10 Secrets to your success

Thanks Mark Lenthal for the linked in post 

1. Know your why

successful people and companies sharing their reasons WHY they do what they do - have your coach do a vision, mission, values, personality, pulse session with you!
(see simon sinek video )

2. Practice discipline on the fundamentals 

• rise early and get started. 
• read 30 to 60 minutes to keep their minds fresh and full of new ideas. 
• do 30 mins daily exercise 
• prioritize and write down daily tasks and complete them,
• visualize your goals being accomplished. 

doing these consistently takes discipline.

3. Don't assume

• When you make assumptions, you are asking for misunderstandings and can create big drama. 
• People tend to make assumptions because they are too arrogant, or fearful of asking for clarification. 
• Assumptions creates a narrative in the mind to make them true, when they may not be at all. 
• Ask questions and do your research for clarification and avoid all that unnecessary suffering.

Assume - makes an ass out of u and me 

4. Keep things simple.

Leonardo da Vinci (and Glen Campbell)  said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

When things are simple they can be easily explained, accomplished, and replicated.

If you can't explain something, then you don't truly understand it. Keep it simple so everyone can understand.

5. Exercise both mind and body.

• Work out daily, specifically in the morning. 
• Starting off with exercise gives a boost of energy and a sense of accomplishment, and prevents the tendency to flake out later in the day/night. 
• Uderstand mental health is just as important, and that morning can be the perfect time to meditate or practice visualization. 
• Taking a few minutes to visualize success in your day ahead will improve your mood and outlook on the day. 
• Muse is a powerful tool to help your meditation practice whether you're a novice or experienced.

6. Be mindful of thoughts, words, and actions.

A Chinese proverb says, 

• your thoughts, become your words. 
• your words become your actions. 
• your actions become your habits, 
• your habits become your character, 
• your character becomes your destiny

So think before you speak, discuss and evaluate before you act, and develop healthy habits that build strong character and lead to more success.

Affirmations can be a helpful tool in practicing new ways of thinking. 

7. Don't take things personally.

• Try not be effected by the hurtful words , deeds and actions of others.  
• What people say, what they do, and their opinions rarely have anything to do with you. 
• They create their ideas according to their reality they have created for themselves.
•  If you don't take things personally, you are immune to the destructive energy and suffering that others may throw your way. 

8. Unplug.

• Your mind, body, and spirit need time to rest and relax. 
• Unplugging from work and technology is essential to doing this.
•  Dedicated time without devices, Wi-Fi, email, or social networks is key. 
• Creating this time is important to make it happen.

9. Know that systems build success

Know the tasks you need to complete. Determine which activities only you can do, and where you add unique value.

For other things - delegate or outsource and Sytemize!!

Break down  tasks into steps, sprints  and processes that can be done quickly and efficiently, and even replicated as necessary.
Developing systems that build on your strengths and unique talents creates success.

10. Do what I say – not what I do!!!

People who know me, know that I should take head of the above advice!!

How to get started!

While these ideas may never get you to the point of doing 360-degree pushups like Tee Major, they will make you successful in whatever it is you are passionate about. 

Take a 360-degree look at your life and see what changes you can make to create your success. 

Start by doing one small pushup today, even if it is on your knees. It will build the muscles you need to support you in the success you want to create.

Source Link: http://www.inc.com/jessica-zemple/success-is-at-your-fingertips-if-you-do-these-9-things.html

9 Biggest Lessons I’ve Learned 

Tony Robbins is a multi-millionaire. He did it by becoming the servant of many. He created value to the world, and he got value back in return. Want to succeed in your business? Create value for your customers. Be the servant of many. Serve people.
 From Tony Robbins (success case study)

by Raelyn Tanin Advice From Millionaires, Success Advice

This is part 1 of the secrets to success series, where I feature world famous millionaires and their best wisdom.

Hello everyone! Man, I love Tony Robbins. Tony Robbin’s net worth is $480 Million (according to Forbes). More than that, he is a multi-millionaire life coach and author that changes the lives of millions of people around the world.

