Business Brain Food

We’ve all heard horror stories of successful businesses who get completely taken down by legal action. If you take the advice of our guest this week, you can make sure your business isn’t one of them. Joanna Oakey will go through all of the main pitfalls your business may be exposed to, and we promise; there isn’t a hint of legal jargon! This is all to-the-point advice that any business owner can benefit from hearing.

Joanna is a commercial lawyer with a passion for business, having worked across a large portfolio of sales, mergers, acquisitions, commercial law and intellectual property. She has been a keynote speaker in events across Australia, and we like her even more because she hosts her own podcast!

See below for some great legal tips from Joanna:

**  If your business is growing quickly then you are probably the most exposed to a legal challenge.

**  Not having a registered trademark is very dangerous. You are exposed to attack from two different angles. Firstly, an organisation with a brand similar to yours could bring a case; and secondly you are open to other competitors sprouting up and copying your brand.

**  With intellectual property the only thing you can protect is the expression of the idea, not the idea itself.

**  Don’t forget your clients. Have a strong client engagement agreement to cover yourself.

**  You should only think of your terms and conditions as something to fall back on when your legal team fights another legal team. You should really do what you can to avoid this scenario, so make sure you are explicit with the most important parts of your Ts & Cs during the buyer journey.

**  Make sure you protect yourself against unfair dismissal claims. Are your employee agreements what they should be?

**  The key is to have all of these things in place BEFORE you need them.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How litigation really works

**  The definition of intellectual property

**  The definition of copyright

**  The definition of patents

**  How to apply for a trademark

**  Is clicking a box accepting terms & conditions legally binding?

**  What protection an employee probationary period actually offers

**  How to restrain ex-employees

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Free business advice and tools from Ben: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  If any listeners have a business and want to know more about their legal coverage, you can have a FREE 40-minute consultation with Joanna. Simply go to http://www.aspectlegal.com.au/contact and type in “I want my free 40-minute session, I’m a Business Brain Food listener" in the enquiry field.

**  Joanna’s Podcast is called Talking Law. If you type that into itunes or google you will easily be able to find it and subscribe.

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Remember what Joanne kept going back to: have your legal frameworks in place BEFORE you have a problem. You could save yourself a lot of time, money, and maybe even your entire business!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 


What a tremendous character we have on the show this week. It really is difficult to know where to start with Akbar Sheikh. From being homeless and taking refuge in a San Francisco utility cupboard, he’s gone on to conquer the world of business, and even better, he’s now giving something back.

His epiphany came on a day when his network marketing business brought in $25,000, but he realised he felt so much more enjoyment from the free consultancy he’d given a not-for-profit business on that same day. He now works with a charity in Africa that cures children from blindness, as well as a charity in San Francisco that provides mattresses for the homeless.

See below for some Akbar’s amazing tips on life and marketing:

**  Most people fail at the fundamentals. They’re always looking for the next big thing, but if you have a foundation you can scale to seven figures.

**  Stop what you’re doing if you hate it. Remember Einstein’s famous quote: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

**  You won’t have a successful business unless you stop your bad life habits.

**  Think about scaling and growth every day. Don’t stand still or you will become bitter.

**  Do organic marketing before paid marketing - it helps prove the concept.

**  Make your content regular - keep feeding the machine.

**  It isn’t difficult to create content - it’s just documenting your everyday reality.

**  You are who you spend your time with. Hang with the right people and you will take the right path.

**  Find a ‘why’ in life that makes you cry. Motivation becomes completely automatic once you do.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  The definition of a funnel

**  The ethical 7 principles of sales

**  The tools you need for a successful online business

**  The value of organic marketing

**  How to make producing content easy

**  How Akbar got 8 million in traffic without paying for any online advertising

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Free business advice and tools from Ben: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Get Akbar’s international bestselling book (normally $47) for FREE here

**  Akbar’s Facebook group: The 2 comma club

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

This is an unarguably insightful quote from a man who’s lived one heck of a life: “As business people we are artists. We need a clean and clear canvas in our mind.”

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000


Every business needs referrals, but how do you go about getting them? Do you offer people incentives? Do you even ask for them at all? All will be revealed by our guest this week…

Stacey Brown is an absolute referrals guru. Having worked in sales & marketing and run two of her own businesses, she now has a full-time business coaching people in how to best achieve referrals, and guess what: she gets a good portion of her own business through referrals too!

See below for some great tips from Stacey:

**  Never ask for a referral. Your referrals-gathering system is more likely to be sustainable in the long term if it doesn’t rely on you having to continually raise yourself to ask for them.

**  However good your product/service might be, your business will never work unless you can attract new clients.

**  Think of every client as a potential referrer. You must connect with them at a human level while you are delivering their service.

**  Be memorable and meaningful. There are certain parts of the referral process you can automate but you must drive it with genuine meaning from the top.

**  Have 3 business development plans. A prospecting plan, a marketing plan, a referral plan.

**  Remember if you haven’t spoken to someone for a while you need to tread carefully with your opening language.

**  Make sure you write a hand-written thankyou note for every referral you receive.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How to attract referrals without selling your soul

**  How good companies fail to get referrals

**  How to deliver a truly personalised client-management experience

**  The 5-step referral generation plan

**  How to understand your referral sources

**  How to speak to a client who is giving you poor referrals

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free business planning template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Stacey’s special freebie for BBF listeners, “The Seven Deadly Sins of Generating Referrals” can be downloaded here

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

According to Stacey, the average business can hope to attract 30% of their new business from referrals if they get their process right. Just think of how much money you could make here!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF163_How_to_get_more_referras_without_asking_with_Stacey_Brown_Randall.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Being an expert in your field doesn’t mean you’re an expert in conveying your message. Listen up folks – we’re talking to a bona fide expert on the matter who might well make you an expert by the end of it!

Carolyn Crawford has worked for over a decade helping people refine their presentation/communication skills. She’s dealt with everyone from high-level CEOs to small SMEs across any industry you could think of, so is a great person to listen to on the matter.

See below for some great tips from Carolyn:

**  Confidence is infectious. If you project confidence then your audience will feel confident in you.

**  Presenting isn’t just to a group. In everyday business, you’re probably 'presenting' one-on-one every day.

**  Don’t ever say “it’s just not me”. If you’re capable of being in the workplace then you’re capable of presenting. It’s just a question of finding your natural style.

**  Always be clear on your outcome: what do you want to achieve out of any conversation? Without this you’ll get lost in the detail of broad topics.

**  Don’t contrive your style. Just because someone else has certain mannerisms doesn’t mean you should copy them.

**  Never use grammatically correct bullet points. If it’s grammatically correct as a bullet point then it shouldn’t be a bullet point - it should either be spoken or properly written.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How to avoid death by Powerpoint

**  Why presenting is important

**  How to use visual aids

**  How to find your own style

**  The rules of simplicity

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free business planning template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Carolyn’s site with Presenting To The Max graphical guide: http://www.f2fcommunications.com.au

**  Carolyn’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/f2fcomms/

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Most of your life is communicating, but how much of your education has been about communication? Most of us will need to sharpen up!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF162_Presenting_to_the_max_with_Carolyn_Crawford.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

If you’ve got prospective customers then we guarantee this interview will help you get more conversions. Doren Aldana has done a lot in the corporate world and has two hugely successful businesses behind him. We’re going to focus on his Testimonial Engine business: a tool to help companies gather and manage online client reviews.

Every business can benefit from this, so listen up!!

See below for some great stats and some great advice from Doren:

**  73% of consumers say that positive customer reviews make them trust a business more.

**  79% of customers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from a friend or family member.

**  Consumer reviews are trusted 12 times more than a company’s own marketing material.

**  7/10 customers come back to your business if they have a problem and you resolve it quickly. Make sure you have a mechanism in place to enable you to quickly nip problems in the bud.

**  Reviews work for you 24/7. Unlike referrals, you don’t have to tend to them.

**  Have a system to make it easy for people to leave reviews, i.e. allow them to do it without needing to create an account with yelp, google etc.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  The value of good reviews

**  How to find those good reviews

**  Review-capture pages

**  The inner workings of mytestimonialengine.com

**  The importance of video and audio reviews

**  How to turn a raving fan into a company evangelist

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free business planning template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Doren’s special offer for BBF listeners: http://www.mytestimonialengine.com/brainfood

**  Doren’s mortgage coaching business: http://www.mortgagemarketingcoach.com

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood 

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Even if you don’t take up Doren’s great offer for his testimonial system, you should now stop and think about how you handle your feedback. Are you just sitting and hoping for the best? Or are you proactively turning feedback into a money-making machine?

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF161_with_Doren_Aldana.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve gone way off-piste with this week’s episode, but we guarantee this conversation will make you think. Our guest Jeffrey Slayter is a lifelong entrepreneur, but only truly found himself when he went away to the jungles of Peru and took part in an ayahuasca ceremony.

Jeffrey’s profession is now to advise entrepreneurs on how to change their habits and open their minds. He’s spoken to over 3 million people and has shared a stage with the likes of Richard Branson, Brian Tracey, Dr John D. Martini, Tim Ferris and Tony Robbins. The chances are, Jeffrey has worked with someone you’ve looked up to.

See below for some of Jeffrey’s holistic advice:

**  When you think you’re on top of the world and doing well, you’re usually not.

**  You’re only in a race with yourself. Don’t be too concerned with the conventions of the world around you.

**  Get out of the habit of thinking you need to belong. If you’re surrounded by people who are unsuccessful and then you become successful and feel you don’t belong, this can be disempowering.

**  Go against the conventional advice, and DO take things personally. Shielding and resisting things can exacerbate problems.

**  Tim Ferris says he “does not know a billionaire that hasn’t done a psychedelic”.

**  We need to design our businesses beyond our personalities. It needs to come from the soul upwards.

**  CEOs who have psychedelic experiences often come back and completely revamp their company and revamp their lives. Jeffrey is aware of some of the very top CEOs in the world who have done this.

**  The biggest discovery Jeffrey made from his psychedelic experiences was that he didn’t always need to be somewhere else.

**  Trust the universe again because nature rewards courage. There is a direct correlation between willingness to be courageous and success.

**  The freedom of realising that most of your life has been a lie can be very empowering. The questions and the self doubts stop.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  What makes an entrepreneur successful

**  The definition of success

**  How to pick your friends

**  The benefits of psychedelic experiences

**  How to use fear to your advantage

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free business planning template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

** Business Excelleration Conference VIP day – book your place now: http://maxmyprofit.com.au/events

**  Jeffrey’s book, ‘The Evolutionary Entrepreneur’ can be bought here

**  Jeffrey’s website: http://www.jeffreyslayter.com

**  Jeffrey’s project of awakening: http://www.thegrandinitiative.com

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

While you may not want to dabble with psychedelic substances yourself, the reasons why Jeffrey and many of the world’s leading CEOs do use them are indisputable. Let’s conclude matters with a quote from Jeffrey: “I’d rather be weird and pave my own path than to be normal. Normal would suck.”

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: bbf160_awakening_the_entreprenuer_within_with_jeffrey_slayter.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

What a truly exceptional man we have on the show this week – you will never hear a more salient and inspiring business commentator. His story actually speaks for itself, but there’s a whole lot more on offer in this conversation.

Greg has set up his own business and successfully sold the franchise; he’s worked in residential lending and structured funding, and now he spends his time being the go-to man for CEOs who are looking to raise substantial investment to grow their business.

Greg is particularly revered for somehow raising $120m for an animated film, The Legends Of Oz: Dorothy’s Return. Not only was this the first time anyone in Hollywood had pulled this off, but Greg managed to do this despite telling each investor that they’d stand to lose money!

See below for some of Greg’s unbelievable insight:

**  Raising money is a good way of building teams. If you’re going to grow something you can’t do it alone.

**  If you’re going to grow, you have to be prepared to keep changing your mindset.

**  Embrace chaos. If you don’t, you won’t grow.

**  It isn’t all about the money. Most people invest for the primary reason that the investment would have a meaningful impact on their life.

**  Are you more interested in what you’re doing, or who you’re doing it with? If it’s the latter, then you’re set up to achieve the ‘impossible’ like Greg.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  Bootstrapping V funding a business

**  Greg’s amazing story

**  How Greg was involved in the digital projection of Michael Jackson

**  What prevents businesses from scaling

**  How Greg raised an ‘impossible’ amount of money

**  The secret to good leadership

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s Business Advice: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Find Greg on his website: http://www.gregcentineo.com

**  Greg’s must-read books with Amazon buy links: Howard Schultz - Pour your heart into it; Walter Isaacson - Einstein: His life and the universe; Walter Isaacson - Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

It’s so difficult to pick one bit of wisdom above all the others to end with, but we’ll go with this from Greg: “You can do good things by yourself, but you’ll never accomplish anything great alone".

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF159_Why_investors_gave_Gren_Centineo_over_120_million.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This week we get an important reminder of the value of investing in assets outside of your own business. Michael Fuller from DPN has done this himself and now makes it his business to advise others on how they can achieve their financial goals through property investment.

See below for some of Michael’s top tips:

**  If you were to get sick or go away on holiday, could your business run without you?

**  Outside investments allow you to take a step back and make changes to your existing business.

**  Get a business coach. Of course we would say that, but one of Phil’s great regrets is not having one.

**  Do you have a business exit plan? You should always have an exit plan to focus the mind.

**  Einstein insightfully predicted that the most powerful thing in the universe would be compound interest. Let those property assets give you that power!

**  Take time to sit down and make an investment plan. What can I do now? And what can I do over time?

**  If you are going to invest in property, make sure you have the time to manage it. If you are using property as a sideline investment, you don’t want to be bogged down by having to manage renovation and short-term flipping.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  The benefits of income protection

**  The costs of retaining property

**  Cashflow V capital growth

**  How to take the emotion out of buying property

**  The myth of reducing your tax bill

**  The perilous pension situation

**  What debt really means

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s Business Advice: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Michael’s company site: http://www.dpn.com.au

**  Contact Michael directly at michaelf@dpn.com.au

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Don’t just rely on your day-to-day business and your pension to look after you. Think about investment!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000


This week we find out how Dean Salakas built up his company, the Party People from a AUD 500,000-per-year business with 3 employees to the powerhouse it is now, turning over AUD 4m per year with 40+ employees.

You might know Dean from his appearance on the Aussie entrepreneur TV show, The Shark Tank, where he actually turned down a AUD 400,000 offer for a share of his business, The Party Store. Dean learnt a lot from the experience and shared some great insight with us.

See below for some of Dean’s best advice:

**  Don’t throw everything at online. In retail, online sales currently account for 6-11% of overall sales, and at current growth rates it is forecast to be only 20% in 10 years.

