out of is the biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson you know the ...
When you read this word “entitlement” What springs to mind? What are your first thoughts? In many ways we have come to see “entitlement” with mostly negative ...
It takes courage to run a business of your own. How do we develop the courage to be brave in our small business? Where does that courage come from? Up until last week I’d always thought of ...
When it comes to running your small business how much financial autonomy do you really have? THE PROBLEM In Australia we call them “the backbone” and in the US they are “the lifeblood.” ...
When it comes to client referrals, is this you: “I know it’s important and I just don’t know how to get my clients to refer others to my business??” As you know, I always say that data ...
Now is the time for making friends with fear. Fear holds many people back from truly making their impact in the world, from being more true to who they want to be, who they are meant to be. Confidence...
Let me introduce Margaret Douglas … I recently listened to a fascinating podcast interview and I wanted to tell you about it. If you want to jump straight to the interview, you can listen in: ...
Are you ready to – finally Figure out your Business Financials? The number 1 reason I started my business was to teach business owners about Financial Literacy and numeracy – the Business ...
Let’s face it, you know you went into business in the first place to make money and you want to pay yourself in your business. We all have this desire to change the world and make a difference ...
Do you want to know how to charge a premium? You can charge a premium when you know how to answer: “What’s your difference …” The one question I am asked over and over from ...
You started your business to: make a difference in the world create generational change achieve financial and lifestyle freedom You’re on the path and at the same time things are not moving as ...
How is life with you this week? Are you ready for some unsolicited advice? Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about the Jim Rohn quote “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the ...
Recently there was a post on a local community FB Group and it was someone asking if they ought to report a local cafe for breaching covid health regulations. It really upset me because my sense is ...
Mums know about marketing! Hello , how is life in your part of the world? Thanks everyone for positive feedback on my “In Between episodes” on my podcast. They’ll be continuing ...
It’s always wonderful to have the chance to talk about financial independence for women through growing and building a business More businesses are created by women today than by men. Many women...
How are you going in your part of this strange covid-19 world? We’ve certainly seen a new level of uncertainty here in Australia in recent days. If you are feeling a bit “worn down by it ...
How has your week been? How are things going in your part of this strange covid-19 world – please click reply, I’d love to hear from you We’re doing OK here. I’m still choosing to be ...
Every day I’m having conversations with people about what’s happening in their world, in their business, in their families. Maybe you are as well? Our experiences are all different and yet at the ...
I’m often asked “What does it take to write a blog? to write an e-news?” Writing a blog led to starting a business You may remember I recently interviewed Delia Folk for my podcast ...
How to start a studio: Sarah Bartholomeusz & I teamed up recently to run this webinar: I want to start my own Practice, my own studio - am I crazy? The book "So You want to Start a Business" is ...
Here is a testimonial from one of my lovely clients, Anne: To find out how you can have the same support and encouragement Anne speaks about here join Thrive: Your Business Training and Coaching ...
Here is a testimonial from one of my wonderful clients, Michelle: To find out how you can have the same business training and coaching Michelle speaks about here join Thrive: Your Business Training ...
Here is a testimonial from my wonderful client, Raechelle Bidesi: To find out how you can have the same business training and coaching Raechelle speaks about here join Thrive: Your Business Training ...
Here is a testimonial from my wonderful client, Alicia: To find out how you can have the same business training and coaching Alicia speaks about here join Thrive: Your Business Training and Coaching ...
Here is a testimonial from my wonderful client, Fiona: To find out how you can have the same business training and coaching Fiona speaks about here join Thrive: Your Business Training and Coaching ...
What would it mean to you to rebuild your beautiful studio business? To find out more about Thrive: Your Business Training and Coaching Program and book your spot click here If you want to book a one ...
Here is a testimonial from my wonderful client, Faye Dabrowski who offers Bowen Therapy for dogs (and some cats): To find out how you can have the same business training and coaching Faye D speaks ...
The note to The Timbuktu Café says: “Hello Pierre, Because we have an income less than $80,000 per year we qualify for the Commonwealth Seniors healthcare card and as such have just received $750 ...
The Summer Day by Mary Oliver is one of my favourite poems. I love her question “Who made the grasshopper?” and then I love more the way she goes on to describe the grasshopper. And of ...
If I were to ask you right now: why are you in business? or why do you want to start a business? I know many of you will answer “to make a difference.” (I know being your own boss is ...
How are things going with you? If you are reading this now, I truly thank you! I know what it’s like to have a lot of people shouting at me and telling me “what I have to do right now to beat ...