This guy has everythin’ going on, including a beautiful wife ;)

“The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.” – Tony Robbins

1) Rev Up Your Energy and State of Well-being

If you’ve been to any Tony Robbins seminar or workshops, you’ll know that everyone gets into a severe emotional high there. Get into a higher level of consciousness, and if you’re operating at your peak emotional psych, you’ll make the best progress.

An intense environment will trigger you to alter your behaviour. That’s why seminars and camps work. 

“The state you are in determines your abilities. Everyone’s got the ability. It’s like I have a great computer but if I’m not going to plug it in, I am not going to have much power.” – Tony Robbins

Know what gets your energy up. (is it a visualisation, a cup of coffee, people you’re working with, or that particular cafe?)

2) Trade your Expectations for Appreciation

There was a period of time when I was really depressed that my internet business was not taking off. Once I learnt to let go of my expectations and most importantly be grateful for the little progress I have made, I was less harsh to myself and also a lot happier.

I’ll always remember the first 2 subscribers I got for this blog. I was glad, but not elated. I texted my boyfriend and told him, “I have two subscribers!”

And he replied, “Congratulations!”

And I said, “but it’s only two subscribers..:(”

What came next was a great life lesson for me. My boyfriend said, “That’s very good progress, every small win counts!” While it is a seemingly small matter, but that incident really left an impact on my life. From that day on, I was grateful and appreciative for every small win I had with this blog.

In a video by Tony Robbins, he advices us to trade our expectations for appreciation; and our whole life will become a miracle.

Because when we expect something but we don’t get it, we get upset. However, if we appreciate something, life becomes more wonderful.

3) Stop Believing in Your Disempowering Story

What’s your core belief system? What story do you cling on to that is holding you back?

For example, you aren’t ever going to lose weight if you believe that you can’t because you are big-boned, or succeed in business if you believe you can’t because you’re stupid.

“Your story is not why you’re stuck. It’s just that you believe your story. A story either empowers or disempowers you. It’s comforting and the reason it is comforting is that we are all deathly afraid of failure.”  – Tony Robbins

When you believe an empowering story, you’ll start putting in more effort to discover the right strategies, and from there you can find success.

4) Where we Focus, Energy Goes

Whatever you focus on, grows. If you want to master something, you have to give it laser-light focus. You have to be crystal clear on what you are focusing on. 

Be very clear on where you will be. What will you be doing? Where will you be? Who will you be with? Knowing this with clarity will help you decide on what exactly to focus on today and constantly hustle towards where your heart wants to be.  Decide today if you’ll accept life as it currently is or if you’ll live your life on your own terms, passionate and at the highest level.  

5) Make 2MM Changes For Breakthroughs in Your Life

When you change your angle of your strategies by just a little, you can make huge impact.

Small changes result in huge impact. If nothing is working, you’re just a little change away from your success.

In 2MM, your posture goes from “uncertain” to “I’m confident”.
In 2MM, you can go from looking like a superstar to being extremely ugly.

You’re 2mm away from success. Take small steps.

6) Bring Your Target Closer

Take Facebook for example. It started in a Harvard dormitory. Then Facebook went to a second school. And then a third. That’s how Facebook succeeded. First Mark aimed for one school, and then another, and then another.

It’s about making realistic goals that you believe in when you attempt to think big.

This was how Mark Cuban succeeded. He didn’t just start Broadcast.com and make a billion. First he started a bar. Then he started a computer business. Then a hedge fund. He brought the target very close and then moved it further and further away as he succeeded 

7) Know the 6 Fundamental Human Needs

Why we do what we do? In this ted talk, Tony Robbins discusses 6 human needs. Know what humans want, know what drives them, and you can understand and appreciate others.

What makes people tick? What makes people do something beyond themselves?

Certainty – Assurance you can avoid pain and gain pleasure

Uncertainty/Variety – The need for the unknown, change, new stimuli

Significance – Feeling unique, important, special or needed

Connection/Love- A strong feeling of closeness or union with someone or something

Growth – An expansion of capacity, capability or understanding

Contribution – A sense of service and focus on helping, giving to, and supporting others

8) Decisions Shape Your Destiny

Different decisions produce different results. If you want to control the direction of your life, you must consistently make good decisions. It’s not what you do once in a while that has an impact on the direction of your life—it’s what you do consistently. Make decisions today about how you are going to live in the years to come. – Tony Robbins

Here are 3 important decisions you have to make, from Tony Robbins himself.