**  However, you need to be good at both online marketing and conventional marketing. A lot of people start their buying journey online but end it in the store.

**  Plan plan plan! If you don’t have a long-term plan, when you hit a problem it’s harder to cope with it.

**  Understand your cycles. In Dean’s case he has to plan for the spikes in demand around dates like Halloween and Christmas… what are your spikes in demand?

**  Learn how to talk investors’ language. If you want your business to grow to a serious degree you’re probably going to need outside investment, but if you don’t fully understand what they want, you won’t get their money.

**  If you’re a small business with ambition, be prepared to do everything. You won’t have the resource to outsource the majority of your tasks.

**  Dean’s quickest path to growth is to master your marketing.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  Is digital so important for retail?

**  The benefits of being open to change

**  Dean’s incredible journey

**  Why Dean turned down a AUD 400,000 offer on Shark Tank

**  The best strategies for raising funding

**  What didn’t work for Dean

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s Business Exceleration conference. Special VIP offer here

**  Dean’s Party People website: http://www.thepartypeople.com.au

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Dean made his business, the Party People, grow exponentially with some very simple common-sense business methods. Listen to him!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF157_Building_Australias_largest_retail_party_supplies.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We have a first on BBF this week.. a man who is a certified professional organiser. Who in business doesn’t need to be organised? Joshua is well worth listening to because not only is he a professional organiser, he is the director of global community at Evernote: one of the most popular business apps in the world. Joshua is so organised he even uses Evernote to list his favourite burger joints around the world!

See below for some of Joshua’s best productivity advice:

**  ‘Busy' doesn’t mean ‘productive’. Do not aspire to be busy! When judging the quality of your output, concentrate on whether you get done what you want to get done - nothing else.

**  Apps can be great for productivity but it’s important to define what your problem is before you jump in and get an app. Doing it the other way around can make you even less efficient.

**  Learn to say no. You can only truly succeed in your time management if you say no at the right times.

**  When assigning tasks to others, there’s no substitute for good old-fashioned conversation. Dictating tasks and deadlines to people can be easily done with today’s technology, but it is a bad habit.

**  Document your processes. Only then can you delegate properly.

**  With any new tool/app, you don’t need to know everything it does. Just take a small everyday task and use the tool/app to help with that, and build from there.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  Why productivity is important for small businesses

**  The definition of productivity

**  How modern technology has helped/hindered efficiency in business

**  Time management

**  Delegation

**  The inner workings of Evernote

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free business planning template can be downloaded from http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Find Joshua on Twitter here

**  Find Evernote on Twitter here

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

 

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

We’ll leave our very own Ben to give our inspirational message this week: “If this conversation with Joshua doesn’t inspire you to get organised, then nothing will!”

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000


What a great guest we have this week - there was so much absolute gold that came out of the conversation. Our guest is Annette Densham (AKA “The Publicity Genie”) who has a great insight into how small businesses can market themselves, having worked with numerous clients across Australia and having started out on the other side of the fence as a journalist. She has also pioneered the award-winning “Genie Lamp 3-wishes program” which has helped revolutionise the way startups get their place in the media.

See below for some of Annette’s best PR advice:

**  Public relations is everything you say and do - not just in the media.

**  People don’t do business with businesses, they do business with people, so your all-round message is vital.

**  Work out your key messages: What do you want people to know about you? What do you do? What solution are you offering? Only then should you think about what specific communication channels to use.

**  Keep it regular - it’s all about being consistent and persistent.

**  Don’t just talk about yourself on social media. You need to consistently give people value.

**  PR is like planting a seed - it must be consistently nurtured.

**  Think about being a guest contributor to relevant media.

**  When writing a media release, remember ‘the inverted pyramid’. Put your most important information at the top.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  The importance of PR for small business

**  How much time you should dedicate to PR

**  The law of reciprocity

**  How to use keywords to your advantage

**  How to plan your PR activity

**  The definition of pro-active media

**  How to use Google alerts

**  How best to approach journalists

**  Repurposing content

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free business planning template can be downloaded from http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Visit Annette’s website here and take up her offer of a free 15-minute PR consultation

**  The Business Brain Food Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

 

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

As Annette says, “there’s no room for modesty in small business!”. Listen to the show and follow her advice….. don’t be shy!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF155_How_to_get_your_slice_of_the_media_pie_with_Annette_Densham.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

What a thoroughly interesting man we have on the show this week. Morris Miselowski has made it his business to predict the future, but there are no crystal balls and tarot cards here….. Morris is a highly qualified professional, renowned the world over. He’s worked with the likes of KPMG, Ford and Microsoft, helping them to anticipate changes in technology and human behaviour.

We were very lucky to spend an hour picking his brains about the next big things and how every business can brace themselves for rapidly changing marketplaces.

Read on for some of Morris’ top tips on future proofing:

**  You must constantly take time out to think ahead. You owe it to your business and you owe it to your clients.

**  However outlandish your new idea for a business may sound, if you can find a clear human need for it, you should go for it.

**  Keep an eye out for incremental changes you can make to your day-to-day business. It’s better to do this habitually than to leave it too late and be forced into making monumental change for the sake of survival.

**  Think about business strategy first and then look for the technology to make it happen. Don’t let the new technology dictate to you.

**  Forget about the perfect long-term solution. In this day and age the ‘solution’ you need is something that enables you to grow and adapt to change.

**  Nowadays your business will be one of a myriad of choices in your marketplace, so you have to learn to adapt, otherwise you will lose more and more market share.

 

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  Disruptive industries

**  Centralised service provision

**  “the drunken Saturday night experience”

**  How best to cope with change

**  The impact of Artificial Intelligence

**  How google is positioning itself to collect human data

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free business planning template can be downloaded from http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

** Go to Morris’ website and find a whole host of resources, including his free-to-download magazine, “Future Curious”

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

What Morris says about the death of the perfect long-term business plan really is worth reiterating. Think long and hard about the way you plan your future business, and make sure you bring it into the 21st century!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF154_Predicting_the_future_of_your_business_with_Morris_Miselowski.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Get your SEO right and it could completely change your business, so listen up to our SEO expert David James. In this week’s episode David guides us through a multitude of tips and tricks that will help you navigate the minefield of search-engine optimisation.

Read on for some of David’s top tips:

**  Beware of any marketeers who offer you black hat SEO, i.e. spamming comments on other sites to create backlinks, creating multiple landing pages etc. Search engines will get wise to this and penalise you by sending you down the search rankings.

**  Monitor your ranking on an ongoing basis. Pro Rank tracker is a good tool. Also Google Search Console can help with this.

**  Think long term. A 2-3 year plan is perfectly reasonable if your business is in a crowded marketplace.

**  The two key things to remember when optimising your site for SEO: the user experience and how many other sites have recommended you.

**  Site load time is an often-overlooked part of the mix. Make sure your site is built by someone who knows what they’re doing.

**  Use ‘schema’ functionality in your site, i.e. your key company information embedded within the html code.

**  Use the Google Keyword Planner to see what the search trends are in your marketplace. SEM rush is another good tool. And don’t forget that at the bottom of normal Google searches, there are suggested keywords.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  SEO explained

**  White hat V Black hat SEO

**  Different search engine penalties

**  The zero position

**  The best content for SEO

**  The genesis framework

**  The search-engine spider

**  The value of XML site maps

**  Google Places reviews

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free business planning template can be downloaded from http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Check out David’s BGDTM Youtube channel here

**  David’s website: www.businessgrowthdigitalmarketing.com

 

**  David’s email address: david@businessgrowthdigitalmarketing.com

 

**  David’s twitter: @bgd_marketing

 

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

You’re now armed with all the tools you need to succeed with your SEO….. now go out and do it!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF_153-_How_to_Rank_on_Google_in_2017_with_David_James.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

What a pleasure it is to welcome back Steve Sims to the show. It’s hard to know where to start with Steve – he’s just done so much – but we’ll quickly summarise him as ‘a man who makes dreams come true’. His company, Blue Fish, specialises in creating unique life experiences for its clients. Since we last spoke to Steve he has sent someone to a space station, placed clients backstage with the likes of ZZ Top and Guns & Roses, and sent someone to Monte Carlo to be James Bond for the weekend. Steve has also written a book called “Blue Fishing” which he talks to us about.

See below for some of Steve’s advice on how to make the impossible possible:

**  Stop listening to that idiot on your shoulder saying ‘no’. If you think you can’t, you’re right.

**  When trying to pull off an unlikely experience, approach it like this: “I’ve always wanted to do this, what has to happen for this to happen?” Don’t walk straight in with money because people don’t want to feel like they’ve been sold.

**  Email is dead. Pick up the phone and leave a voice memo. This is a non-intrusive way of building a rapport with busy people.

**  Relationships are everything. Do every single thing you can to build and retain good relationships.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to court celebrities

**  How to build relationships that work

**  The power of voice memos

**  Steve’s colourful track record

**  A summary of Steve’s new book, Blue Fishing

**  How to leave a voice memo

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free business planning template can be downloaded from http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Get Steve’s book, Blue Fishing, from http://www.stevedsims.com

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Remember Steve’s point about that ‘idiot’ on your shoulder. Don’t concentrate on the reasons why not, concentrate on the reasons why!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF_152_The_art_of_making_things_happen_with_Steve_Sims.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This week we lift the lid on one of Australia’s biggest entrepreneurial success stories: Penny Spencer. She gave us so much great insight into how she got to where she is today. Her travel company turns over £65m per year and has 85 employees, and she is listed in Australia’s top 35 entrepreneurs.

We got Penny on the show not only because of her success in business but because she is a great advocate of business coaching and mentoring. She is a member of many different mentoring groups and has founded her own not-for-profit group for the travel sector called TIME. Her philosophy of never being too successful or too old to learn really is an important one.

See below for some of Penny’s top tips:

**  Set goals. It’s a common piece of advice but that’s because it works!

**  Accountability for your goals is key. This is where pier groups are vital.

**  Always be open to new people coming in to your business.

**  Penny works 'on' her business 90% of the time, and ‘in’ the business 10% of the time. It took her ten years to get to this point - it didn’t happen overnight - but it is something that most entrepreneurs should aspire to.

**  Be clear on the values of your company and employ people on the basis of your values. Values mean more than skills.

**  If you have happy staff you have happy clients. Staff should never be treated as a liability!

**  Make sure you pay yourself when you have your own business. An easy mistake entrepreneurs make is to not pay themselves and then gradually resent the business.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How to generate good referrals

**  The value of mentoring groups

**  A sustainable method of recruitment

**  The importance of being able to change direction

**  How Penny generates ideas

**  The power of networking

**  How to interview

**  How often to survey clients and how to review the results

**  How to prepare yourself to start a new business

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Not long left to grab a place on one of Ben’s free 5-stage Business Exceleration™ workshops. Go to http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au for more information and to register.

**  Ben’s free business planning template can be downloaded from http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Penny’s website: http://www.pennyspencer.com.au

**  Penny’s travel company website: http://www.spencertravel.com.au

**  Penny’s book can be purchased here

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Penny is a great reminder to all of us that our entrepreneurial minds should always stay open to learning. Take heed of this advice: make sure you have a way of developing yourself.

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 


This week we have some great no-nonsense marketing advice from a man who’s been there and done it, Mitch Hills. Mitch founded the highly successful social media agency, Mastered Marketing, as well as the Exceptions business community, and he sure knows how to deconstruct the complexities of modern-day marketing so anybody can understand it.

See below for some of Mitch’s top tips;

**  Get your content out there! Don’t worry about it being too polished.

**  A small audience can be an advantage in the beginning because it gives you a chance to perfect your own voice.

**  Don’t think of your marketing as just the promotion of your high-ticket items. Part of your marketing mix needs to encourage your audience to discover they have a problem in the first place.

**  Cheap leads are not necessarily good leads. It’s often worth working harder for better leads.

**  Understand the pain points of your customers. This should drive your marketing.

**  Think about how to move your customers from their current situation to their desired situation.

**  Ideally you should produce two pieces of video content per month. Alongside that, have one advert promoting your content and one promoting your lead magnet.

**  Broadcast what you’re already doing. Your customers are likely to find it interesting.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  The power of Facebook advertising

**  Social media platforms compared

**  How to adapt landing pages to capitalise on your marketing

**  The best way to sell/package giveaways

**  Lead magnets explained

**  Repurposing explained

**  Facebook business pages V Facebook personal pages

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Not long left to grab a place on one of Ben’s free 5-stage Business Exceleration™ workshops. Go to http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au for more information and to register.

**  Mitch’s website: http://www.masteredmarketing.com

**  Mitch’s instagram: http://www.instagram.com/masteredmarketing

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Call to action:

Let’s end matters by quoting Mitch’s excellent summary of what your introductory offers/lead magnet should be. Never forget the phrase “low friction, high value.”

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day!

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF150_Mastering_your_Marketing_with_Mitch_Hills.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Our guest this week struck absolute gold by hosting webinars, and she’s going to teach you how to do it yourself. In only two years, Liz Benny has managed to create webinars that have raised over 2 million AUD – she previously had no experience in the field!

See below for some of Liz’s top tips;

**  Any business can benefit from webinars - it doesn’t have to be online courses.

**  The right webinar will take someone over the emotional hurdles/doubts as to why they can’t be successful themselves.

**  Webinars are all about empathy.

**  Check out Russell Brunson’s webinar structure - it’s worked for Liz and our very own Ben.

**  You need a proper understanding of the pain points and pleasures of your audience - do your surveys properly. Google forms is an easy free tool to create surveys.

**  Lead with integrity with your webinar. If you are always yourself, you will sell more.

**  Personal stories help your upsells from webinars.

**  When it comes to words in the slides, less is more.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How outsourcing can revolutionise your life

**  The definition of a webinar

**  How to change your energy for a webinar

**  The right title for a webinar

**  The difference between a great webinar and a bad webinar

**  Should you have video in your webinar?

**  What percentage of webinar audiences normally stay and listen to the sales pitch

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free 5-stage Business Exceleration™ workshops will be taking place in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Go to http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au for more information and to register.

**  Leave a review of BBF on the itunes store and gain access to some members-only training on user experience. This is a great, hour-long video called “The three secrets to making your website convert visitors into customers”. All you have to do is leave a review, copy the text and email it to ben@maxmyprofit.com.au and you will be given access to the training.