The move from in studio experience to online for Pilates, yoga, fitness and PT small businesses across Australia At this point in time every business across the globe has been affected by C-19. For ...
I’ve been feeling conflicted and wondered if you might feel similar? Right now and during this strange COVID time, almost everyone is on overdrive, as many others jump in to offer support wherever ...
You’ve been forced to close your Pilates Studio due to covid 19. Your most valuable asset right now are your clients. How do you best take care of them? There is so much fear right now because ...
How would you spend $100 to market your business? Late last year I was invited to be on a panel event with MindBody here in Sydney and one of the other panelists was Richard Toutounji from ...
The unexpected – are you prepared? These boots belong to Carl Oberg who is a volunteer firefighter and shows the soles of his boots melted from the heat. Each and every one of us is so ...
How much is your true value worth? I was listening to an interview with Alan Joyce, CEO of Qantas Airlines and mostly it was about the environmental initiatives the airline had announced. The reporter...
How to choose your email list; which one is right for you? Every week someone asks me about email lists. Most people ask the same 2 questions: * Do I need an email list? * Which is the best one...
How well do you really know yourself? The Johari Window can help! Does this ever happen to you? You hear it once and then it comes up a few more times. Random!! This past week “Johari ...
It’s International Podcast Day Did you know that today (Monday 30th) is International Podcast Day? It’s a worldwide day to celebrate the power of podcasts and an opportunity to spread ...
“Is it really that simple?“ asked Caroline We were working through her financials and figuring out just how much her business was really making and calculating how much money she needed ...
Running a business takes courage, resilience, persistence and much more. Running a business requires us to be brave. A recent article on this blog attracted a lot of comments: “Why can’t ...
Last Thursday I had a coaching session with a woman I have known for many years. Kate* is super smart and is returning to running her business after a few years living overseas and starting her ...
Matilda is a self-confessed “health shopper.” She’s a friend of mine and recently started telling me about her interactions with various health professionals. “When my work schedule changes I ...
When was the last time every hair on your arms stood up? … full on goose bumps!? I recently interviewed Chris Spurvey for my podcast. A really lovely man who lives in the most eastern point in ...
I’m not a bad person. I try to take care of myself and my family and my cats. Sometimes I wish you’d just phone me.☎️ My Vet sends me a beautiful letter for each of my 3 cats “Mischa is due ...
Recently we looked at FOBO: Fear of Better Options and the way FOBO is holding some of us back from making decisions – in business and personally. If you didn’t have the chance to read it ...
I have a huge confession to make – there are some occasions when I am so indecisive that I almost get nothing done! Decision paralysis! “No way!” I hear you say. “That ...
So many clients ask me about leases and the pros and cons of signing a commercial lease. Of course it applies to pretty much any cost/ expense in the business – what does it take to pay for it? ...
Some days it is really tough to be in business. Can you believe we are already 4 weeks into the new year!? My goodness. January has gone by so quickly, hasn’t it? We have 11 months of 2019 to ...
Welcome back for 2019. We’re back after being unplugged for a couple of weeks. The weather was so lovely in Sydney, we managed to get to the beach pretty much every day. I just had to try to ...
Nick Cave is a cult legend and is currently touring Australia “In Conversation” – an evening combining conversation as he answers audience questions, interspersed with his playing piano and ...
How are things going in your part of the world? We’re heading into summer here in Sydney as the rest of the northern word heads into winter, I’ve just had my birthday and that it’s ...
Recently we featured a podcast interview with Kayla Houlihan to coincide with the first birthday of Tribe skincare. Kayla has created a pretty fantastic business and recently posted her success to a ...
In a recent email newsletter I answered a question about how to follow-up clients, it seems this is a key project for so many readers as you find the best (and the most comfortable) way to follow up ...
This week I received a terrific question from a student who was doing my So You Want to Start a Pilates Business online program. I thought others might benefit from my response because everyone has ...
The fastest hour you can imagine was the hour spent with the fabulous Michelle Obama at the recent USA Mind Body Conference. More than 2 000 people sat spellbound as Michelle did what she does best ...
I’ve been a huge fan of Scott Pape since I first met him about 5 years ago. There’ a good reason that “The Barefoot Investor” has sold more than 1.3 million copies here in ...
In 2018 I was invited to speak at the BOLD MINDBODY conference – sharing the same stage as Keynote Speakers Michelle Obama and Billie Jean King. Not at the exact same time 🙂 just the same ...
2020 is closer than you think! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you know that we’re working towards “2020 Goals”. It’s August already, and 2020 is just 17 ...