Decision 1: Carefully choose what to focus on.
Decision 2: Figure out, What does this all mean?
Decision 3: What will you do next? If you want to shape your actions, the fastest way is to change what you focus on and shift the meaning to be something more empowering.

What’s your biggest lesson from this post? Let me know below!

The Word "mentor" and what I have learned rom them

By Karen Roter Davis - San Francisco

The word “mentor,” given its origin story, has grown to hold so much weight.

Brief background - and my excuse to talk about mythology

“Mentor” was the name of a character in Homer’s Odyssey, or nowadays what we’d call The Iliad II: The Return of Odysseus. When Odysseus left for the Trojan War in The Iliad, he asked Mentor, and old friend, to look after his household and his son, Telemachus.

Because it took so long for King Odysseus to get back, the townsfolk assumed he was dead, and moved to split up his large estate. Telemachus, his rightful heir, was too young to defend his property. So it was up to Mentor to protect their interests. The goddess Athena decided to intervene, and disguised herself as Mentor, helping to guide Telemachus on his journey to find his father -- or, at minimum, news of him -- while Mentor stayed back home to protect the proverbial ranch. Odysseus finally returned, disguised as a beggar, only recognized by Penelope, his wife, who agreed to grant the kingdom to the winner of an archery contest using Odysseus’ bow. Guess who won? A battle ensued for control, and unsurprisingly, Odysseus, with Athena’s and Mentor’s help, emerged victorious. At the end of the story, Athena advised Odysseus -- in the form of Mentor -- to end the civil war.

What does this story tell us, apart from the fact that I enjoy mythology?

1. You have many unofficial mentors, most of whom aren’t assigned to you or defined as such outright. Mentor was Telemachus’ “Official Mentor.” But Odysseus and Athena were instrumental in his protection and education as well. And Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, was critical in enabling her husband to recapture his crown, for himself and Telemachus.

1. These mentors have different skill sets and weaknesses. Like Mentor, one may be a really good teacher. Another may help you navigate politically, like Athena did with Telemachus. And another may pave the way for your promotion like Penelope. Each would have been less effective in her counterparts' roles. So have a portfolio approach. It’s not likely that all the disparate skills you need can be found in one person. Also, people (and even Greek gods) aren’t perfect. With a portfolio approach, you can learn a huge amount by observing where, when, why, and how those unofficial, or even “stealth” mentors are successful or unsuccessful in various situations. So mentors can be instructive in what not to do as well.

1. To achieve your calling, your mentors may change, but their messages remain. Practically speaking, it can be hard to remain a mentee forever -- or at least a mentee to your current set of mentors -- and accomplish your objectives. Author and comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell calls this the “hero’s journey,” upon which a huge amount of our books and movies, like Star Wars, Big Hero 6, and Harry Potter are based. The mentor (spoiler alert!) dies in each of these stories, but it doesn’t need to be that extreme. Mentorship wasn’t originally and shouldn’t be an occupational hazard.

Your mentors inevitably evolve alongside your career growth. Athena had advised Odysseus directly during his journey, but took the form of Mentor to assist in the kingdom’s reconciliation. And Zeus helped Odysseus during his travels; but when it came time for him to regain his kingdom, it was Penelope who facilitated his victory. Even when you and your mentors part, their valuable lessons stay with you, giving you guidance and strength to achieve your goals. (“Luke, trust your feelings!”)

Some learnings from my mentor portfolio

So with all of that, here is just a small sampling of things I’ve learned over the years from my portfolio of mentors -- a heartfelt thank you to each of them:

1. I learned how too much thought and not enough action eventually catches up with you. And vice versa.
2. I learned how communication and expectation-setting leads to happier and more successful teams, customers, and relationships.
3. I learned to know when to hold 'em, when to fold ‘em, when to walk away, and when to run.
4. I learned it’s not good for you or anyone else to poop where you eat.
5. I learned that taking time to focus on good form, presentation, and timing leads to better outcomes.
6. I learned that command and control leads to frustration and stagnation.
7. I learned how to say more with less, and when and why people do the opposite.
8. I learned that before you’re the first person to talk about the elephant in the room, you should make sure you know why said elephant is grazing there.
9. I learned what kind of person I am, and where it’s best to for me to be that person.
10. I learned how to graciously enter a room, stand in a circle, take a seat at a table, and exit.
11. I learned that sometimes, when you need that extra push over the cliff, you put it up to eleven.