**  Liz’s website: http://www.lizbenny.com

**  Liz’s facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TimeToKapow/

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

Listen to what Ben said at the end of the show…. literally ANYONE can do a webinar that makes them money, so you should start doing yours today!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF149_How_to_use_webinars_to_grow_your_business_with_Liz_Benny.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

It’s a constant battle for many business owners: just how do you turn web traffic into useful leads? We’ve got someone on the show this week who will tell you how. Lindsey Anderson is the founder and CEO of trafficandleads.com, a company that specializes in this area. She’s been so successful that she’s been given the nickname “one-click Lindsey”!

We had a great chat with Lindsey – she’s someone who cuts through all the myth and tells it how it is.

See below for some of Lindsey’s top tips;

**  Who cares if you have a website? It’s only worth having one if it drives phone calls and sales.

**  The number one mistake most businesses make is they don’t have an irresistible offer on their website.

**  You must create content that makes search engines and potential customers curious.

**  80-90% of people who opt in on websites do so via a popup.

**  Email people regularly to keep them warm. Once a week is optimum, at the same time on the same day.

**  Remember, it doesn’t have to always be written content. Audio and video content can still create curiosity and engage your potential leads.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  The “click” technique

**  How to rank higher for keywords

**  Using Facebook pixels

**  The value of email marketing

**  How regularly to target people

**  Different Facebook campaigns

**  How Yoast SEO can guide you to optimise your blog posts

**  Backlinks explained

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free 5-stage Business Exceleration™ Workshops will be taking place in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Go to http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au for more information and to register.

**  Leave a review of BBF on the itunes store and gain access to some members-only training on user experience. This is a great, hour-long video called “The three secrets to making your website convert visitors into customers”. All you have to do is leave a review, copy the text and email it to ben@maxmyprofit.com.au and you will be given access to the training.

**  Lindsey’s free 5-day crash course can be found here

**  Lindsey’s own site: http://www.oneclicklindsey.com

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

If you can’t learn anything from what Lindsey said on the show then you never will! There is so much for you to have a go at to start generating those leads!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 


This week we’re going to demonstrate the importance of a good memory to everyday business, and show you how you can make yours better. What a pleasure it was to speak to Tansel Ali; four-time Australian memory champion, executive memory coach and TV personality who has featured on the likes of ‘Redesign My Brain’. Tansel once memorised the entire Sydney Yellow Pages, so this guy’s certainly qualified to comment on matters of memory!

Read on for some of Tansel’s best memory tips:

**  The emphasis should not simply be about gathering information, it’s about what you do with it next.

**  Set a plan for what you need to memorise and compartmentalise each part of the process.

**  Visualisation and association is paramount. If you meet someone for the first time, associate an image with their name in order to create an emotional connection.

**  Most of our brain capacity isn’t used, so there is plenty of room to memorise more if you get it right.

**  If you train your mind to make the right connections, your outward communication will improve.

**  It’s worth pausing to get out of the zone. The information you take in when you’re in the zone is more likely to be stored coherently if you take breaks and keep your mind fresh.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How stress can affect the memory

**  How to speed read

**  How to stave off distraction

**  Visualisation techniques

**  The science of trigger points

**  How best to start sharpening your memory

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free 3-hour workshops across Australia. Go to http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au for dates.

**  Leave a review of BBF on the itunes store and gain access to some members-only training on user experience. This is a great, hour-long video called “The three secrets to making your website convert visitors into customers”. All you have to do is leave a review, copy the text and email it to ben@maxmyprofit.com.au and you will be given access to the training.

**  Tansel’s website: http://www.tanselali.com

**  Tansel’s recommending reading: Tony Buzan – Use Your Memory

**  Tansel’s two books: The Yellow Elephant & How to learn almost anything in 48 hours

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Call to action:

Remember, it isn’t just about remembering facts. Exercising your memory can make a big difference to many other important areas of life.

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF147_How_to_Memorise_Anything_with_Tansel_Ali.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This week we’re deconstructing the sales process with someone who is not only a sales expert but who has walked the walk himself as an entrepreneur. Carl Gould had built three multi-million businesses by the time he was 40, and has since written three bestselling books on sales and business development. As a consultant he has worked with over 5,000 businesses on their sales function.

Carl’s energy and passion for the subject matter really is incredible – there was just so much gold in the conversation.

 

Check some of Carl’s top tips:

**  You cannot be a business owner unless you know how to sell and market yourself. If you can’t you will not survive.

**  You don’t have to be a particular ‘type’ of salesperson. You don’t need to be pushy. It’s more important to have full belief in your product.

**  In selling, there is no prize for second place. Coming last is better than second. Make sure you qualify your leads properly so you don’t waste resources coming second.

**  Always make sure you create an ideal client profile. Who is the most likely person that would benefit from your product and service, and why would they?

**  Think about these key things when profiling your buyer: ‘What keeps my ideal buyer awake at night?’ ‘What makes them get yelled at when they get home?’ ‘What’s going on in their life and business right now that makes buying from your business an urgency?’

**  Find what your clients are most passionate about and design your product and services around that.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**  How to outsource sales

**  The different steps of the sales cycle

**  How to create leads

**  How to stop people dropping out of the sales cycle

**  How to find the right sales people

**  How to correctly incentivise sales people

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Ben’s free business growth workshops across Australia. Go to http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au for dates.

**  Leave a review of BBF on the itunes store and gain access to some members-only training on user experience. This is a great, hour-long video called “The three secrets to making your website convert visitors into customers”. All you have to do is leave a review, copy the text and email it to ben@maxmyprofit.com.au and you will be given access to the training.

**  Carl’s website: http://www.carlgould.com

**  Carl’s book “Biz Dev Done Right” can be bought here

**  Email Carl: carl@carlgould.com

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

We’ll leave you with a great inspirational quote from Carl: "Anybody can sell - you just have to be fully bought into the product, understand the customer and give them the opportunity to buy"

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF146_Biz_Dev_Done_Right_with_Carl_Gould.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

In an age where digital reigns supreme, it’s easy to be swamped by all of the options out there. This week we have Murray Jess on the show – a man who can cut through all of the noise and help you focus your marketing efforts.

Murray is the manager and managing director of Zoo Republic, a top Sydney marketing agency that has worked with the best of the best, including Coca Cola and Cannon.

Check out his no-nonsense marketing tips:

**  Fragmentation allows you to understand customers better.

** Always be clear on your proposition.

** Take time to step back from your day to day. What are you REALLY offering?

** Work out your marketplace, understand their pain points and make sure your brand actually solves them.

** Open up dialogue with your customers where possible. Feedback is vital.

** Don’t forget that human beings are still driving digital marketing. The principles of message, trust and delivery are still the same across each digital marketing medium.

** You don’t need to be on all channels. It’s easy to waste money trying to market too widely.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The modern take on lead generation

** Why the Uber model is so effective

** How to segment your marketplace

** When to outsource the marketing function

** The power of referrals

** How to court advocates 

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Leave a review of BBF on the itunes store and gain access to some members-only training on user experience. This is a great, hour-long video called “The three secrets to making your website convert visitors into customers”. All you have to do is leave a review, copy the text and email it to ben@maxmyprofit.com.au and you will be given access to the training.

** Murray’s company website: http://www.zoorepublic.com.au

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

As Murray says, the principles of marketing that have applied throughout all time still apply now. Make sure you understand the objectives of your offering then the rest is easy!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF145_Why_your_Marketing_is_Failing_with_Murray_Jess.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This week we have a great conversation about how you can use your business as a vehicle to educate and do good. Our guest is Patty Alper, author of the book “Teach To Work” and founder of the Alper Portfolio Group, the Alper Foundation and the NFTE Network. Through these organisations Patty has mentored thousands of young people, and has a great insight into just how beneficial mentoring can be for both the mentor and the pupil, and how mentoring is becoming increasingly important for the future of the world economy.

See below for some great mentoring insight:

**  Through mentoring you can give your business a human face. Building better links with your community in this way will have obvious benefits for marketing and sales.

** Mentoring can help with recruitment. Millennials want to work for companies that display a social conscience.

** Mentoring can be very inspiring. Your pitch is likely to be worth a lot more than anything a famous celebrity could ever say or do, because you are in the same room as receptive young people and on their level.

** Everybody in business who has the time should be a mentor. The education system has been proven to be inadequate for the current employment needs of the world.

** Schools and local organisations are normally very receptive to people who offer mentoring.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

 

** How your business can benefit by being a mentor

** How can you actually start to be a mentor?

** Business mentoring success stories

** Why is there a skills gap?

** How educators can prepare the youth of today

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Leave a review of BBF on the itunes store and gain access to some members-only training on user experience. This is a great, hour-long video called “The three secrets to making your website convert visitors into customers”. All you have to do is leave a review, copy the text and email it to ben@maxmyprofit.com.au and you will be given access to the training.

**  Ben’s Business Fast Track seminar: “5 stages of building a business that doesn’t rely on you”. Dates for September are still available. Go to http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au

**  Patty’s book “Teach To Work” can be bought here

**  Patty’s website: http://www.teachtowork.com

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

Mentoring is quite simply a win-win scenario for both parties, and from what Patty said is quite easy to get into. Think seriously about sharing your skills!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000


Every company needs a good website, but so many sites fail in the most basic areas. Help is at hand this week from Pete Kvist; a straight-talking and highly entertaining expert on the subject, and author of the book “Why Most Websites Suck”. He travels around the world giving speeches on the matter, but we’re lucky to have him on BBF for an hour to help you with your business.

Read on for some of his sage advice:

**  Think about the scare stories of when people get their car serviced but they’ve paid for something that hasn’t been done. Websites can be exactly the same. Do some basic research and watch out.

**  Don’t build your own website. If you have a leak in the house you call a plumber, so you should treat websites in the same way.

**  If you don’t have a website, people are still searching for you online, but the big question is: do you have control of the information that people will find about you? That’s why a good website is vital.

**  Your website is not simply an online brochure. Don’t go in with too hard a sell – you need to build people’s trust.

**  You only need to spend a small amount of time researching websites to protect yourself when working with web developers/designers. A book, one or two blog articles and a podcast like this one should be more than enough.

**  Think about the reasons why you’ve clicked away from a website in the past, and then see if your website does any of the same things.

**  Fully understand what people are most likely to look for on your site and make it as easy as possible for them to find it. Don’t automatically give each of your offerings an equal priority.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

 

** What you need to know to properly brief a web developer

**  The three things you must have on your homepage

**  What Google Analytics can do for your site

**  How to craft the right opt ins

**  How to use persuasive imagery

**  The theory of Google advertising

**  How to create a persuasive giveaway

**  The importance of a landline phone number

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**  Leave a review of BBF on the itunes store and gain access to some members-only training on user experience. This is a great, hour-long video called “The three secrets to making your website convert visitors into customers”. All you have to do is leave a review, copy the text and email it to ben@maxmyprofit.com.au and you will be given access to the training.

**  Pete’s website: http://www.petekvist.com

**  Pete’s book can be bought here

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

As Pete said when asked to give a tip on how people can be more efficient… “do something now”! There are so many small an achievable steps that you can follow from this conversation with Peter, so it would be rude not to!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF143_Why_most_websites_suck_with_Peter_Kvist.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Being a podcast that’s 142 episodes old it really is about time we talk about podcasting! It’s done so much for Maxmyprofit so there’s no reason why it can’t transform your business. Our guest this week is the head of content at spreaker.com – a comprehensive podcasting platform that can enable literally anyone to get going as a podcaster.

Rob has been podcasting from pretty much the beginning of the podcast era in 2004, having started off as a live broadcaster on local radio in Seattle. He saw the opportunity that podcasting provided and began to syndicate the show around the world, selling advertising and generally monetizing the whole project. Since then his podcasting expertise has seen him work for the likes of Microsoft.

This guy sure knows his stuff – here are some of his top tips:

**  Look at yourself and look at how you’re trying to reach your base of possible customers… would a podcast work for this?

**  Consulting-style businesses where you’re basically selling yourself are ideal for podcasting.

**  Understand your measures of success. Your show doesn’t have to have 1 million listeners. It could be enough to have 500 avid listeners based locally.

**  Every year, podcasting listenership numbers increase.

**  Think of the potential longevity of your show before you start. Can you actually sustain it after a few shows? Will you run out of ideas?

**  Get going with it now! Don’t wait around and pre-record a load of them. Accept that you will get better on the job.

**  Audiences are built around consistency. You will probably be more successful with your podcast if it’s weekly rather than monthly.

**  Understand what production time you can dedicate. If you don’t have time for post-production, you can make up for that by slick pre-production that means you basically make the show ‘live’ and don’t need to do extensive editing.

**  Listen to other people’s shows and get some ideas. There is nothing wrong with this at all. Just take the best bits from the shows and find your voice!

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

 

**  Is a podcast for me?

**  The differences between radio and podcasting

**  The advertising potential of podcasting

**  The age/gender split in podcasting

**  The cost of hosting podcasts

**  How to start your own podcast

**  The right frequency for podcasts

**  How software can effectively work as a mixing desk

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

 

**  Leave a review of BBF on the itunes store and gain access to some members-only training on user experience. This is a great, hour-long video called “The three secrets to making your website convert visitors into customers”. All you have to do is leave a review, copy the text and email it to ben@maxmyprofit.com.au and you will be given access to the training.

**  Listen to Rob’s weekly Spreaker live show for more hints and tips on podcasting (broadcast on Wednesdays at 3pm PST)

**  Connect with Rob on twitter @robgreelnee and at http://www.robgreenlee.com

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

If listening to this podcast wasn’t enough to prove the value of podcasting to your business, then hearing just how easy it is thanks to the kind of services that Rob provides should be enough to persuade you to take the plunge. Just go for it and get podcasting!!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF142_Podcasting_as_a_Marketing_Strategy_with_Rob_Greenlee.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Get your presentation skills right and you can totally transform your business, so listen up to our esteemed guest Jon Yeo. Jon is the licensing curator of TEDx Melbourne and has worked as a specialist consultant for numerous TEDx speakers, so he understands exactly what it takes for speakers to succeed at the highest level.

There were so many pearls of wisdom from Jon, which were delivered clearly and succinctly as you can imagine! Here are some of the highlights:

 

**  Speaking is becoming more relevant. In an era where words have been reduced down for mediums like Twitter, TED-style talks (18 minutes or less) are more relevant than ever.

**  On-demand education from talks is becoming more popular by the day, because of how fluid people’s careers are these days. People need to learn a lot of different things throughout their career but often can’t justify learning in the same academic depth as they used to.

**  Good communication is a balance of relevance and engagement. Think ‘content’, ‘context’ and ‘intent’.

**  When giving a talk, get over the fact you’re transferring knowledge. The emphasis should be on giving insight. Aspire to get your audience to say “tell me more about that”.