This week we launched the first of our Live Q&A sessions and named it “Virtual Business Shower” You’ve heard of Baby Showers and Wedding Showers …. well this is a Business ...
Years ago when I first started working in the coffee industry I remember asking the owner of the business “What do you think about Starbucks coming to Australia?” For many people reading ...
Thank you to Luis Congdon and Kamala Chambers from Thriving Launch Podcast for the following: You can listen to the episode right here: When starting a new business, there are lots of things you have ...
Have you ever attended a seminar or a conference and in the first hour you feel like you’ve already learned enough to make the whole day worthwhile? That was me last week. Despite the pouring ...
Saturday morning is one of my favourite times of the week. We head to Bondi, have coffee and toast at the wonderful Crabbe Hole Cafe and take the Coastal walk and blow away the dramas of the week. One...
Do you have a separate business bank account and/ or credit card? How do you keep all the expenses for your business separate from your personal expenses? I highly recommend that as standard practice ...
How many passwords do you have? Maybe you have 20? Or maybe you just have 3 passwords? … or do you have the same one password for everything!! If I had my way everything would be eye ball ...
When Flying Solo asked me to talk about Build A stronger, healthier yoga, pilates or PT business I jumped at the chance In this conversation with Robert Gerrish we dive into the nitty gritty of what ...
A while ago LinkedIn had a #ThankYouMentor campaign and this is what I wrote…. I love numbers. When I was at high school I thought I might be a Maths teacher. We had great maths teachers at my ...
text by Clint Caward Recently I read the following article in my local Neighbourhood newspaper and I wanted to share it with you for a few reasons. Firstly because it’s a heart warming ...
My article about how to start a Pilates Business featured in Australian Fitness Network magazine summer edition 2018. It tells the story of Karly who has recently qualified as a Pilates instructor and...
I’ve just come back from an awesome 2 day conference in Brisbane called “We are Podcast”, otherwise known as ‘WAP’. A good friend told me if I do one professional development activity this...
And I think it’s gonna be a long long time ‘Till touch down brings me round again to find I’m not the man they think I am at home Oh no no no I’m a rocket man… Last Thursday ...
Are you a podcast nerd? If you are, you are in good company. It’s no surprise that podcast consumption is growing, and at a rapid rate. Data released earlier this year in the USA said Americans ...
Before we talk about where to find free stock photos, did you know that the human brain processes images at an alarming speed? When we see a picture, we analyse it within a very short snippet of ...
Karen decides to run a marathon. She has chatted to her work colleagues and they’re all going to do it together. They’ve signed up for an online program and will train during their lunch ...
Last week I was in Melbourne for a 2 day workshop and had a “free day” on Saturday. What to do? A friend insisted the Christian Dior exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria was a “must ...
Suncorp recently produced a report on the state of business as being experienced by SMEs in Australia right now and quite frankly some of the statistics are pretty scary. It states that 25% of ...
Is it just me? OR has Facebook become so SATURATED with ads and clutter so it’s increasingly difficult to see the posts that I actually want to see. Honestly, if I see one more post telling me I...
Fiona* is one of my long term clients and here she is telling me “There is NO WAY that I’m attending your webinar.” “Why would you not come to my webinar?” I asked “I don’t want anyone ...
Has this ever happened to you? You receive an email to download a report, you click the link, it opens a new window and a completely blank screen appears and says: “Plugin blocked”. ...
“We don’t just learn by doing, we also learn by reflecting on what we’ve done.” How true. This blog, I’d like to talk briefly about ‘taking stock’. July is the start of a new ...
Recently I was fortunate enough to be in the presence of Peter Singer. Peter Singer is a philosopher, and is in Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world. He is also, I ...
Has this ever happened to you? You get the same message about 3 or 4 times from completely different people? One person says it and then you are reading an article and there is that same message, and ...
Elon Musk is going to take people to Mars. He has designed a rocket that can go into space and land exactly where it is supposed to, the same way a commercial planes does. The landing pad for a rocket...
So, when things go wrong, like a negative online review, how do we usually respond? How long does that response last? And what are the things we can do to lessen the impact when things don’t go the ...
…..without tearing your hair out or losing (too much) sleep! Recently one of the members of a FB group I belong to posted that she was extremely upset by a very negative review of their bespoke...
……and the flipside. I was working with a new client recently and after a few weeks he said to me “You know what Ingrid, I think I won’t actually start my own business.” I have to say...
They are not a bank – so stop treating them as if they are! There’s been a lot of talk recently about the challenges SMEs (small and medium enterprises) face regarding cash flow. The Australian ...