http://www.twitter.com/kroterd

Why I do what I do

By my good friend Brad Horwath 

In the decade since I last had a full-time role I’ve often been asked what I do. It used to be an easy answer – freelance journalist. Over time however the list of services I find myself providing has blossomed – author, speaker, facilitator, host, communications trainer, analyst, writer, consultant, etc – to the point where I pretty much have no idea how to succinctly explain  what I do. It is on the whole probably a good problem to have.

But it is worth thinking about the question itself. ‘What do you do’ is a question that provides an easy way to define us, but it doesn’t really do many people justice now, especially when many of us are doing more than one thing. Describing what you do gives only the slightest inkling of what it is you can do – and in a world where increasingly I feel that we are making it up as we go along (I’ll explain what I mean by that in another post soon), skills and potential count for a lot.

Partly as a result of a project that I am working on now (and yes, that will be the subject of yet another blog post) I started to realise that there is a far more interesting question waiting to be answered – ‘why do you do what you do?’. I’ve tried it a few times and the answers have been surprising.

So here is my answer – ‘why I do what I do’.

Firstly – the heart of my motivation. I have a strong belief that the Australian economy is poised for an unhealthy future. Too much focus on (based on previous success) in mining has left us lagging in other sectors – especially in information-based industries. We are vulnerable to encroachment from foreign competitors – both online and off – and too few of our traditional successful domestic companies have parlayed that success on to the international stage. Our boards lack courage and vision – and are too hampered by the need to return shareholder value in the short term to take the steps they need to if they are to ensure their long term future.

The answer? In short, I believe we need to make more ‘things’ (including intellectual property) that people in other parts of the world need (or at least are willing to buy), lest we fall behind emerging nations and find ourselves with a declining standard of living.

It is a sentiment that is echoed in numerous reports, including Accenture’s report For Richer, For Poorer, released last year, which found: if the government in Australia does not respond with urgency and decisiveness to address the fundamental challenges in its labour market, the country will see declining levels of productivity growth rates and overall shrinkage of the workforce. That, in turn, will result in a decline in the living standards in Australia.

More starkly,  earlier this year PwC released its World in 2050 report which suggested Australia would slip from 19th place in 2014 to 28th in 2050, behind Bangladesh and Iran. Go Team Australia …

There is no end of reports that suggest similar futures. There is also no surplus of ideas of how to turn our progress around.

So back to the question – why do I do what I do.

For starters, I am a passionate believer that for a country to succeed then it needs everyone – EVERYONE – working together to achieve growth (in whatever metric you consider important). Perhaps it is the bias that comes from more than two decades researching the impact of internet/digital technologies on Australian business and society, but my own conclusion is that a more digitally-capable Australian society is a key ingredient in our long term competitiveness. That means raising the digital skills of EVERYONE.

Hence I am working with groups such as the Broadband for the Bush Alliance, which seeks to improve access to and utilisation of digital services in remote and regional Australia (please join us in Darwin in July for the next annual Forum, for which I am an ambassador). I am also lending some effort to the Australian Smart Communities Association, which will be holding its inaugural convention in 2016, and aims to showcase the work to improve digital services in communities around Australia.

I’ve also spent much of the last few years speaking at events in locations ranging from Longreach to Mount Gambier, helping to raise digital awareness and skills. This work will continue to be a focus for me, and it is my hope that in future situations I might be able to do more than just raise awareness. Have a look at Infoxchange’s Go Digi program as an example of a program that I fully support and will be looking to promote further.

But it is not enough just to be smart users of technology – we have to be smart creators too. That means more start-ups. Start-ups do amazing things. They create new markets, and improve old ones. The show how inefficiencies can be stripped out. They incubate new processes and new ways of running businesses (cloud computing, agile development and dev ops, etc), the socialise new working models (flexible working, remote working), and so on. And occasionally they go on to become multi-billion dollar employers in their own right. These companies quickly outgrow their domestic market, and we need to be generating a lot more of them if we are to have a healthy future.