**  It takes and average of 25 times to fully ‘embody’ your content. The amount of practice you need to put in when speaking is to get you to the point where you are so ‘embodied’ in your content, your delivery sounds natural.

**  The greatest speakers have the ability to change the tone, pitch and positioning of information.

**  Always remember your audience. This sounds obvious, but you must think long and hard about what they might want to hear, and give them a message that’s digestible.

**  Be clear on your desired outcome at the end. That way you know what content to leave out.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

 

**  How long you should practice for a talk

**  How to market yourself to TEDx

**  How to cram your message in to 18 minutes

**  The 9 dimensions of communication

**  What is the right amount of content

**  The benefits of speaking coaching

**  The 5 levels of understanding

**  Do we still need subject matter experts?

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

 

**  Ben’s free business planning template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  To connect with Tim on Linkedin, send him a request beginning with the sentence “Jon, I heard your interview”

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

As Jon said, think of the potential loss of opportunity if you stuff up your pitch/speech. This is a fundamental part of business that you need to master!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9811 5000

Direct download: BBF141_How_to_make_your_presentation_compelling_and_engaging_with_Jon_Yeo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We get deep and spiritual with our guest this week, as Margie Warrell talks us through how to face our fears in business and in life.

As an author of multiple books, Margie has certainly walked the walk. She is the first ambassador for Women in Global Business, and is also an ambassador for Beyond Blue, helping to remove the stigma attached to mental health. And for good measure, she’s climbed Kilimanjaro, and has interviewed the guest that would end all guests for BBF, Richard Branson! Some day we will make it happen!

Keep reading for some great tips from Margie:

 

**  It’s not what we think to fear, it’s what we link to fear. We create worst-case scenarios, rather than focusing on what we can gain.

**  As humans we’re wired to certainty, but this can be the worst thing. To take your business to another level, you need to make brave decisions.

**  Before a big decision, think “if I wasn’t afraid, I’d do this”.

**  Think in an experimental way where you the kind of decisions you need to make are more about dipping your toe in than being all or nothing.

**  Expand your circle with ambitious people.

**  Write down your visions on paper – don’t just think about them. It brings everything to life.

**  Moving away from pain is a stronger motivator than moving towards pleasure.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

 

**  How to use fear to your advantage

**  Imposter syndrome

**  The definition of a ‘smart risk’

**  The seven core steps to make your mark

**  How to get out of a rut

**  The potential of embracing discomfort

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

 

**  Ben’s free business Ebook: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Margie’s website: http://www.margiewarrell.com

**  Margie’s latest book, ‘Make Your Mark’ can be purchased directly here: http://www.makeyourmarkguidebook.com

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

When Margie quoted Mark Twain during the show, it said it all. Take heed of this: “I’ve known a great many troubles in my life and most of them never happened.”

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9811 5000

Direct download: BBF140_Making_Your_Mark_with_Margie_Warrell.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We all need a good company website, right? So it’s lucky we have a man on the show who cuts through the bullshit and gives us all the best shortcuts we need to “turn people’s websites into rockstars”.

Our guest this week is Jon Hollenberg, a man with 18 years of experience and thousands of websites behind him, having worked with clients as big as Qantas and Jeep. This man really knows his stuff!

Here are some great pearls of wisdom from Jon:

 

**  40-45% of businesses don’t have a website. Don’t be one of them!

**  A website has a lifecycle, you have to keep innovating and investing.

**  People scroll more these days, so you don’t need to cram everything into an old-fashioned “above the fold” layout.

**  Do not forget how important mobile responsiveness is.

**  When devising a website, have clear intent, i.e. Who is your client? What do you want them to do? How do you measure it?

**  Remember you need to dedicate time and effort to create fresh content for your site. The real work starts after you’ve built the site.

**  Have an ongoing relationship with your site designers and builders. Tweaks can make a big difference.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

 

**  The importance of mobile optimisation

**  The power of Google analytics

**  The lifespan of a website

**  The assets you need to keep your website relevant

**  Diagnostic tools

**  How to blog effectively

**  The power of video content

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

 

**  Ben’s free business Ebook: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  John’s book can be found on his website here

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Free giveaway of John’s book on BBF Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

Jon’s great quote is a good one to end with: “Be clear on what success actually looks like, and work out how to get there”.

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9811 5000

Direct download: BBF139_How_to_get_your_website_firing_with_Jon_Hollenberg.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Spending big money on marketing and advertising is second nature to many businesses, but all too often they treat recruitment as an afterthought. Our guest this week, Roberta Matuson, explains just how important good recruitment is to your business, and gives us some great shortcuts that you can put into action today.

Roberta has a great track record in the business, having helped the likes of Microsoft, General Motors and The Boston Beer Company. She has also written two books on recruitment, one of which was listed in the Washington Post’s Top 5 business books.

Read on for some of Roberta’s best advice:

 

**  The leader of a company is all-important to recruitment. That’s what attracts the talent.

**  “Companies need to change their teams into recruiting machines” - don’t just defer to HR and wash your hands of it!

**  Don’t think badly of candidates who are unemployed. If they’re good enough, they’re good enough.

**  Linkedin is a great way of screening candidates - you can quickly check the credentials of people via your own extended networks.

**  Once you start the process of recruitment it’s vitally important you commit the time to see it through. Follow up those CVs and book in those interviews, otherwise the best candidates will be tied up elsewhere.

**  Always be in recruiting mode - a good waiter or bar person could be excellent for your company, so don’t be afraid to offer people opportunities when you stumble across them.

**  Don’t underestimate mature workers - you don’t always need to chase potential.

**  Recruiting is not just about finding new people - it’s about retention. Keep your best staff and you won’t need to work so hard on recruitment.

 

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

 

**  How to attract the best talent

**  The importance of authenticity

**  How to recruit for sales

**  Recruiting on Linkedin

**  When it’s appropriate to check people’s social media reputation

**  The value of a contract recruiter

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

 

**  Are you an accounting firm looking to offer business advisory services? Are you a client of an accountant who wants your accountant to get more proactive? Contact ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Ben’s free business Ebook: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**  Roberta’s website: http://www.matusonconsulting.com

**  Roberta’s books can be bought here

**  All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**  Facebook: www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood

**  Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**  Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

 

If you don’t get your recruitment right, your company will never fulfil its potential. Take note!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF138_How_to_pull_top_talent_toward_you_with_Roberta_Matuson.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We spend so much time talking about the detail of day-to-day business, but what about life after business? Focusing on an exit plan is vital to ensure that your business enhances your life in the way that you want it to, and at the same time will make your day-to-day business more effective.

We have Australia’s leading exit planner on the show this week to show us the ropes on all-things exit planning. As well as being the largest succession planner in the country, Craig West has been awarded Exit Planner Of The Year, and more importantly has received the even greater accolade of being invited back onto this show because he was so good last time!

Keep reading for some of his top tips:

 **The number one problem with SMEs is over-reliance on one person at the top of the organisation.

**Make a succession plan, even if you have no intention of selling up any time soon.

**You can triple or quadruple the value of your business if you do a proper exit plan.

**Do not underestimate the value of your competitors. They are likely to pay better money for your company than standard investors.

**It isn’t all about the sale price of a business - think about life after business.

**Don’t do it yourself - always use an advisor for your exit planning.

**You should spend 20% of your time working ‘on’ your business rather than working ‘in’ your business.

 

 In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**How long an exit can take

**How to maximise the potential exit options

**How to make your business attractive to a strategic buyer

**An employee share option explained

**How to sell to a listed company

**How to plan for life after business

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**Are you an accounting firm looking to offer business advisory services? Are you a client of an accountant who wants your accountant to get more proactive? Contact ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

**Ben’s events across Australia: http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au

**Ben’s free business Ebook: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**Craig’s succession planning service: http://www.successionplus.com.au

**All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

**Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

 

 

As Craig says, it’s very easy to put off exit planning because it doesn’t feel like it’s fundamental to the day-to-day, but if you listen to the show you’ll realise just how vital it actually is. Make sure you get your plan in order!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000


Have we got a colourful guest for you this week! This man had actually written his own suicide note, but here he is today inspiring all who listen to him. Tony Grebmeier’s story is just incredible: he’s the founder of Ship Offers (an Inc top 5,000 company); by the age of 18 he’d had a grand total of 16 jobs; and in 1996 he was ahead of the curve and founded a web marketing company in Silicone Valley. Oh and he’s also a radio presenter who does an awesome line of voice impressions!

Tony’s had it all, lost it all, and then made it again, and importantly he’s learnt from these ups and downs how to do business and life in a sustainable way. The show is worth listening to just for Tony’s life story, but he also gave some great tips about how to manage yourself and others:

**Sales in business is about giving people a story to understand what the product or service you’re selling will do for their lives

**Build relationships before you try and sell anything

**Find people for your business who have the skills you don’t have

**Coaching matters: Tony spends over 100,000 per year in coaching and mentoring

**Make the effort to build up people’s self worth, and work with them rather than above them

**Asking is a sign of greatness, not a sign of weakness

**A business owner has to stay in the trenches with their team

 
In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**Tony’s incredible story

**The importance of sales to business

**The value of mentoring

**Journaling routines

**The ‘braindump exercise’

**The power of the right mindset

 
Resources mentioned in this episode:

**Free business training from Ben. June dates in Newcastle, Brisbane and Melbourne. More information here

**Ben’s free business Ebook: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**Tony’s radio show: http://www.tonygshow.com

**Tony’s email address: tony@shipoffers.com

**All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

**Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

**Subscribe to BBF on iTunes

**Subscribe to BBF on Stitcher

 
Tony’s take on life is just great. There is just so much to learn from the man!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF136_Building_an_8_figure_business_with_Tony_Grebmeier.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Ever wanted to write a book but you don’t have the time and you don’t know how to get it out there?

 

Our guest this week will help you get over this. Jacqui Pretty has made it her business to realise the ambitions of entrepreneurs big and small by helping them get their books to market, so it was great to speak to her to get her insight on the marketplace. Read on for some great tips, and as you’ll see, it’s easier than you think…

**You should see a book as more than just something that needs to sell. It is a low-risk way of clients getting to know you and so is a great tool to help you upsell a more expensive service.

**Don’t worry about giving away too much in a book. By delivering genuine value you earn the right to upsell your services.

**Being the author of a book automatically gives your voice credibility in the marketplace.

**You only need to put in the work to produce a book once and then forever it can serve as an advertisement for your business/service.

**Always create an outline of your chapters and then drill down further into headings and sub-headings. Sitting in front of a blank page is a surefire way to waste time and to lose focus.

**Consider a print-on-demand service. This can help you hedge your bets when it comes to publishing.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**How a book can help you stand out from the noise

**How long it should take to write a book

**The ideal length of a book

**Is it worth using a ghostwriter?

**Ebooks V ‘real’ books

**Different publishing deals

**The power of a distributor

**Is Amazon worth it?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

**Free business training from Ben. June dates in Newcastle, Brisbane and Melbourne. More information here

**Ben’s free business Ebook: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**Jacqui’s site: http://www.grammarfactory.com

**Jacqui's Guide: http://grammarfactory.com/awesome-book-guide/

**The Price of Self-Publishing Article: http://grammarfactory.com/self-publishing/costs-much-price-self-publishing-book/

**All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

**Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** Subscribe to BBF on iTunes

** Subscribe to BBF on Stitcher

There are many different ways of getting a book to market and the benefits can be huge for your business. Take on board what Jacqui said and start writing!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF135_Turning_Entrepreneurs_into_Authors_with_Jacqui_Pretty.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

What a great story we’ve got for you on the show this week. Matt Miller’s situation got so bad he was turned down for a payday loan, but he turned it all around and became a prolific franchiser in a marketplace that literally any of us could enter.

After 10 years as a pilot and a number of false dawns in the corporate world, Matt read the legendary book ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ and became fixated on the idea of earning passive income. He eventually carved out his nice in gumball machines and school fundraising, and today his business is going from strength to strength.

Read on for some of his great wisdom:

**We should all strive to generate income without having to exert ourselves.

**It is possible to have a fruitful business without sacrificing time with family.

**Hire a coach! It totally transformed Matt. Elite sportspeople have coaches so why don’t we?

**When you hit your major goal, find a way to be challenged to aim for another one.

**Do what you can to remove yourself from the hub of the business. If Matt had never done this then the business would have ground to a halt when he had a heart attack.

**The speed of the business is determined by the speed of the leader.

**The most important investment anyone can make is in themselves.

 
In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**The power of passive income

**How to create flexibility in your work

**How Matt was inspired to give something back to children

**The ins and outs of franchising

**How to scale a franchise

**How Matt’s business survived when he was absent recovering from a heart attack

**Matt’s definition of success

 
Resources mentioned in this episode:

**Free business training from Ben. June dates in Newcastle, Brisbane and Melbourne. More information here

**Ben’s free business planning template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**Matt’s book: Live Your Dreams: The Top 10 Reasons Why You Need Your Own Vending Business

**Matt’s website: http://www.ssvbusiness.com

**Matt’s comic books can be bought here. Use the code ‘apepower’ for a special discount.

**All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

**Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

**Subscribe to BBF on iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

**Subscribe to BBF on Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

 
Matt’s whole story is a great example of what can be achieved if you think beyond your core day-to-day work. For just a small commitment of time in the first instance, Matt has shown the power of just trying something new.

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000


What a diverse character we have on the show this week; AFL footballer, TV presenter, MC, international media agent… what hasn’t this guy done?!?

As you can imagine we had a great chat with Troy Gray. He’s got so much insight from his amazing journey in business and in life, so it was a great privilege to have him on the show sharing it with us. Read on for some of the top tips that came out of the conversation:

**Go to the end users in your marketplace and find out what they want rather than what you want.

**Don’t ask too much of new contacts. Take an approach like this: “You’re a person who inspires me, and I’ve got an idea that can make you money. If you’d like to hear more then get back to me”.

**Remember the concept of the elevator pitch – don’t write long emails first up.

**People who are successful tend to love being asked what they think. Asking for advice is a great foot in the door with eminent business people.

**Really really listen to what people are saying when you pitch to them – if you can’t entice people to ask more questions during a pitch then that’s a sign that it’s not working.

**Don’t do it on your own in business. It’s nearly always worth giving away equity in order to gain inspiration from others.

**Major on reporting to your investors. Regular reporting is a great mechanism for cross-checking your own logic in running the business.