This week I was reading about Campaign Monitor CEO, Alex Bard. I have long been a fan of Campaign Monitor (which powers this newsletter) because the company was started in the Sutherland Shire by...
No-one told you it would be like this. You’re getting started in your own business and things are turning out a bit different to your expectations. Here are the 5 things no-one tells you when ...
Some of you emailed me to say it had really set you thinking about how to make it easier for your clients to work with you…. and that made you realise it’s not that straight forward or ...
Most years on or close to 8 March I host an International Women’s Day dinner. I invite each guest to please bring with them 2 other women. The first is a woman they invite to come along. The...
Guy Kawasaki spoke at the Lean StartUp Week in San Francisco last November in a talk entitled “The Lessons of Steve Jobs”. Guy is currently the Chief Evangelist for online graphic design software ...
I was listening to a social media expert this week and they were saying that “everyone is now looking to social* for their information, people are moving away from the long time media channels for ...
Jon Hamm is the GQ Man of the Decade and deservedly so. Recently in Sydney for the GQ Man of the Year awards he was asked* “what advice do you have for the men who are not at the event …. to be ...
Understanding Tax and the tax system is one of the essentials for every small business. Of course the tax system is complex and it’s constantly changing which makes it very difficult to keep ...
“You don’t look anything like that!” says Kate* I think to myself “That’s my favourite photo of me…..” Then some one else says “I can remember when Ingrid used to look like that.” ...
Here are 5 different ways to grow your business. Reality is you only need the first one. Before I get started I just want to let you know that “cutting costs” is never one of the ways to Grow your...
One of the most useful tools any business can implement is a dashboard that measures the important metrics in the business. Implementing a Dashboard and tracking key measures is a pathway to business ...
It’s always gratifying when a client talks about the benefits of my coaching … Here is Alastair Fung and Jessica Chua when they were recognised as Practice of the Month by Prime Practice ...
I was talking with one of my clients this week and looking at his ##Numbers; his projected income, expenses and profit for the next 12 months. His ##Numbers are Looking Good!! and revenue and profit ...
I recently received an email in a sequence with 5 others from the same business ….. all of them exactly the same. Hey there {First name}, This disappoints me on so many levels. Mostly this ...
Last month I was invited to an event where Jessica Watson was speaking and while I was only vaguely interested in the overall topic of the day, I was super keen to Meet Jessica. She truly is an ...
Last week I had breakfast with Naomi Simpson, CEO and Founder of Red Balloon and Shark Tank panelist. Of course it wasn’t just me, there were probably a thousand people in the room. Naomi started...
I was having a glass of wine with a friend recently and she said, “Impostor Syndrome is the domain of the high achiever. Those who set the bar low are rarely its victim.” We were ...
Sunrise is one of my favourite times of day and in the Maldives the pre-dawn night sky is dark and filled with stars. Living in Sydney means I hardly ever see more than just the very brightest stars ...
Isn’t this one of your absolute favourite questions? It comes up of and over: how to respond to that sticky question: “How much will it cost?” or “How much do you ...
At a recent podiatrist appointment I was told it’s not a good idea to have nail polish on all the time, she said “Nails need to breath.” Fast forward 2 weeks and having admired the colour of a ...
Deciding to create a business is making up your mind to start on a journey; an exciting and unpredictable journey. This journey can be a really long journey, and for some might be a bit lonely ...
Years ago I overheard one of my clients talking to an aspiring employee. The person was a visitor to their office where there was a really stylish white leather couch and the visitor said “How do I ...
Do you have a Dream for your own business? Next steps? Listen to the So You Want to Start a Business Podcast – click here Read the So You Want to Start a Business book – click here ...
“What do you think about Starbucks coming to Sydney?” It was in the late 1990s and Starbucks had announced they would open their first store in Sydney in mid-2000. I’d been buying my coffee ...
It was 4:30 on a Saturday morning and Stacey jumped out of bed with an enthusiasm that surprised even herself. This morning she was heading to the Blue Mountains to capture the sunrise with her new ...
I coach Business StartUps all over the world on how to take their Business Dream into a profitable company; their DreamUp into a viable Business StartUp. We work through dozens, make that hundreds of ...
Over the past few years I have become a real fan of something called Appreciative Inquiry and I like to mix some AI questions in with my other coaching questions. “Appreciative Inquiry is about...
When I first started my own business I loved being able to have a coffee chat with my fellow business startups. There were a few of us who were trying to kick start our own business around about the ...