Many of these companies are founded purely off the cleverness of the people at their core (not off a mineral resource) and no country has exclusivity in smart people. Hence the more we can do to bring people into digital careers and support start-ups and entrepreneurs, the better. This will be the focus for another project in 2015 (and yes, another blog post).

I also am convinced that having smart users and smart creators in the same environment benefits both groups – one can learn from the other – and hence both are needed for long-term sustainable success.

This also leads me to believe that if Australia is to have a successful future in digital technologies than we can’t afford to leave half of our potential talent out of the game. Australia already suffers from too few high school students choosing careers as digital creators (hence my support of initiatives such as Digital Careers). The need to get more women into the IT industry is critical.

A lot this work is realised through writing and speaking, and the occasional direct engagement. Its what I refer to as ‘working from the edge inwards’ – and is based on what I saw in Africa a decade ago, where you can do a lot more for a village with $1000 and a few shovels – more seemingly than you can do with a million dollar aid budget. Making the digging of clean wells work at scale however is a difficult exercise.

I’ve also done the odd spot of work with larger organisations, helping to seed and stimulate ideas of what the future holds and how they might not just adapt to it, but anticipate and profit from it. I am constantly seeking an answer to the question of whether large organisations can innovate at the pace required to compete with digital upstarts or changing customer preferences – and if so, whether the formula can be distilled and administered  elsewhere. The jury is still out on that one, with the exception of a handful of examples.

But ultimately – why do I do what I do? Because I have two little girls whom I want to see grow up leading the best possible life that can be provided for them, with options in what they choose to ‘do’. If I can contribute to a better future and pull other people with similar goals together to work towards that future, then I know I will have done all that I can.

A lot of my thinking still needs fleshing out, but this is a start.

Hence when it all gets stripped down to the things that I earn money from, I am more likely to accept those commissions that see me building towards the goals listed above. If it is a task through which I can help individuals become more aware and capable regarding the tools that are available to them, then I am more likely to be interested. If I can contribute to the success of Australia’s entrepreneurial community, then I am more likely to be interested. If I can help larger businesses successfully transform and ensure their long term survival, then I am interested. Even if I am only the smallest part of the process.

Fingers crossed, maybe writing it all down might help me realise some of my whys 

Business problems that seem impossible to overcome

Running a business is seriously stressful. We’re dependent on ourselves to make it work, to deliver what we promise, to get paid, to generate new work and to keep it all going. There is never enough time, money or help at hand – or at least that’s the way it feels.

Share your fears, your worries, and your concerns with a group of Peers who are there to support.

You will be surprised how many businesses have the same fears, concerns and anxieties - you are not alone -

join a mastermind group / 10X  coaching club who will identify those problems  and help you turn them into opportunities.

How to be lucky in 2015

These were musings I found in my notes written a few years back.. I am not sure what made me write this at the time. Have an awesome holiday break and may 2015 be filled with health, wealth and wisdom!

luck is a state of mind....a way of thinking and behaving...created through thoughts feelings and actions.

There are some who have a happy family life, health, wealth and career success...whilst others struggle, financial hardship, destroy relationships...its all a state of mind… and the great thing is…..

you can change your state in a heartbeat!!

a lucky persons character helps create, notice and act on what seems to be random opportunities.
A lucky person has an open mind, see potential in situations, proactive,
A lucky person  listens to intuition and trusts their hunches...
A lucky person has the power to make their prophecies self fullfilling and dreams come true.
A lucky person is positive,with short, medium and long term goals....they have a focus.
A lucky person believes that what they want is achievable.
A lucky person has a resilient attitude -  persistence can change bad luck into good luck.
A lucky person doesn’t dwell on the bad luck... this is what differentiates them

There is a huge difference between luck and chance.

Luck is a force that brings good fortune instead of  bad

Chance is something that happens because of  unpredictable events.

We cant choose what will happen to us, but we can choose how we react and that is what counts.