 
In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**Troy’s incredible story

**How sportspeople are equipped to drive business

**The importance of playing the industry game in order to get people to listen to your ideas

**The power of focus groups**The perception of the Australian psyche in the world of business

**The game of equity

**The right time to stop

**Can pitching be learnt?

**How to be held accountable as an entrepreneur

 
Resources mentioned in this episode:

**Ben’s free business planning template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

**All previous BBF episodes & show notes can be found at http://www.businessbrainfood.com.au

**Troy’s website: http://www.troygray.com.au

**Troy’s media company, Vox Ventures site: http://www.voxventures.com.au

**Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

**Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

**Subscribe to BBF on iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

**Subscribe to BBF on Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

 
How can you fail to be inspired by a guy like Troy? This man speaks the truth. You could do a lot worse than put a touch of Troy into your business!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF133_From_professional_athlete_to_keynote_speaker_with_Troy_Gray.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This week we delve deep into the inspiring story of Pauline Nguyen, who overcame some incredible adversity to become one of the most revered restaurateurs in the world (her Sydney restaurant, The Red Lantern, is the most awarded Vietnamese restaurant in the world).

As a young child, Pauline was smuggled out of Vietnam on a boat and survived squalid conditions in a Thai refugee camp before eventually ending up in Australia. She had a seriously tough upbringing, with her father regularly beating her and then forcing her to work in the family businesses from the age of 7.

 

Eventually Pauline ran away from home and put herself through uni, and so started the journey of monumental success that led her to writing a book and becoming a much-in-demand keynote speaker.

Pauline shared with us some great life advice that she has learnt along the way:

**“Persistency is the new currency: the universe rewards the unreasonably determined”

**By being creative outside of your business, you can prevent yourself from being bogged down in the day-to-day running of it.

**Other businesses on the side can fulfill you better than just blindly sticking to one.

**The moment Pauline’s life as an entrepreneur improved was when she realised there was no way to get her deeper message out there if she was stuck in a restaurant 24/7.

**Don’t micromanage – employ members who treat the place like their own.

**“In our world ‘the obstacle is the way’ – the universe will only hand to us what it thinks we can handle”

**“Those who don’t take action are the most confused”

**“Look after your health – you will feel you have more time if you look after your health”

 
In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

**Pauline’s incredible story

**How food can be a catalyst to learn life skills

**The power of building a community with your business

**How to find the right team

**How Pauline rode out the GFC

**Is there a right time to give up?

**The definition of courage

**Emotional mastery

**The power of a pier group

**The value of meditation

 
Resources mentioned in this episode:

**Pauline’s Book – Secrets Of The Red Lantern buy link

**Red Lantern Restaurant site

**Book Pauline as a public speaker here

**Pauline’s self-help resource can be found here

**Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

**Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

**Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

**Subscribe to BBF on iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

**Subscribe to BBF on Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

 
Pauline’s story is very inspiring. If you listen to just one of her pearls of wisdom, you’ll set yourself up to be way more successful!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000


On the show this week we’re paying special attention to service businesses. Our guest has been there and done it with her own service business, and now she advises other service businesses how they can grow. Her particular area of expertise is in the online sphere, more specifically Facebook and LinkedIn groups, so we picked her brains for her insight on those.

 

Having worked with a whole host of companies ranging from seven-figure online businesses right the way through to the very biggest Fortune 500 companies, Brittany really is worth listening to. As well as social media groups, Brittany gave some great advice about scaling a service business in general:

See below for some top tips on how to use social media groups to scale your service business:

** Don’t get too hung up on the ‘elevate phase’ of online marketing. Yes you need landing pages etc. and an online presence, but once you find your leads, the ‘engage phase’ is more important.

** Try not to send mass messages to Linkedin contacts.

** When in a group on any social media, always be of value to others and help people where possible.

** Think of group interaction as being like a real offline relationship, i.e. don’t just go steaming in there and start selling yourself!

** Give yourself permission to abandon a strategy that’s not working.

** Create a wishlist of people you most want to connect with and set a plan to connect with them.

 
In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to get leads from online social media groups

** The elevate phase

** The right amount of time to spend working the groups

** How to find clients in groups with no-advertising rules

** How a service business can scale

** Feast and famine cycles

** When to say no to clients

** How best to hire for a service business

 
Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Brittany’s company site: http://www.scoopindustries.com

** Brittany’s favourite book for time management: https://12weekyear.com/

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** Subscribe to BBF on iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Subscribe to BBF on Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

 
Brittany has proven just how simple it is to scale up a service business. Listen and learn!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000


We’ve got a serious branding expert on the show this week, and what enthusiasm she has for the whole process. So much great insight here!

Nicole Ertas has been in the business for over 20 years and has worked with some massive global brands along the way, including Wrigley’s, Jim Beam and Nestle. She’s also written a great book called Freerange Brands which explains how the big brands are currently being challenged by the more flexible, dynamic, ‘freerange’ brands.

Nicole shared with us some great tips about how to build a successful brand, and also gave us a sneak preview of her easy-to-understand audience theory:

** A brand’s audience can be split into four sections: the ‘lords’, the ‘lovers’, the ‘hackers’, and the ‘hawks’. Any successful brand must pay regard to each of these different factions.

** The lords – These are the modern-day influencers, the people who have some kind of a following. The challenge for the brand is how to get their product talked about in the everyday environment these influencers inhabit.

** The lovers – These are the people who really want to connect with the brand and the shared values of the community.

** The hackers – The hackers want to participate and interact with the brand.

** The hawks – The hawks are there to strike if your brand lacks transparency or lets people down with their customer service experience.

** Before any kind of brand planning, first you must define your obsession: who are you and what do you do?

** Then from there you need to express why these values are different to the rest.

It’s all about translating these values into a customer experience and making your customers think about more than just price when they see your products. Values and experience are vital.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How Heineken got it right with the repositioning of their brand

** The dangers of only talking about yourself

** How Urban Outfitters uses controversial tactics to succeed

** How to find your brand purpose

** Examples of the best brand experience

** How to measure ‘experience’

 
Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Nicole’s site: http://www.freerangebrands.com

** Nicole on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/freerangebrands

** Nicole’s book on Amazon here

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

 
As Nicole says, “the best brands in this day and age are designed for unpredictability”

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF130_Turn_your_Brand_Equity_into_Brand_Currency_with_Nicole_Ertas.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

It’s very easy to get stuck in the habit of spending hours and hours writing your own content, but this week’s show is a great reminder of how you can feed the machine just as well by using other people’s content and save yourself a load of time while you’re at it.

 

This week’s guest is Scott Scanlon: founder and owner of the Curation Suite app. Scott was kind enough to share with us some great tips on how to find and to share content to keep in touch with your audience:

** Content curation is the easiest type of marketing you do. It’s basically being a reporter for your market.

** Content curation is the number one way of getting started with social media.

** Make sure you add your own thoughts to a story.

** You can do 5 pieces of curation in the time it would take to do a typical blog post.

** If you’re already doing content, adding curation is easy.

** Keep your blog or site as simple as possible and focus on your CTAs.

** Concentrate on one path of conversion.

 
In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The difference between curation and creation

** The inner workings of Curation Suite

** The definition of ‘fair use’

** How frequently you should share curated content

** How to find content to create

** How to use tools to find trending content before your competitors

 
Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Business coaching with Ben for less than 10 AUD per day – go to maxmyprofit.com.au

** Scott’s book, ‘Content Curation Secrets’ free download here:https://curationsuite.com/content-curation-secrets-v2/

** Curation Suite site: https://curationsuite.com

** Business Brain Food Website: www.businessbraingood

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

 
If you’re struggling to find the time to create your own content, listen to Scott and get on the curation train!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 

Direct download: BBF129_Secrets_to_Curating_Content_so_you_get_noticed_with_Scott_Scanlon.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

What an absolute prodigy we have on the show today… 20 years old and taking on the might of Uber! We’re not dealing with your average guy here. Zeryab Cheema has been an entrepreneur since the age of 15, building up an app called Taxi 24/7 which was adopted by over 20,000 black cabs in London.

Not content with that, Zeryab has set his sights on Uber by creating Hop: an ingenious concept that absolutely epitomizes the potential of the sharing economy. Read on for some more info about it:

** 100% of a customer’s fare goes to the drivers

** Drivers receive a base payment of 300 AUD per day just for being on the road

** Drivers rent their vehicles from Hertz

** The ambition is to get to a point where drivers can tap a card on a car parked in the street and start using it

** Raised capital last year, about to close 2nd round of capital

** There are currently six full-time staff in Hop team, 4-6 contractors/promotional staff and 3 board members, including a former winner of the Australian Apprentice

** He intends to trade in other countries using other global partners

** He’s never written a business plan in words – he just uses numbers

 
In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The importance of leveraging from bigger companies

** How it’s possible to take on Uber

** A real-life example of marketplace disruption

** How to approach the raising of funding

** The importance of finding the right people

** The importance of networking with other entrepreneurs

 
Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Business coaching with Ben for less than 10 AUD per day – go to maxmyprofit.com.au

** Hop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/followhop

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

 
If this guy doesn’t inspire you then nothing will! Believe in your ideas and go for it!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

 

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF128_Wunderkid_takes_on_Uber_with_Hop.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve got someone with a pretty colourful background on the show today. Ross Jeffries honed his skills as a dating guru, helping over 60,000 men around the world build up their attraction to the opposite sex. He eventually realised the very same theory could be applied to business, so now he travels the world sharing his wisdom to sales teams and business owners.

 

Ross gave some absolutely great tips that will help you sell better. Keep reading and then listen to the show!

** You’re not selling your product and service – you’re selling decisions and good feelings about decisions.

** Don’t think of yourself as a salesperson, think of yourself as a decision service engineer.

** Your selling attitude needs to go something like: “I’m interested in the sale but I’m invested in my skills”.

** Being energetic and blessing people with good energy can build a bridge to something beyond what you thought you could imagine. But there is a balance between doing this and trying too hard and scaring people off.

** Add the phrase “up until now” to any phrase in your head that you use to summarise your own failures. Then start using ‘ownership language’, i.e. “and now I use my skills and my learning to close my big money clients.”

** There is a difference between being likeable and setting out just to be liked. Don’t ever make “being liked” a target. It should be seen more as a byproduct.

** ‘Pleasant’ is power that’s held in check.

 
In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to eliminate guilt from the sales process

** How to break ‘learnt helplessness’

** The ‘sympathetic nervous system’

** How to make affirmations work for you

** The different phases of incompetence and competence

** The ARIA theory to turn stumbling blocks into momentum

** The common mistakes in sales

 
Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Ben’s free business planning template: com.au

** Free video training from Ross can be found here

** Ross’ public speaking: http://www.rossjeffrieslive.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

 
Ross is absolute living proof that presenting yourself is vital across all aspects of life, not just business, so open your ears and sharpen up your repertoire!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

 


Quite simply one of the best guests we’ve ever had, Carl Taylor is really going to teach you a thing or two about e-marketing in this episode. Not only is Carl a marketing expert who currently runs a highly successful marketing agency, he’s been there and done it as an entrepreneur and even better: he’s been coached by us here at MaxMyProfit.

 

Incredibly, Carl was running his own business when still at school and he did this at the same time as working as an assistant manager in a pizza shop! Although he admits he’s always been a bit of a geek, he only got into e-marketing in order to promote his own business. So this guy’s lived this from your side of the fence, and by his own admission, he’s made loads of mistakes which you won’t make if you keep reading.

Here are some of his top tips:

** Marketing gets people calling you rather than you having to call them.

** Every business has the ability to attract customers with email marketing. What changes from business to business is how much human interaction you need afterwards.

** If you’re not strong at tech, learn what you can about the concepts of the sales and marketing process – don’t worry about how you do it. Always build your own strategy – don’t outsource it!

** Make sure your lead magnet has genuine value and takes a short amount of time to consume.

** Think of the sales funnel as the dating process: there is a whole process that builds rapport before any major commitment.

** Understand if your business is product based V service based. If it’s service based then a longer phase of freebies might be required at the beginning of the process. If it’s product based and the product is a low value, then you can go in more quickly.

** Don’t forget, you can combine free with paid offers in the early stages.

** Don’t get too hung up on opt-in rates. Look at your ROI as your main measure.

** Remember that timing is a factor in the marketing and sales process. If your core offer didn’t come at the right time, keep your prospects warm until a time when it might be. Having done this, always remember that at some point you’re going to need to make them an offer to commit again.

 
In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** Carl’s own story of marketing ups and downs

** An understanding of open rates & opt-in rates

** How often you should email your prospects

** What ROI you should expect

** The purpose of a lead magnet

** Should you give away free ebooks?

** How to use a webinar to qualify your leads

** How to set impulse-buy price points

** The nurturing sequence

 
Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Register for Ben’s workshops across Australia, “The 5-stage business growth blueprint”. http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au

** Carl’s website which includes a free PDF of killer email subjects: http://www.carltaylor.com

** Carl’s agency: http://www.automationagency.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

 
This man’s been there and done it and from nothing has become an unbelievable marketer. If he can do it, so can you!

Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers,
Ben Fewtrell
(02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF126_How_to_Build_a_Business_by_Building_a_Database_with_Carl_Taylor.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

What a character we have on the show today. His insight was so good last time we’ve bowed to popular demand and invited him back. Andrew Griffiths is an absolute wheeler-dealer, having run over a dozen different businesses. At the age of just 18 he scraped together the money to buy a diving shop, and worked a full-time job in a bottle shop in the evenings just to make ends meet. He’s sold encyclopedias door-to-door, he’s had a publishing company and numerous marketing firms, he’s written 12 books, and now he gives TED talks and business coaching to budding entrepreneurs…. is there anything this man hasn’t done?

As Andrew tells us himself, he’s made so many mistakes along the way that it’s impossible to not learn from them. Read on for the great no-nonsense business tips he’s gathered along the way:

** Listen to your gut instinct. Intuition is the number one business tool.

** Let go of disasters. A loss of 300,000 AUD could save you 3 million further down the line.

** There is a price to pay for everything. While your business might seem more complex than other businesses, it probably isn’t.

** Don’t be a small-business martyr and say “I haven’t had a holiday in 10 years”. There’s nothing clever about that! Find ways to work smart.

** Learn how to communicate. That helps bring all your other skills to the fore.

** Always have a desire to learn. Make sure you don’t get so caught up in day-to-day business that you can’t find the time and headspace to innovate.

** Surround yourself with people who pull you up rather than pull you down.

** Never be afraid of making big money, but for true wellbeing, money should not be the number one motivating factor.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The definition of an entrepreneur

** The incredible story of how his business partner stole all of his assets and ran away, leaving a massive trail of debt for Andrew to deal with

** Long working days – a good thing or a bad thing?

** How he tripled his income and halved his working hours in just 6 months

** The top skills a successful entrepreneur needs

** The benefits of pier groups

** Some of the most innovative business concepts from around the world

** The importance of attitude

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Register for Ben’s workshops across Australia, “The 5-stage business growth blueprint”. http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au

** Andrew’s website: http://www.andrewgriffiths.com.au/

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  If ever there was an example of someone who just got out there and had a go, it’s Andrew. Take some risks and scratch that entrepreneurial itch today! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF125_Entrepreneur_is_not_a_dirty_word_with_Andrew_Griffiths.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve got a real hotshot on the show this week. Step forward Wayne Berry, one of the most in-demand sales gurus (ranked in the top 7% of speakers worldwide), and author of four bestselling books.