This week the media has had a great time with Atlassian reach a market value of $8b with a 32% share price surge on the first day of trading on Nasdaq. Calling it an “over night” success...
Last Saturday morning, I was listening to one of my favourite radio shows of the week and my ears pricked up at this story for 2 reasons; I love pears AND this is such a SMART idea: 80% of pears ...
Today I want to tell you about a new client who recently contacted me. Her name is Karen (obviously not her real name) and she left her Corporate role a couple of years ago to start her own yoga ...
Unlike many entrepreneurs, Cindy Luken doesn’t have much space for romanticism in her business: “Basically, I stated this business [lük beautifood] because I wanted another business and I thought...
There are a thousand things that we do every day to keep our business ticking along. I have found over time that when I include these 5 Key Things in my day that I personally feel better, my business ...
I was travelling last week and being on a plane is a great chance to catch up on some of my favourite Podcasts. One that has really got me thinking is a discussion between Brian Clark and Seth Godin ...
At the age of 9 Chris Hadfield watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon and at that moment decided that he would go to space. Have you ever thought about going to space? I have to admit I certainly ...
You enroll in a course that helps you do your job better – can you claim a tax deduction for the course fees? Yes You enroll in a course that is for a new career – can you claim a tax deduction? ...
Englishman James Bowen had an unsettled upbringing. While in school, he was sniffing glue and eventually was diagnosed with ADHD, schizophrenia and manic depression.After living in Australia for a ...
I have watched Simon Sinek’s TED talk many times, in fact so many times I can recite parts of it by heart. The TED talk: “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” explains the Golden Circle of ...
Do I have to keep formal financial records? Great question, asked by Rachael, thank you. As you know in my work with Business StartUps; people who are starting their own business or thinking about ...
Cancel it? I seriously doubt she had even started making my coffee, which is exactly why I was cancelling it. It’s Monday morning and we’ve just ordered coffees at one of our favourite early ...
For all the parents out there!Have you ever realized that children are like dogs – loyal and affectionate, but teenagers are like cats…?It’s so easy to be a dog owner.You feed it, ...
There are so any opportunities in business to be completely different to everyone else in your field, in your profession, in your line of business. For years I have worked with people in business and ...
This story takes place in the 1890’s. I asked a friend of mine who grew up in Philadelphia if it might be true “I see no reason not to believe it.” A sobbing little girl stood near a ...
Imagine all your ideal clients all around the world, they are dying from their problem, they are literally dying from their problem. I put it to you that 97% of your ideal clients are not looking for ...
Sydney is well known for it’s stunning beaches: there’s the iconic Bondi, popular Manly Beach and many lesser known beaches close to the city. Maroubra Beach is lesser known and is a little south ...
For the passionate entrepreneur, there are some who say that a business is like a baby (I’m not one): you nurture a new being into existence, watch it grow and protect it. Proud and fiercely ...
You have an idea to start your own business and you are so excited to get going. Knowing the mistakes to avoid when starting a business will save you time and money. Plus avoiding the mistakes will ...
I love this story because I meet people like this all the time: An investment banker was on the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. His boat was full of ...
Being a StartUp is risky and most fail. Really. Truly. Most StartUps Fail. And these are the ones that actually Start. Many potential StartUps don’t even try because the risk is too high and most ...
I believe that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. that you can keep going, long after you think you can’t. that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how ...
I was fortunate enough recently to hear Tom O’Toole’s presentation. He is famous for a few things and one of my personal favourites is his response to the following “Why would you spend all that...
You enroll in a course that helps you do your job better – can you claim tax deductions for the course fees and costs? Yes You enroll in a course that is for a new career – can you claim tax ...
You’d think that opening a café overlooking the famous Bondi Beach would guarantee success. Add to that the name of a highly rating tv show and when Bondi Rescue HQ opened at the height of summer ...
“I need more sleep” Have you ever heard yourself say you need more sleep? How can you function during the day if you don’t have enough sleep? There are some people who can function ...
Karen* had had enough and she was ready to resign; “Right Now! I’m out of here” and she did. I remember the day so clearly. Karen and I were working together in the same department of large ...
You either like them or you don’t. Would you pay extra for a bag with just black jelly beans? I would and a friend of mine said “I’d pay more to have a bag without black jelly beans”. Clearly ...
A friend recommended I read “The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for weird people” by Chris Brogan and I am finding it very interesting. One of the parts I thought you might like...
Suzanne writes in her latest newsletter: “If I choose a name, can I just use it without trademark registration? What happens if I don’t register my brand as a trademark? These questions have a...