With an open mind, a set of goals and a positive can do attitude, there is nothing you cannot do

9 SECRETS From 'get lucky' by theresa cheung

1   be curious, experiment, explore opportunities
2,  define mission and goals
3.  get time on your side...time on nb, and whiz through irrelevancies
4.  look and sound lucky - attitude
5.  dont have enemies...create relationships and networks...dont burn bridges
6   giving and receiving...be generous with your resources and receive with gratitude
7   use your intuition...make a decision..if wrong, you can make another decision.
8.  turn rejection into resolve....-ve into +ve
9.  look, sound and feel lucky.

TRUST is key to create business value

For a team to be high-performing, self-organizing and deliver continuous business value, team members need to know each other and reach a state of real mutual trust. 

We are no better or worse than anyone else we are just different!

 I was speaking to my Coach, Leonard Whittaker, and we were talking about how I build businesses… what I said was that I will develop a business and then partner with someone who is better than me, and allow him (or her) to build and run  that business.

Leonard really took offence to that comment – and said that no one is better or worse than anyone else – they are just different, and  that people should celebrate their differences.

You are not competing with anyone – just striving for your personal best.

The only person who is better than you is the person who you are about to become.

Leonard mentioned the analogy of 4 animals in a class being taught to climb a wall ... the monkey and tiger could easily do it... but no matter how hard he tried, the elephant couldnt climb that wall.... does that mean the elephant is worse that the monkey... no, just different!! 

We then chatted about the importance of having a balanced team, and suggested that each member do a Kolby Profile, and ensure that the team has a balance – or else it will not sustain.

(when I find out more about this – will let you know)

He talked about Mills view on “Liberty” where with vigorous and violent collision of opinions do we get to the truth! – people have different strengths and viewpoints – which should be celebrated , respected, vigorously discussed and nurtured.

I am really looking forward to our first 10X Foundations at the end of November!!

Come to the Edge

It’s time to find out HOW you can grow your business and best of all— how you can do it with the government’s money.

If your business is producing an amazing product, service or idea that has the potential for significant growth— you need to listen up.

There’s absolutely no reason for you to have to re-invent the wheel.

There are business coaches and mentors out there who have tried everything under the sun and have helped businesses —just like yours— to increase their revenue by tens of thousands, even millions of dollars.

But how do you find the right fit for you? And what else can you get other than extra dollars in your pocket?

Mastermind and coaching groups can help lead you to your ultimate success and goals by increasing and improving your skill levels, knowledge and understanding— this is why you must join us at The Edge event.

At The Edge you’ll find out exactly how the government can help fund your education to help you rapidly grow and squash the competition.

The Edge

We're holding a 3-hour event for a select few, just 20 business owners and leaders like yourself, where 10X CEO Terry Kew will be presenting The Edge.

Terry Kew’s experience in helping business’ grow is unparalleled— his career spans Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia, Canada and the USA—working with small and large businesses alike, from a small NFP magazine publication to Global Operations and Sales Director of Fitness First. He’s the real deal and has used his skills to assist businesses to grow their revenue in excess of $1.2B.

Expect jam-packed solid business information that will help you grow your business and your brand. We will explore strategies for increasing revenue, sales and profits while looking at the government programmes that are available for you to take advantage of.

If you believe you have what it takes to get your business to the next level, and need the support and systems to help you grow, you need to come to The Edge!

Normally this event is valued at $495, however thanks to our sponsor, the Unstoppables, it’s completely FREE. 

Register below for The Edge: Business Growth Strategies and How to Have the Government Fund your Business

Melbourne – Wednesday 22 October 5:30pm – 9pm – The Como Hotel

Brisbane – Wednesday 5 November 5:30pm – 9pm – Four Points by Sheraton

Sydney – Wednesday 26 November 5:30pm – 9pm – The Referron Network Room (SOLD OUT)

Sydney – Wednesday 3 December 5:30pm – 9pm – The Referron Network Room 

Where to after The Edge event?

There’s no doubt you will leave the Edge with a workbook full of ideas and strategies on how to grow your business.

The Process

At The Edge event you will leave with great information that you can implement straight away. For those who are interested in a learning more through a Discovery Consultation, we will spend 90-minutes one-on-one with you exploring where you are now and exactly where you want to be. We’ll also dig deeper into which government grant may be applicable for you and your business—this is 100% on us and we promise it will be invaluable to your business.