Wayne is brilliant at giving people detail in easily digestible chunks. If you’re a business owner or salesperson there is just so much you can apply right NOW to boost your sales figures. Read on for Wayne’s top tips:

** All skills can be learned if you have a high enough desire

** Being human is more important than ever in this era of online information overload

** Don’t bombard people with information – always make it look like you want to build a relationship with them

** Try and position yourself as a problem solver

** The basic sequence of behaviour for an effective salesperson goes like this: develop trust, build rapport, ask the right questions and solve the problems that come from the answers

** You don’t necessarily need the gift of the gab to be a good salesperson

** If you’re a business owner it’s vital you do sales training so you can properly understand the performance of your team

** Don’t just set sales targets – set your targets across all aspects of the process i.e. number of meetings, presentations, cold calls etc.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The distinction between a pro salesperson and an amateur

** The different types of salespeople

** The power of commitment

** The need for a sales process

** The value of sales scripts

** How to hire the right salespeople

** The right length of sales meetings

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Register for Ben’s workshops across Australia, “The 5-stage business growth blueprint”. The first event is March 1st : http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au

** Wayne is going to be our Guest Speaker at the Business Exceleration Conference - if you want to see him LIVE click here: http://maxmyprofit.com.au/vip-event

** Wayne's website: http://www.wayneberry.com.au

** Free sales Ebooks and videos at Wayne’s company site: http://www.topgunba.com

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

Wayne has given us some great shortcuts on how to make more sales. Listen, learn and sell! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF124_How_to_Be_a_Top_Gun_in_Sales_with_Wayne_Berry.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve got a razor-sharp guest on the show this week. Listen up if you want to know how to give the knockout pitch you need to raise investment for your business. John Livesay is an eminent funding strategist who is so revered he even has a nickname, “The Pitch Whisperer”! He has authored a book called “The Successful Pitch” and he also hosts the Successful Pitch Podcast, so he is well worth listening to.

Below are some of the highlights of the conversation with Ben:

** A pitch whisperer answers the three unspoken questions everyone has, no matter what you’re pitching. 1. Do I trust you? 2. Do I like you? 3. Will this work for me/will I get a ROI?

** You only have 90 seconds to captivate your audience.

** Focus your story by mapping out in your head who you’re helping, what problem you’re solving, how big the market is and why you’re the right person to execute this.

** Forget selling for a moment. Tell stories instead.

** Telling stories helps you show off your best skills but without it being too blatant.

** When you raise money from angel investors, make sure it lasts 12-18 months.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to distinguish between and investor and a customer

** The power of now

** The structure of a good story

** The characteristics of an investable person

** Where startups should go to find funding

** Equity crowdfunding

** The workings of the seed round

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Register for Ben’s workshops across Australia, “The 5-stage business growth blueprint”. The first event is March 1st : http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au

** John’s website: http://www.johnlivesay.com

** Buy John’s book here

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

“People remember your stories, not your numbers.” If you take that advice from John, you won’t got far wrong! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF123_How_to_Craft_an_Elevator_Pitch_with_John_Livesay.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve changed it up a bit this week. Instead of just a standard interview about a business topic, we’ve responded to your feedback and given you a couple of case studies of businesses who’ve worked with us at MaxMyProfit. Hiring a business coach was pretty much their last resort, but as you will hear, once they got the right guidance and started to change their ways, their businesses turned the corner. Case Study 1 – Darren Clarke (CPC Plumbing): Although Darren had been in business for 18 years before he saw one of our coaches, by his own admission he never felt he’d succeeded in business. His company was losing money (“it was a sink or swim situation”), he had a high staff turnover and he was working ridiculously long hours. Then he started coaching, and the rest is history. In his words: “It wasn’t about my business, it was about me.” “At first it was really hard being told you were the problem but now I understand it to a point where if I feel comfortable, I know I’m in the wrong spot. I’ve got to get out of my comfort zone to make it happen.” Two years later and Darren has seen an increase of 50-60% in his sales, and now he only spends half of his time doing day-to-day business, freeing him up to concentrate ON the business. Case Study 2 – Ben Choy (Otilas): Ben Choy was working himself into the ground as well as his business. When he called for the help of one of our coaches he was working up to 100 hours per week! He was the hamster stuck in the wheel, and things started to spiral. He takes up the story: “There were things we were not billing for where we realised 60-90 days later we hadn’t invoiced the client! You’re so focused on doing the work, a lot of the admin side of the business falls behind and before you know it, you’re out of control.” “Before working with MaxMyProfit my mindset was always negative - I got too emotional working with clients - but since working with Maxmyprofit, that’s changed. I would not have gotten better with that had I not started working with someone like Maxmyprofit.” Now things are looking a lot brighter for Ben. He’s down to 60 hours a week and he’s seen an increase in revenue of 15%. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** Two inspiring stories of how coaching has completely turned around two failing businesses

** The benefits of the coaching community, i.e. quarterly growth club

** How a coach concentrating on you rather than just the business can make all the difference

** The importance of professional help (there’s no shame in it – it works!)

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Register for Ben’s workshops across Australia, “The 5-stage business growth blueprint”. The first event is March 1st : http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

Today’s two guests are shining examples of what might be possible with your business if you took a step back and made the effort to find somebody who can help. Listening to this podcast is a good start for sharpening up your business toolbox, but if you go that one step further, you might just start your very own revolution! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


Our guest this week has hit the highest heights of the corporate world, having just been hired as the CEO of the family business this month. Angus Kennard is now presiding over Australia’s leading equipment hire business, Kennards, which has 165 branches across Australia and New Zealand. Kennards’ record of sustained growth is incredible: over the last 20 years they have doubled in size every 5 years. Angus shared with us some great insight about what has made Kennards so successful:

** If you have a family business, don’t just hire members of your family from the beginning. Have them work elsewhere to experience a different environment.

** Don’t get too hung up on growth. Growth is an outcome. Set company goals to look after the customers first and the growth will follow.

** Make sure your employees share core common values. That doesn’t mean they have to think the same, but there needs to be a common trust among each member of the workforce.

** Be willing to break company rules in order to achieve the goals you have set out to achieve for your customers.

** “You never hear of a company going broke because they don’t owe money”

** Every person has their time in a business. If someone is a good entrepreneur it doesn’t mean they’ll be good at running the business once it grows. The type of leader that a business needs changes over time.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The importance of values to a firm

** How Kennards funded their incredible growth

** The danger of not innovating

** How technology is enabling more Kennards outlets

** How to build a business plan

** The potential of printing out houses

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Register for Ben’s workshops across Australia, “The 5-stage business growth blueprint”. The first event is March 1st : http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au

** Kennards’ facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KennardsHire/

** Kennards’ website: https://www.kennards.com.au/

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

You could do a lot worse than going into work tomorrow and setting your business the Kennard goal of: “Make every customer a raving fan”! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF121_Looking_After_Your_Customers_the_Kennards_Way_with_Angus_Kennard.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

There are so many different marketing channels these days, so you have to work even harder to make sure your message stands out from the ever-growing crowd. That’s why we’re speaking to Gregory Diehl, a man who makes his living advising people on how to do just that.

All of Gregory’s experiences travelling the world and observing the different ways people express their values made him realise that business is exactly the same as humanity... it’s all about the narrative. Gregory has written an Amazon-bestselling book, Brand Identity Breakthrough, but today he has been kind enough to share with us his top tips about how to truly define your brand and your narrative:

** Try your best to do something where there is no competition. Be different in a very specific kind of way.

** Make sure your elevator pitch is always sharp.

** 80% of knowledge you use should be gathered from personal experience.

** Ask yourself three questions: Who am I? What do I do? Why should the person you’re telling this to care? Use the last one to adjust your instinctive answers to the first two.

** Find out what common interests your potential customers share. What kind of videos will your average customer be watching?

** You will be more fulfilled in your business if you’re doing something you personally believe in, and that in-turn will improve your narrative.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to reposition yourself in a marketplace

** How to avoid being a business coward

** Financial planning to mitigate against failure

** How to achieve a unique selling position

** The traits of an armchair entrepreneur

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Gregory’s book on Amazon

** Gregory’s own site which includes the highly popular podcast “Uncomfortable Conversations With Greg” (as recommended by Ben): http://www.gregorydiehl.net

** Ben’s free business marketing plan: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au or email ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  As Gregory says, “A brand is like a projection of a personality”. So identify yours and go out there and project it! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF120_How_to_Position_Yourself_in_the_Marketplace_with_Gregory_Diehl.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Happy New Year folks! And from New Year must come some New Year’s resolutions so we’re going to change it up this week and give you half an hour of uninterrupted Ben as he shares 17 resolutions that can help you in your business.

We won’t list them all here – you’ll need to listen to the show if you want to hear the full wisdom – but here are five of the best:

** Work smarter

** Check your plan on a weekly basis

** Set time aside for you

** Stop blaming outside factors

** Learn how to understand your financial reports

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The best methods to outsource

** Goal setting

** Tips & tricks to help you be more organised

** “Progress” apps

** How your business can automatically give to a good cause

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Ben’s free business marketing plan: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au or email ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** iTunes: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** Stitcher: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

New year, new start, new attitude. Listen to Ben’s advice, dig in and make sure 2017 is your year! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF119_17_New_Years_Resolutions_for_Business_Owners_with_Ben_Fewtrell.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Mike Michalowicz really tells it how it is when it comes to business, so listen up! He’s written four excellent books and has presided over three multi-million dollar companies.

His journey is an interesting one. He admits to thinking he knew it all after his first successful business, and this caused him to waste his money on angel investment and egotistical purchases like fast cars. When bankruptcy loomed he started to write a diary, and it was this that formed the basis of his first book. The rest, as they say, is history! Read on for some of Mike’s top tips:

** We don’t need money to make a business. A lack of money helps spark ingenuity.

** Beware of conventional business plans driven by number forecasts. Mike recommends a tacking strategy akin to sailing, where you zig-zag in 90-day time periods in order to reach an end goal.

** Specialisation is the key. As tempting as it is to diversify, almost none of the most successful companies started that way. It was only when they had a big market presence that they broadened their range, i.e. Microsoft.

** Fewer variables in your business means fewer errors.

** Put your profit into a separate profit account so you can properly keep track of it.

** Identify the market you’re serving and watch their behaviour… what is the market missing that they really need?

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The sales minus expenses myth

** How to major on profit from the beginning

** How to ‘pay yourself first’

** The basics of the ‘profit first’ system

** The danger of familiarity

** The benefits of outsourcing part-time work

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Mike’s books on Amazon

** Mike’s website: http://www.mikemotorbike.com

** Ben’s free business marketing plan: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au or email ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

If you only take one piece of wisdom from Mike, it has to be this: “It’s not what you make, it’s what you take”. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


Gary Douglas is a different kind of guy. In his words “the more weird I got, the more popular I became”. Gary invented the Access Consciousness program which you may have heard us discuss last week with Dain Heer.

Gary has become a bestselling author and actually runs 12 different businesses across the world, and it would appear he practices what he preaches in order to keep it all going. Gary was full of thought-provoking one-liners, so keep reading for some of the best:

** Change is caused by the choices people make

** The moment you decide something is not going to work then it’s not going to work

** The willingness to be different always, will always keep the door open for a greater possibility and success

** Ask yourself: what choice did I have today that I didn’t have yesterday?

** Ask yourself: what else is possible, what else is possible, what else is possible?

** Ask yourself: What can I be or do different today?

** Questions create, conclusions destroy

** Micro-management is the thing that kills your business

** Understand when things own you

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The power of choice

** How to create the right mindset to manage 12 different businesses

** How to be ‘in the question’

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Go to Gary’s Access Consciousness website: http://www.accessconsciousness.com

** Ben’s free business template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au or email ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  Ask yourself the ultimate Gary question… “what can I be or do today to make money right away?” Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF117_Empowering_people_to_see_different_possibilities_with_Gary_Douglas.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We really get into the depths of your mind this week with Dr Dain Heer; a man who has made a living out of inspiring people to fulfill their potential. Originally a chiropractor, Dr Heer was inspired to change his career and practice “Access Consciousness” after it turned around his own life.

Since then he has released 9 books and has developed an Access Consciousness business that has a presence in 143 different countries. As well as explaining some of the key tools from Access Consciousness, Dr Heer gave a lot of memorable insight. Read some of the best quotes below:

** Judgment is one of the biggest killers there is - we have a world full of people who have been taught to judge everything and never ask questions”

** “If you get to a place in your own world where you like you as you are, then people’s judgments are far less relevant”

** “Ask yourself these life questions: How does it get any better than this? What else is possible? What’s it going to take to change this? What’s right about me that I’m not getting? What resources can I locate right now that will help me create this change?”

** “Someone trying to make you wrong for doing something different doesn’t get it”

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The basic tools from Access Consciousness

** Where humanity is falling short

** The importance of upbringing

** The judgment paradigm

** How to handle doubters

** How to become more grateful

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Dr Heer’s website: http://www.drdainheer.com (see dates for Dr Dain’s next classes in Australia + free learning resources)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  Take Dr Heer’s advice and make the effort to unlock your potential. Don’t listen to the doubters! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF116_Empowering_people_to_know_what_they_know_with_Dr_Dain_Heer.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’re delighted to welcome Tom Breeze back on the show – a top YouTube advertising guru. Tom has his own agency over in the UK, and many years of experience in playing the system of video advertising.

Many people waste money on YouTube advertising because they haven’t thought properly about the different audiences that will be viewing their adverts. As Tom explains, it is possible to define the different sections of a YouTube audience, i.e. people who are on YouTube with the specific intent to buy V people who are on there to simply research. Read on for some of Tom’s top tips:

** Almost half of all YouTube users are on there because they either want to buy something or learn about something. YouTube is about so much more than cat videos!

** Because people are using search terms it is easy to know what they’re looking for. YouTube provides you with an audience of qualified leads.

** You can be as specific as identifying the exact video you want an advert to appear on.

** If you had a shop in ‘real life’, think about the different types of people who might be interested in your product, i.e. window shoppers, browsers, and buyers who only need to be given assurance about which product is best for them. Understand how to reach their equivalents on YouTube and tailor your advert accordingly.