Meet Jade*, one of my most recent clients. This is Jade’s story: It may sound ridiculous, but I didn’t realise I was running a business. I like to write, penning the odd article for people who ...
Kate* said “It was like a punch in the guts, after all I’ve done, how could he think it’s OK to say that to me, to say it to any of us?” Kate is not alone. She works in a dynamic project team ...
Partnerships are a critical part of business. Nothing can be achieved in isolation. With the right partners a business can grow far beyond what it is possible to achieve on their own. You don’t ...
Ask Chunky Dave why he started his business and you will be greeted with a smile, a deep breath, and an unexpected tale of healthy eating and label-reading that culminates, rather remarkable, in a ...
A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless ...
I’m not a parent and this is not a comment on parenting. It is a comment on running a viable and sustainable business and the importance of product/ market fit Every Tuesday morning I go to an early...
I truly love working with Startups. People who are passionate about starting a business and creating a life for themselves. The Lawyer who dreams of running a yoga studio. The policewoman who plans to...
I really love to travel, and I have the impression most people do too. I especially enjoy the US & for many reasons. I really love the approach in the US to customer service; Real Professional ...
You may know me.I am your constant companion.I am your greatest helper; and I am your heaviest burden.I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.I am at your command.Half of the tasks ...
When I talk to my clients about reducing errors, mistakes and ultimately reducing rework they often say that if the work was checked more often there would be less mistakes. This in fact is not true. ...
When I think of Seven Eleven I think of the 24 hour Convenience Store. Recently a friend was telling me about their theory that customers need 7 hours or 11 touch points in order to develop a ...
Almost every week I am asked “Do I need an Accountant or a Bookkeeper?” Often I say “You need both” and here is why. Operating a business requires having a well-organized ...
“I just want to have Passive Income” If I hear one more person say this I think I am going to scream! Honestly, there is No Such Thing as Passive Income Money does not gush out of a tap, ...
Every day Startups ask these common GST questions because they know they want to get it right. In 2000 GST was introduced into Australia. For the past 7 years I have been working with Small Business ...
Rarely do I wish I was a man. Last week Mark Zuckerberg gave his first ever live Q&A and while he was asked really interesting questions about FB and diversity and especially about their computer ...
Do you wonder what is the role of an accountant? Like most every professions there are the accountants you want “on your team” and there are “the rest” I was recently at a ...
Last week my nephew came to stay for a few days. He’s 6 and the last thing his dad said was “Remember son, no rude words while you’re with your Auntie Ingrid” He’s a boy and he’s 6 and he ...
What is a small business benchmark? Small business benchmarks are developed by the ATO. They are financial ratios developed from information provided by businesses on their tax returns and activity ...
I am regularly asked how to deal with emails and every day some one tells me that they have too many emails in their Inbox. One of the very best ways to deal with emails is to become very good ...
What is a Startup? I’ve just watched the recently launched “That Startup Show” Episode 1. I highly recommend you make a pot of T and settle in for an entertaining and instructive hour dedicated...
Time is one of the most important assets you have. Time is not the same as money. Despite the truism “time is money” the reality is that no matter how much money you have you cannot “buy time”...
I really love Wednesday mornings. I go to our local gym for an early morning yoga class (and a swim, if I have the time). This week a notice right beside the water fountain caught my attention ...
I was walking past a cafe in North Sydney this morning & I heard the Barista telling all the people waiting for their coffees “…of course it’s wrong. They never get it right. If ...
There is a chapter in my book that is called “Lessons learned from the Nay Sayers” Over time I’ve learned that there are actually two types of Nay Sayer and I’ve learned: ...
Coulda Shoulda Woulda The number of times I have heard someone saying “I shoulda done ….” They say, “I shoulda spent more time on preparing my presentation.” Many times I hear, “I coulda...
Be Kind Every day I receive a Positive Daily Inspiration and this morning I received this and thought I’d share it here: A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign ...
While the concept to pay yourself first seems straightforward, putting it into practice may not be that easy – at first. The premise is simply this, each time you are paid, pay yourself first. In ...
Have you heard the Jim Rohn quote “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” We are told to choose our friends wisely because we will be known ‘by the company we...
“That was like being in an episode of Portlandia” We were at the markets and I was buying free range eggs. “Where do these eggs come from?” I asked. “Near Albury” ...
Health Check Tuesday; the Numbers that matter Men’s Health Week has just been and has drawn attention to some rather disturbing information regarding men’s health in Australia 5 Australian men ...