If we believe we can help you and you believe that we’re a good fit for you and your business—we will sit down and help you with your application for a government grant such as the Victorian Innovation Voucher.

We take the time to do this to make sure you demonstrate exactly how these programmes will make a significant difference to your business.

Innovation Mastermind Group, Coaching Club and Diploma of Business

Once you are qualified, you will register for the next intake of our government funded “Innovation Mastermind Group” whereby you will go through a structured 6-week programme that will address your core needs— and will be a feeder to our 10X Coaching Club and our 12 month Accredited Diploma of Business.

This programme is not for the faint hearted and is focused on entrepreneurs and business owners who are committed to growth and action.

We want to make a serious difference in your company and we’re prepared to invest our time, resources and energy into supporting 10 innovative companies.

To be part of this amazing experience all you need to do is register for The Edge event. We’ll be right there teaching you how you can grow your business and how we can help you fund this growth with the assistance of government programmes.

About 10X

10X is the next generation of business improvement —a proven way for business owners to significantly enhance their business performance within a coaching club environment. 10X Business Coaching is unlike the typical business coaching model where a coach comes into the business and works one-on-one with the business owner, oftentimes with mixed results.With 10X, our business coach works with a small group of business owners who come together as a business coaching club to achieve outstanding results.

About Unstoppables

Unstoppables is an entrepreneurial movement designed to create unique yearly business and travel adventures tailored to sharpen business leaders and Entrepreneurs. The group’s next stop is a 10 day voyage to Antarctica.

Hans Rosling - Asia's rise - how and when

The One-Page Business Plan

By Aimee Bridgeman

One of the most common questions asked when people talk about starting a business is “do you have a business plan?” We come across too many businesses that not only fail to put together a simply business plan, but have put little thought into the future of their business altogether. Their excuses range from, “I don’t need to write it down it’s all up here in my head”, or “I just take it as it comes”, or “I don’t even know where to start”. None of these are legitimate excuses, except for possibly the last. Why? Because often when we ask these people to clarify where they are going and what they want from their business they cannot simply and succinctly tell us.

We compare the concept of not having a plan to just getting in your car and going out for a drive without a specific destination in mind. Deciding on your destination after you have already set out and driven around for a while means that you have not only wasted a lot of time and petrol, but you have also probably racked up quite a few kilometres on your vehicle.

If you had decided on your destination from the outset, you would have mapped out the quickest, easiest and most direct route to get there, saving petrol, kilometres and time. So if you do not have a destination in mind for your business, you are undoubtedly going to take a lot longer to get to where you want to go, if you manage to get there at all. If you don’t have a plan for your business and haven’t set any expectations, how can you accurately measure how well it’s performing?

30 Best Tax Tips from Australia’s Adviser of the Year

“The end of financial year is rapidly approaching and now is certainly the time to take steps to reduce your tax bill and put yourself in the best position for the next financial year” says Olivia Maragna, named Australian Adviser of the Year.  “All too often tax planning is left to the last minute which makes it difficult to minimise tax.” 

To ensure you are in the best possible shape by June 30, Olivia has provided her top 30 tips for your personal tax, business and superannuation fund. 

Your personal tax return

1. Prepay your expenses: By prepaying 12 months of tax-deductible expenses, you can bring the deduction forward into the 2012/2013 financial year.  A good example of this is income protection insurance but other options are prepaying interest on margin loans or investment loans.
2. Delay income: If you are able to, try to defer income until after June 30 to avoid paying tax this financial year.  As an example this may be done by reviewing term deposit maturity dates or legitimately deferring income by holding off issuing invoices until July 1.
3. Charity: If you are thinking of donating money, you may be able to receive a tax deduction for gifts and receive that deduction this financial year.
4. Repairs and Maintenance: If you hold an investment property, consider doing minor repairs and maintenance prior to 30 June.  
5. Buy health insurance if you are a high-income earner: To avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge, high-income earners should take out private health cover.  To avoid the surcharge for the entire year, the insurance needs to be held for the entire year otherwise it will be prorated.