** Find out what common interests your potential customers share. What kind of videos will your average customer be watching?

** Don’t forget re-marketing. It is possible to track customers who have already been on your site and target them when they visit YouTube.

** It’s very easy for people to skip ads on YouTube, but if you use the True View type of ad, you don’t have to pay when this happens.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** What makes a ‘good’ YouTube ad

** How to tailor ads for different types of potential customer

** How to target people based on their search habits

** How to get in front of customers

** When to use opt-ins

** Re-marketing

** How to choose the right agency

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Go to Tom’s website http://www.viewability.co.uk and take the “is video advertising for you?” quiz. There is also a lot of video advertising training.

** Ben’s free business template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au or email ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  As Tom says, “YouTube advertising is not rocket science” so you’d be well advised to take the time to learn how it works, or if you don’t have the time, get an agency to do it. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF115_How_to_Master_YouTube_Ad_Targeting_with_Tom_Breeze.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We had an interesting and profound discussion with Damion on this week’s BBF. Incredibly, he’s had over 30 different businesses, but the key message from this is not how he succeeded in business, but more how he succeeded in his life outside of it. The big moment for Damion came when he over extended himself as a real estate investor, and within one year went from a net worth of $5m to a debt of $2m. This set him on a path of self-discovery, and made him understand that the validation he was seeking with fast cars and wealth was a corrosive cycle.

Damion has already written five books on the matter, and kindly shared some of his top tips below:

** Disconnect your self worth with your net worth.

** Make sure you really know who you are. If you don’t know this then there is a chance you’ll be seeking validation via superficial things.

** To truly reinvent your life, start from the inside rather than the outside.

** Don’t believe in the current financial and state systems. Embrace the technology that empowers us to do our own thing.

** Work to live, don’t live to work. Avoid that owner’s trap!

** Never stop listening to people. Surround yourself with people you believe in and trust. They may not give you the right answers, but they may help lead you towards them.

** Do not under-estimate the importance of an exit strategy.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The process of reinventing life

** Internal validation

** The time V money equation

** How to fight insecurity

** The importance of purpose for any entrepreneur

** How playing safe can in fact be dangerous

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Damion’s website: http://www.totalcontrolfinancial.com

** Ben’s free business template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au or email ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

Remember: even though this is a business podcast, your life and wellbeing is always more important. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF114_Is_it_time_to_reinvent_your_life_with_Damion_Lupo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We have some character on the show today. A man by the name of Travis Bell who travels the world inspiring people to create and achieve their personal bucket lists. Originally a personal trainer, Travis was actually a student of Action Coach himself. One day he sat down with his coach and said “I want to be the first guy to franchise personal training across Australia”, which is exactly what he did; opening up 21 outlets along the way.

The confrontational nature of franchising didn’t suit him and he suffered from depression, so he thought long and hard about a change of direction. A number of people began asking him for life training rather than personal training, which set him on a new path. He then made the extraordinary decision to give away his whole business to the franchisees and become a motivational speaker and life coach. He gave his first seminar which in his words was ‘crap’, but during the seminar asked the question, “does anyone keep a list of things they want to do before they die?”. Nobody did, but the whole room was suddenly inspired to talk and to share stories. It was then that Travis’ calling as “The Bucket List Guy” came to be. He came out with so much gold during the show that there really is no need to paraphrase him. Just read the list below for some of the corkers he shared with Ben:

** “People are dying at 40 and being buried at 80”

** “The bucket list is the you that you don’t even know yet”

** “A bucket list is a tangible life plan - our business plan needs to fit into our career plan and not the other way around”

** “Why do we wait until it’s too late to get off our arse?” (i.e. people making bucket lists once they’re diagnosed with terminal illness)

** “Optimise your business so you can do stuff on your bucket list”

** “Only worry about the tsunami when it’s coming up your drive”

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The M.Y.B.U.C.K.E.T.L.I.S.T formula

** How Travis learnt to become grateful

** How methods of schooling shape behaviour

** The definition of ‘sheeple’

** How human beings fear being different

** How often to revisit your bucket list

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** The M.Y.B.U.C.K.E.T.L.I.S.T formula explained in a free ebook: http://www.thebucketlistguy.com/ebook/

** Travis’ website: http://www.thebucketlistguy.com

** Book recommendations:

Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway - Susan Jeffers

The E Myth: Why Most Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It - Michael E. Gerber

The Magic Of Thinking Big - David J Schwartz

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

If you’re not inspired by this conversation then you will never be inspired by anything! Listen to what he says and take some action! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


Dale Beaumont is one heck of a character, and this week he is sharing with us a snapshot of the corporate future: his artificial intelligence app that will give portable business training to millions of people. Dale has already written 16 bestselling books, so he really knows his stuff.

As well as giving us a whistle-stop tour of his revolutionary app, BRiN, Dale gave some excellent advice about how businesses can embrace technology of this nature in this day and age. Read the highlights below:

** BRiN is for all the people in the world who don’t have access to business training events. Phase one is complete, with a library containing over 500 hours of content. Dale estimates that only 1% of the world population has access to the kind of events/training that we might take for granted.

** Dale recommends this basic tech toolkit for any modern-day business: A good CRM, accounting in the cloud, the implementation of project management software, an understanding of how technology can enable outsourcing, active social media, a podcast, a mechanism to collect leads from your blog, and a coherent content marketing strategy that takes in all of the above.

** As important as being up-to-date is, always make sure that you upgrade technology in order to solve a problem that your customers have. The worst mistake is to build something that nobody has asked for.

** Remember that if you successfully implement a system that solves a problem for your company then you might well be able to scale this up and sell it to other competitors in your market who have the same problem. Or even to another industry with the same problem.

** You don’t need to be an expert in the technical detail – no CEO needs to be a coder or programmer – but a broad knowledge of the basics is worth its weight in gold. It’s worth taking the time out to do a little bit of training.

** If something works 95% of the time, then people actually prefer dealing with a machine than a human being. Always remember that if you get a system right, your customers and staff will trust you more.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The inner workings of BRiN

** How reliant people are on artificial intelligence

** The reach of business training worldwide

** The importance of the human voice in modern-day technology

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Show sponsors: Bodyworx physio, onsite workplace safety experts. To book a free onsite workplace assessment, call 02 4952 7033 or visit http://www.bodyworxphysio.com

** Dan’s app website: http://www.brin.ai

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

This from Dale really sums up why it’s important to listen up and embrace the technology: “One day, every company will be a technology company in some way, shape or form. Every business can benefit from having technology. If you don’t embrace this new world that we live in then you will be left behind by tech-savvy operators”. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


This week’s guest Steve Brossman is known as an authority catalyst – he makes it his business to empower people to sell their knowledge services in a crowded market, but everything he said is applicable to any business owner or salesperson.

He’s written a book called Stand Up Stand Out, and once created a plastic ashtray shaped as a bum which sold over four million units worldwide. Steve has many great examples of how tweaking a marketing message in a certain way can massively improve business. Read on for some of Steve’s top tips:

** Have an outcome-based title for your business.

** Get away from selling yourself and your service – sell a blueprint for your clients.

** Your introductions should intrigue rather than inform – it’s about inducing the question from your audience of “how do you do that?”

** Package your service offering in a sentence with words that you wouldn’t normally put together.

** Don’t over-emphasise price in your message.

** Sell for the next step – don’t get bogged down in the whole process.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The changing business coaching market

** How to stand out in a crowded field

** The authority accelerator blueprint

** The difference between positioning and marketing

** The difference between wants and needs

** The logic/emotion buying equation

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Show sponsors: http://www.turkishmurkish.com use the code ‘Action’ to receive 15% off your first order.

** Steve’s website: http://www.stevebrossman.com

** Email Steve: steve@stevebrossman.com

** Free 90-minute business assessment with Ben: Call 1-300-303-569 or visit http://www.businessassessment.com.au

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

Listen to Steve if you want to stand out from the crowd. There is so much that can be done to tweak your message. Do this before you change your pricing. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


It really is vital that companies today embrace the many benefits of being on the cloud. The days of the dusty server room should be long gone, and yet many companies are still holding off taking the plunge.

This week’s guest will tell you all you need to know if you’re thinking about making the transition. Frank Debenedetto is a highly experienced operator in the field, having helped companies migrate their server space over the course of two decades. He knows firsthand just how exposed a company’s on-site systems can be, having worked with clients in his native New Jersey who lost absolutely everything as a result of an earthquake. Keep reading for a summary of what Frank covered with Ben:

** Cloud services allow for a pay-as-you-go model of payment, rather than large capital expenditure. This enables companies to access newer technology more quickly than in the past, because the size of the outlay is not as great.

** Approximately 75% of businesses are still reliant on onsite services – this really needs to change. The cost of properly securing services onsite far outweighs the costs of security on the cloud, and backup is also far easier on the cloud.

** “Software as a service” has pretty much revolutionized the way most companies do business. If you’re still installing things on individual machines using a disc, you’re probably stuck in the dark ages!

** You’re never too small for the cloud. It can help even the smallest of companies, and can be easily scaled up as you grow.

** Take your backups seriously. If you move to the cloud, make sure that you know exactly what backup facilities are offered by your provider.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The advantages of the cloud

** The ins and outs of cyber security

** Email encryption

** Mobile device management

** Two-factor authentication

** Ransomware

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Free business assessment with Ben: http://www.businessassessment.com.au

** Frank’s company website: http://www.tworivertech.com

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

Get with the program and get on the cloud! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


You may have slaved over your business plan and every aspect of your day-to-day, but have you properly considered how exposed you might be to copyright violation? This can work both ways. Maybe your web-builder built your site using illegal images, or maybe somebody else ripped off your content. With either scenario, the consequences can be extremely costly, so that’s why we’ve invited Lin Eleoff onto this week’s show.

Lin’s background is an interesting one, having originally started out as a lawyer who then became a full-time life coach. She now uses her legal background to advise businesses about how to cover themselves, and has multiple companies across life coaching and legal services. Lin kindly shared a lot of valuable advice, so see below for the highlights:

** The first company to register a company name has the right to keep it.

** Be careful of the term ‘royalty free’. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you can use the image for free – it just means that the price of an image doesn’t increase if it is used multiple times.

** If you receive a letter pursuing you for copyright infringement, check the detail of it to make sure it isn’t a scam, i.e. find proof that the person pursuing you is indeed the legal owner of the asset they are pursuing you about.

** If your own company website is infringing copyright laws but you didn’t know about it, you – as the business owner – are still responsible. Always double-check the work of your site builders/content managers.

** Registering a trademark doesn’t automatically mean that you can forget about the issue. It’s still up to you to find instances of infringement and then pursue the offenders.

** Before you pay for legal action against a website that is wrongly using your assets, contact the site’s hosting ISP and ask them to take it down.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The definition of ‘Royalty Free’

** Zero creative commons licenses explained

** The consequences of copying and pasting content

** DMCA takedown notices

** The difference between TM and (R)

** How to react when there is a case against you

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Ben’s photography website: http://www.onthreelegs.com

** Ben’s recommended stock photo library: https://graphicriver.net/

** Lin’s Gutsy Glorious Life-coaching Radio: link here

** Lin’s DIY Legal Toolkit: http://www.diylegaltoolkit.com

** Lin’s person site: http://www.coveryourassetsonline.com

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

According to Lin, if you use the DIY Legal Toolkit, you can achieve nearly all of the cover you need without having to pay for legal advice. Don’t delay – get your house in order! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF109_Cover_Your_ASSets_Online_with_Lin_Eleoff.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Back by very popular demand we have Siimon Reynolds for his third stint on the BBF podcast. Siimon will be talking to us about all things marketing, and there really is no one better qualified for the task.

Siimon is still famous for being the brains behind the legendary “Grim Reaper” anti-AIDS campaign in Australia in 1987. From there he cofounded the Photon Group, which grew into a global empire containing 6,000 employees in 52 different locations across 14 different countries. Siimon then left the Photon Group and set up the Fortune Institute which is dedicated to helping SMEs fulfill their potential. See below for some of the great marketing advice that Siimon gave, and a snapshot of the subjects he covered with Ben during the show:

** Sometimes market leaders are not the companies with the best product – they are the companies with the best marketing.

** Anyone can learn marketing, but it is such a long process to become an expert that it basically isn’t worth it for most people. The best thing is to learn the basics with a view to using that knowledge to effectively manage an external marketing expert.

** Before any marketing campaign, it’s a good idea to work in the following order: 1. Think about your target audience. 2. Tailor the message. 3. Define how to deliver the message.

** Remember that it’s a lot easier to get customers who have already said ‘yes’ to you to say ‘yes’ again, than it is to attract new customers.

** If you aren’t sure an advert is working then it probably isn’t – it’s time to stop. But don’t stop an advert and reject the medium of advertising. It’s more likely to be your ad rather than the medium that is the problem.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** What makes an effective marketing campaign

** How Dominoes revolutionized their entire marketplace with a simple marketing ploy

** The power of surveys

** Digital marketing target methods

** The importance of message V audience

** Split testing

** How long you should spend on social media

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Ben’s free business plan template: http://www.maxmyprofit.com.au

** Siimon’s own site: http://www.siimonreynolds.com

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

Siimon is a shining example of what can be achieved with good marketing. If you follow his simple strategies you will give your business every chance to flourish. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF108_How_to_create_an_effective_marketing_campaign_with_Siimon_Reynolds.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This week’s guest has certainly lived a bit, and what a privilege it was to hear his sharp philosophical insight into the importance of ‘why’ in business. Peter Docker has been all over the world as a pilot for the RAF (he even used to fly the UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher), not to mention work as a crisis manager and an international negotiator for the UK government.

All of this experience has helped him become a highly respected motivational speaker, and as you’ll hear from his discussion with Ben, he’s an absolute master at helping people understand the ‘why’ in business. Read on for some of the highlights of the discussion:

** If you have any aspiration of being a successful business in the long term, you have to know your ‘why’. When you get this clear, it’s amazing how much easier it is for people to connect with your business.

** When we make decisions that just ‘feel right’, the chances are is that we’re feeling the ‘why’.

** A ‘why’ should be strong enough to compel your customers to put it into their own words.

** A ‘why’ doesn’t have to be big and grand – it just has to be authentic. This is how you build trust and loyalty.

** Your ‘why’ shouldn’t just come out of thin air. It should be a culmination of your past and what drives you.

** A ‘why’ is vital to get you through tough times. Without it, where is the incentive to get out of bed and solve problems?

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** Which part of the brain processes the ‘why’.