I have just returned from a quick trip to Melbourne for a Sales Training Day, which was Fabulous – more later. I truly love flying and for a couple of reasons. I always feel excited at the ...
Celebrating the win. These fireworks were exploding over Sydney Harbour one night last week just as we walked out of the Concert Hall at the Opera House. This was the same night as the State of Origin...
For many years I have been a fan of the Lean StartUp Movement In simple terms it is: create a prototype and get it out there so clients and customers can start using it. “Launch, Learn and ...
I was reading the newsletter from an amazing organisation called “Fitted for Work”. Part of their mission is to “help women gain the self-esteem and confidence to secure their goal ...
One of the things I love about having a business named Healthy Numbers is that I can include all kinds of interesting information in my Health Check Tuesday segment and it still relates to Healthy ...
A friend of mine is setting up a series of yoga/ surf/ healthy lifestyle retreats and he was running a Pilot/ Trial so I spent the weekend in North NSW doing yoga and learning to surf and I am still ...
Yesterday I was working with a new client looking at Cash Flow in her business. As we were working through the Numbers, Sarah (not her real name) realised that she doesn’t know how much it ...
“It’s only 3 kilos, that’s nothing!” he said to me … what did he know? A strange and interesting thing happened to me last week. Some Wednesdays, I work with a corporate client and ...
Have you read The Hoopla? Started by Wendy Harmer and Jane Waterhouse, The Hoopla is an “online magazine” as described by Wendy Harmer at the Sydney Writers’ Festival last year ...
Where’s the bank account details? And other minor crimes! I received a call from a supplier saying “just a gentle reminder, this tax invoice remains unpaid”. This was surprising to me as I pride...
People say the funniest things. My partner’s niece has decided to study to be a teacher. She had thought about having a “gap year” because she wasn’t sure what to do and while I encouraged her...
Here is a StartUp Friday with a difference. This week has seen Fashion Week in both Melbourne and Sydney. There has been quite a lot of media coverage focusing on the absence of the “big ...
The ATO prepares small business benchmarks to help businesses compare their business’ performance against similar businesses in their industry. Benchmarks are key financial ratios developed from...
A recent article about Password fatigue suggests that people like to use social media to log in to websites rather than having to remember passwords. This got me thinking about all my passwords. I ...
Today would be my dad’s 80th birthday. I have been thinking about him recently, not so much because of his birthday, rather because he was a man of habits, rituals and routines. For the past few...
People say to me “What do I need to measure to tell me if my business is doing well?” While every business is a bit different, there are some key measures. Total Expenses or Fixed costs: ...
Most Sunday mornings you’ll find me at the beach; a swim, surf and then great coffee at The Crabbe Hole. Give me watching the waves over reading the paper any day. Not last Sunday. Alannah Hill ...
Health Check Tuesday; the Numbers that Matter Have you ever seen a Bee Hummingbird? This is the smallest bird on earth. We travelled to Cuba a few years ago to find them and they are amazing! I am in ...
What are the numbers that matter in your business? Let’s start with profit. Did you know that there are a few different ways that business owners think about “profits”? Here are 3 to get us ...
Fable of the Porcupine It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and...
A friend sent me this story …. Burned Biscuits When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. I remember one night in particular when she had made ...
Health Check Tuesday; your Personal Finances There’s more than $17 billion in lost super out there and some of it could be yours! Many people have lost track of their superannuation. If you’ve...
Why? Try a little experiment: in your mind or out loud, complete this sentence a few times: “I have faith in _________.” Then complete another sentence a few times: “I have no faith ...
Health Check Tuesday: The facts about avocado and potassium. We know we need to eat Potassium and if you think bananas have cornered the market on potassium, you’d be sadly mistaken. The 487 ...
“In the extraordinary Yogic text called the ‘Yoga [Vasistha’], written several thousand years ago, the story is told of the crow and the coconut… A crow alights on a coconut tree and at ...
Welcome to Health Check Tuesday Living in inner Sydney I didn’t ever expect to have a local brewery producing very fine beers, ales and cider. Late last Saturday afternoon we wandered over for a...
This is a repost from Margaret Munoz You know that bad news sells. It is negative events that attract saturation coverage, interruption of usual TV programming and wall to feature stories in the ...
Welcome to Health Check Tuesday Conversion rates Do you track your conversions? Do you know what they are? And do they tell the whole story? Let me give you an example. My first business was ...
Health Check Tuesday; How much money are you wasting paying unnecessary Late Fees on your bills? We have just received our electricity account. The amount is OK for the past quarter as we are minimal ...