For your business

1. Pay super early: Superannuation guarantee payments for your staff aren’t due until July but paying these in June will give you a deduction for them in this financial year as opposed to next financial year.
2. Do you have any trusts and companies? Trusts and companies can distribute funds to recipients on lower tax brackets to minimise tax payments.  Ask your financial adviser to review your options.
3. Structure: Whether you operate as a sole trader, partnership, in a trust or company, it’s always a good idea to review your current business structure and whether this is still appropriate for your current situation.  
4. Immediate write offs: For eligible businesses, assets costing less than $6,500 can be written off immediately and applies to the purchase of assets used in a business.  Check with your accountant as to whether you are eligible.
5. Bad Debts: If you are not going to get paid, then it is best to write these off as a bad debt prior to June 30 in order to claim the tax deduction.  
6. Trading stock: A stock take is the best way to write off any lost, damaged or obsolete stock and can reduce your taxable income.
7. Stationery:  Stocking up on stationery and other consumables before June 30 can help offset profits.

Your super contributions

2013/14 Australian Federal Budget: how it affects me!

The recently announced Budget delivered no real surprises after the majority of the proposed changes had been drip-fed to the market in previous months. Wayne Swan blamed a stubbornly high Australian dollar and lower commodity prices for a dramatic fall of some $17 billion in forecasted tax receipts, leading to an estimated budget deficit for 2012/13 of $18 billion. And that was why there wasn’t the $1.5b surplus promised. He knew there was a high dollar and lower commodity prices a year ago... why did he not make appropriate changes then? Or tell us then that there would not be a surplus? If I gave this excuse to my board, I would be fired on the spot!

Government Funding: Are you getting all the help you can?

10X in conjunction with Business Strategies International (BSI) is presenting a critical 2-hour seminar for Melbourne based business owners to discover:

How to grow your business and how to access Government Grants to do so …

Right now, through the Federal and Victorian State Governments there is quite literally millions of dollars available to growing businesses, potentially, like yours. Many of us fall into the trap of working hard, with head down and the proverbial up, so to speak, rarely taking time to see what else might be out there to help us achieve our goals.

The Golden Rules Of Networking

If you are in sales, own a business or are an employee, having a vast network will be an asset. Many of my recruitment clients have often stipulated they need a candidate with a strong network when I’ve recruited for sales professionals. Networking both in person and online is a sure way to build a reputation, secure clients and of course referrals. 

Profit V Cash

Why am I profitable but have no cash?  

In the 22 years I have worked with small and medium business’ owners, managers and team members I have observed with great interest what they do and don’t understand about business finances.

From my observations I believe one of the most common misunderstandings is that of the difference between profit and cash flow.

Focus on Systems Critical

This month we are going to delve deeper into one of the critical success factors of businesses who are high performers from a financial perspective.

Systems, specifically accounting systems, are absolutely essential to the accelerated success of any business, be it large or small. Now before you roll your eyes in boredom or reach for the tweezers because plucking nose hairs would be more fun than reading about accounting systems, please bear with me for a moment. This could be one of the most important decisions you will ever make!

Tips and tricks for Structuring your Insurances

When considering personal insurance there are many ownership options and features that can be confusing.  Without professional advice it is relatively easy for tax benefits to be lost, or incorrect structures to be setup that unwittingly disadvantage the policy holder.  Here are some features you may not know that could save you some $$$ and heart ache down the track:

Dynamic Business Success

His ‘Wealth Dynamics’ approach to business has seen him build half a dozen multi-million dollar companies over the last decade, so Roger James Hamilton is an inspirational speaker for every business owner. During his Australian Tour, Roger is joined on stage by some of Australia’s brightest entrepreneurial lights, including Ivan Kaye and Ryll Burgin-Doyle of 10X.

Financial Leadership

Talking to the uninitiated business owner about their numbers is often like putting a teaspoon of wasabi into their mouth. The facial expressions that follow look like extreme displeasure, disgust, confusion, and whatever other expression is going to give you another 10 years of premature ageing. I believe the reason for this kind of reaction is due mostly to a lack of understanding and a fear of numbers on the part of small and medium enterprise owners. ‘Don’t talk to me about it I don’t want to know!’ or ‘oh, how boring! I’m not a numbers type!’ are common comments when the subject of numbers is brought to their attention.