Health Check Tuesday; the average adult requires 7.5 to 9 hours sleep per night, every night. Is this you? I’ve always thought that I was one of those lucky people who don’t need a lot of ...
The world as we know it is changing forever. This book by Daniel Priestley, Entrepreneur Revolution is compulsive reading. I read it all in one sitting. The book offers lots of “stop now and ...
Gather together: 4 cups intelligence 3 cups ambition 1 1/2 cups responsibility 2 cups open-mindedness 1 litre of understanding 3 cups cooperation 2 1/2 teaspoons of attitude 1 1/2 cups sifted ...
Every Tuesday we are going to bring you a different and important Healthy Number! This week is a Healthy Number that is all about your Personal Health. Do you know your waist size? The way to ...
There is a great story I would like to share with you. It is a story of an Arabian horse. As a young horse, he was orphaned. This Arabian foal was adopted by a family of camels. Every day he looked ...
I was at a talk recently and the presenter asked: “How heavy is this glass of water?” and he was holding a normal glass of water Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The presenter ...
It all started with the Starfish Story. Many people ask me “Why Starfish?” My response to “Why Starfish?” have been the topic of my blog for this week. My number 5 reason is “they ...
Reason number 4 is about the number 5! Most Starfish have 5 arms – not legs! There are starfish with more arms. 5 is a Fabulous and really important number Jim Rohn said, “You are the average ...
When I cut my finger the body replaces the cells through regeneration. Read on to find out what regeneration means to a starfish! For years I’ve continued telling the Starfish Story when people ...
Yesterday I explained how the Starfish first became a symbol for me and for the things that I do. It started many years ago when I first heard the adaptation of the Star Thrower story. The second ...
I have an ongoing attachment to the starfish as a personal symbol as it reminds me why I do what I do. I have a lovely necklace which my sister found for me and insisted I buy! She can be like that! I...
The Argument As I got up from my seat on the ferry, there was a woman in the aisle wearing a gorgeous purple top with matching purple hair. Purple is a favourite colour (obviously!) and I was thinking...
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, ...
DON’T QUIT! When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have...
It drives me crazy! when I hear someone say that they cannot charge the amount they believe they are worth because “the client cannot afford it” How do they know that? What evidence do they have ...
You are not charging what you are worth because You are waiting till you know more/ have more experience; waiting to be “there” Recently I watched the movie The Social Network and I loved ...
I hear this all the time from people across a variety of Businesses. “Oh, I want to be available to everyone” “If I charge too much people will think I am greedy” “I really enjoy helping ...
This is one of my favourite objections to people being able to “Charge What You are Worth” Have you read the earlier posts in the series “Charge What You are Worth”? We are exploring the ...
In my last post I started to explore “Are you charging what you are worth?” and I suggested thinking in terms of your Value to your clients from their perspective and I hope that has ...
Can you honestly say that you charge what you are worth? Consistently? With every Client? How many times do you wake up at night thinking “They just don’t pay me enough; why am I doing this again?...
Today as we move towards the New Year I thought I’d share this 2013 SURVIVAL KIT to help you each day………… It would be fun to prepare an actual 2013 SURVIVAL KIT and keep it ...
Do you ever wish you had more time to “smell the roses”? Every day I allow myself “slow time”; even if it is only a few minutes … Here are some slow suggestions Take ...
I have been to two separate events for International Women’s Day. Yesterday I had lunch with Maggie Beer and Ronni Kahn; two women involved in food from different perspectives. Maggie commented ...
Recently I had a week at the beach with my mum, sister and 2 1/2 year old nephew. We had a great time swimming, walking, playing in the park and lots of time for chatting and just being together. One ...
I thought I knew what this meant, until last week. In the past when I have heard someone say “in the moment” I thought I knew what they meant. Not thinking about the past or the future and just ...
Wednesday, 24 November, is Go Home on Time Day , an initiative of The Australian Institute., based on recent research that confirms work is getting in the way of many people living their lives the way...
Yesterday the most interesting thing happened. I work with a corporate client on Wednesdays and they were having a “Safety Week” event that included information from Weight Watchers and one of the...
You have created your exercise goals and you have a plan for exercising, here are the tried and tested ways of staying engaged with your exercise plan. You have heard these before: exercise with a ...
The Corporate Wellness Magazine Winter 2010 edition has printed one of my articles as part of their Cover Story on Motivation. The article includes my 3 step”don’t think so much” ...
“Information is static until we do something with it.” Yesterday, I was listening to an interview with a marketing expert and when I heard him say “Information is static until we do ...