** What a ‘why discovery’ can do.

** The difference between ‘visions’ and ‘missions’.

** Where ‘how’ comes into it.

** How to come up with your ‘why’.

** How physical symbols and statements can help reinforce your ‘why’.

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Free, complimentary business assessment from Ben: http://www.businessassessment.com.au

** Elon Musk’s launch of model 3 of the Tesla, discussing his ‘why’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HOhOeKwe30

** Simon Sinek’s ‘Why’ programme: com

** Peter & Simon’s 2017 tour of Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland: Book here

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

It’s all very well concentrating on the detail of your everyday business, but if you don’t understand why you’re doing business in the first place, you’ve got almost no chance of success. Listen to Peter! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF107_Harness_the_Power_of_Why_with_Peter_Docker.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

You may remember Johnnie Cass from way-back-when on Big Brother One. Nowadays Johnnie travels around the globe as a motivational speaker, helping people understand human potential. He is also a successful entrepreneur himself, having successfully brought his own underwear brand to market.

Johnnie faced some major battles after his flirtation with reality TV. It was impossible for him to resume the same life he had before, and the paths he chose afterwards didn’t always work out well. He knows firsthand how it feels to be demotivated and disengaged, but he also knows what to do to come out the other side. Read on for some of the top tips he shared with Ben:

** It doesn’t matter what other people think – the only opinion that matters is what you think about yourself.

** Look at problems as opportunities to challenge yourself.

** Do something every day that is a good habit, i.e. learning for a set amount of time.

** Don’t assume that social media is an accurate representation of the world around you. It’s all too easy to compare your bad day with someone else’s good day.

** Express your vulnerability. It’s better out than in.

** Take lessons from the past, but not regrets.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The benefits of “be” rather than “do”

** How men can properly address depression

** The power of vulnerability

** How to work around setbacks from the past

** The difference between empathy and sympathy

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Johnnie’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/johnniecass

** Letting Go by David Hawkins: Amazon buy link

** Daring Greatly by Brene Brown: Amazon buy link

** Ben’s programmes that start from as little as 10 AUD per day: http://www.businessassessment.com.au

** The SMEA has teamed up with Action Coach to deliver over 50 free business coaching workshops across Australia. Go to http:smallbizsept.com.au and find your nearest workshop. And as an extra bonus, any attendee of the workshop will get free membership to the SMEA for a year worth 400 AUD.

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

If you don’t look after your own mind, you won’t ever excel. Think about how you are viewing life… is it conducive to success? Get this right and you’ll give yourself every chance of succeeding in business. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF106_Empowering_people_and_achieving_excellence_with_Johnnie_Cass.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve changed it up a bit this week. Instead of the usual format of Ben talking to a guest, we’ve got almost an hour of Ben talking to you. This business advice is invaluable – it’s the same advice that businesses up and down the land have paid good money for, but today it is absolutely free.

This week Ben focuses on his 5-step business growth system. For the full info you’ll have to listen to the podcast, but you can have a sneak preview of this tried-and-tested system below:

  1. Time Management: People like to be busy, but that could easily mean you’re disorganised. A good business owner has time to stop and reflect.
  2. Why did you start the business? Not enough people ask themselves this. You need this as a clear objective, then you can build everything else around it.
  3. Understand your money: See your P & L as a working document full of management information, not just something that you need to do for the taxman. Design your accounts in a way that suits you, not the accountant. You should be able to easily make decisions off the back of the figures, week-to-week, month-to-month. If you can’t, then there’s something wrong.
  4. KPIs are king: For every single role in your business you need to clearly define what the measurements are of success and failure.
  5. Make sure your business can do what you say it can: Achieve that consistency! As a manager you need to take as much human error out of the equation as possible. Only with foolproof processes can your business achieve the consistency it needs to ensure customers keep coming back.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The key foundations of good business

** The importance of a marketing plan

** How technology can shape your future

** The power of lead-generation strategies

** Return customers V new customers

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Ben’s programmes that start from as little as 10 AUD per day: http://www.businessassessment.com.au

** The SMEA has teamed up with Action Coach to deliver over 50 free business coaching workshops across Australia. Go to http:www.smallbizsept.com.au and find your nearest workshop. And as an extra bonus, any attendee of the workshop will get free membership to the SMEA for a year worth 400 AUD.

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

“Take a day each week to work on the future of your business, otherwise all you will ever have is a job,” says Ben. By reading this and listening to the podcast, you’re taking a step in the right direction. Make sure you keep up the good work! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


We’ve changed it up a bit this week. Instead of the usual format of Ben talking to a guest, we’ve got almost an hour of Ben talking to you. This business advice is invaluable – it’s the same advice that businesses up and down the land have paid good money for, but today it is absolutely free.

This week Ben focuses on his 5-step business growth system. For the full info you’ll have to listen to the podcast, but you can have a sneak preview of this tried-and-tested system below:

  1. Time Management: People like to be busy, but that could easily mean you’re disorganised. A good business owner has time to stop and reflect.
  2. Why did you start the business? Not enough people ask themselves this. You need this as a clear objective, then you can build everything else around it.
  3. Understand your money: See your P & L as a working document full of management information, not just something that you need to do for the taxman. Design your accounts in a way that suits you, not the accountant. You should be able to easily make decisions off the back of the figures, week-to-week, month-to-month. If you can’t, then there’s something wrong.
  4. KPIs are king: For every single role in your business you need to clearly define what the measurements are of success and failure.
  5. Make sure your business can do what you say it can: Achieve that consistency! As a manager you need to take as much human error out of the equation as possible. Only with foolproof processes can your business achieve the consistency it needs to ensure customers keep coming back.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The key foundations of good business

** The importance of a marketing plan

** How technology can shape your future

** The power of lead-generation strategies

** Return customers V new customers

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Ben’s programmes that start from as little as 10 AUD per day: http://www.businessassessment.com.au

** The SMEA has teamed up with Action Coach to deliver over 50 free business coaching workshops across Australia. Go to http:www.smallbizsept.com.au and find your nearest workshop. And as an extra bonus, any attendee of the workshop will get free membership to the SMEA for a year worth 400 AUD.

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

“Take a day each week to work on the future of your business, otherwise all you will ever have is a job,” says Ben. By reading this and listening to the podcast, you’re taking a step in the right direction. Make sure you keep up the good work! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF104_How_A_Fed_Up_Lawyer_Becomes_A_Big_Banana.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

There’s a good chance you’ve already had some advice from our guest this week… it’s just you didn’t know it. Karen Jacobsen is the famous voice of Apple’s SIRI app as well as the voice of 400 million Sat Nav devices around the world, but here she is today, live and fully dangerous!

As well as her massive success as a voiceover artist, Karen has written a self-help book called “It’s Never Too Late To Recalculate” which uses the instructions on a Sat Nav as a metaphor for how people can change direction in their own life. We had a very interesting chat with Karen – she’s certainly had one heck of a life. Karen was kind enough to share with us some top tips from her book as well as some other advice on how to stay well and live a happy life:

** Notice when you’re “off route”. If you’re not honest enough with yourself to acknowledge that there is something fundamentally wrong, it is impossible to change direction.

** Get clear about what you love to spend your time doing. Have that conversation with yourself and focus your everyday life towards doing it.

** At the end of the year, do a “stock take” of your life, i.e. what you accomplished, what you wished you accomplished and what the disappointments were. Then create a list of what you want to do in the subsequent year. Then display this list in a prominent position at home so it can serve as a reminder and keep you focused on the right stuff.

** Try and be around likeminded people who are getting somewhere in life. Being part of some kind of mastermind group can be a great help.

** Don’t wait until you hit rock bottom before making changes. It’s easier to make small changes as you go than to take extreme action in a crisis.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The 5 steps to recalculate formula

** How to listen to your inner GPS

** How to hear yourself think

** The benefits of meditation

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** The SMEA has teamed up with Action Coach to deliver over 50 free business coaching workshops across Australia. Go to http:smallbizsept.com.au and find your nearest workshop. And as an extra bonus, any attendee of the workshop will get free membership to the SMEA for a year worth 400 AUD.

** Karen’s website: http://www.thegpsgirl.com

** Karen’s twitter: https://twitter.com/thegpsgirl

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

“It’s never too late to recalculate” says Karen, so if you feel like you’re just going through the motions in your business, follow Karen’s lead and change direction. The unknown is normally less scary than you think. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF103_Listening_to_your_inner_GPS_with_Karen_Jacobsen.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Many people see customer service as something separate from marketing, but just think about it for a second: what better way is there to market your business than to give your customers such good customer service they spread the word about your company?

After many decades as a public speaker and customer service guru, Martin Grunstein has seen all-too-often how much companies neglect customer service. Time and again they will pay big money for advertising, but when it comes to follow-up calls to customers, they will say they don’t have the time or the money. Luckily, Martin has shared some very simple methods that we can all follow in order to nail our customer service. See below for a quick snapshot:

** When advertising, don’t be too obsessed with price. Talk about your point of difference, especially if that is your service.

** Don’t get into arguments with customers on social media. You need to show you’re responsive to customer complaints but it’s wise to take any debate offline. How about offering to take them for coffee?

** A recent survey found that 14% of people would stop dealing with a business on grounds of price, but 68% would on grounds of customer service.

** Ongoing communication with clients is absolutely key to understanding the quality of your customer service. Follow-up calls are absolutely paramount.

** Understand that you might have to apologise to customers even when they are in the wrong. Sometimes you are dealing with perceptions rather than reality.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The laws of customer service and behaviour

** How customer service can drive ROI

** Customer service trends over the last 30 years

** How easy it is to shine compared to your competitors

** The relative merits of qualitative V quantitative research

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Exclusive offer from this week’s show sponsors BarterCard. Click this link for free advertising and 5,000 line of credit for free: http://bartercard.com.au/actioncoach

** Martin’s website: http://www.martingrunstein.com.au

** The SMEA has teamed up with Action Coach to deliver over 50 free business coaching workshops across Australia. Go to http:smallbizsept.com.au and find your nearest workshop. And as an extra bonus, any attendee of the workshop will get free membership to the SMEA for a year worth 400 AUD.

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  As Martin says “inertia and stupidity are the greatest enemies to business”, so don’t be complacent about your customer service. Listen to the experts and do you best for your customers today! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


This week we had the pleasure of speaking to James MacGregor, a man who’s been there, seen it and done it in the world of tech startups who is behind the brilliant online video-marketing tool biteable.com.

Having worked for web startups and software companies for over ten years he decided it was time to create something himself, and with a bit of help from his brother who had been working on films with Peter Jackson, biteable.com was born. From a thousand users in year one, biteable now has over half a million users worldwide. We don’t need James to tell us that video marketing is on the up – we’ve had plenty of guests confirm this in recent times – but we can all benefit from James’ tips on video marketing:

** Most people access the web on their mobile now, so consider the small screen and potentially small attention span when producing your videos.

** Try and avoid making videos that are more than two minutes in length.

** Make the video look professional. Although we are in an era when it is easier to get away with making video that doesn’t have a high production cost, make sure you get the basics right. There should never be a shaky camera, for example.

** Don’t be scared of being blunt and controversial. There is no one else censoring it so you should use your creative license as best you can.

** Video marketing is a numbers game. Your content is more likely to go viral if you do more of it. It’s better to make five short videos then agonizing over one long one.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How much you should plan content

** The power of templates

** What can be done in 10 minutes

** How important video is to the overall marketing mix

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** James’ video website: http://www.biteable.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  It’s quite simple: if you don’t do video marketing then you will lose business, but the good news is it’s easier than ever to create quality video content. Understanding the inner workings of James’ website is a great starting point. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF101_Producing_Animated_Videos_Online_In_Minutes_with_James_McGregor.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Whoo hoo, we’ve reached 100 not out! Thanks to every single one of you for supporting the show. Bring on the next hundred! For our centenary episode we really wanted to do something special, so we’ve pulled out all the stops to get Brad Sugars on the show, the man behind our whole operation, ActionCOACH. Brad is a multi-millionaire with businesses all over the globe in a variety of different sectors, but he is best known for his business coaching. Seen as that is what we’re all about, we thought we’d pick his brains and get inside his head. Despite his success, does he still practice what he preaches? You bet he does. He told us that ever day of his business life he is constantly speaking to his mentors and coaches. Yes, a multi-millionaire business owner still needs business coaching, even one who has made his fortune as a business coach! The over-riding theme with Brad is one of inclusiveness – that business is something that you can’t crack alone. That’s why we’re here today folks, so keep reading for some more Business Brainfood tips courtesy of Brad:

** If there is one key to Brad’s success it is finding the right people to help run his businesses.

** How do you find the right people? In short, make sure you’re very clear on the type of person you’re looking to hire, what their job actually is, and how their success can be measured.

** Marketing should not just be reserved for potential customers. You should market strongly towards your potential employees. Making videos that are sharable on social media is a good start.

** Do multiple interviews with candidates, i.e. group, formal one-on-one, informal over lunch.

** Plan the next day! As obvious as that sounds, just consider for a moment how much more productive man people are the day before they go on holiday, because they focus intently on what needs to be done.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The definition of an entrepreneur

** How to learn on the job in business

** The importance of rituals

** The importance of brand building

** The benefits of ‘lumpy mail’

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Brad’s website: http://www.bradsugars.com

** Brad’s facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BradleySugars/

** Brad’s twitter: https://twitter.com/bradsugars

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  One great quote from Brad for the road: “Everyone has a level of entrepreneurial flare; the question is, do you act on it?” Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF100_Secrets_of_Building_Serious_Wealth_with_Brad_Sugars.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We spend a lot of time and money on perfecting our brand and message, but do we really understand the minds of our audience? Bri Williams told us a few home truths this week about just how much businesses are missing out on because of a lack of understanding of behavioural economics.

Bri has broken it down into a simple three-part process that anyone can apply across pretty much any area of their business. She has written a critically acclaimed book on the matter, but she was kind enough to share the simple outline of her system with us, as well as some of the following tips:

** Understand how environment can shape somebody’s behaviour. The decisions they make are often swayed by superficial things in the environment, irrespective of the ‘logic’ you may have outlined with your product/service.

** To make behavioural economics work for you, you need to think beyond the end goal of what you want your audience to do. The key is understanding how they can get from the point of not taking action to the end point of taking action.

** When someone’s potential effort is greater than their potential reward, they won’t take action.

** Make your calls to action stand out from the rest of your design. Slick design should not be prioritised over the prominence of calls to action.

** Consider using testimonials higher up your website. To build trust from the beginning is fundamental to the decision your audience makes at the end.

** Understand the power of ‘tension’ in your marketing message. Positive tension, i.e. “only two tickets left” will encourage action.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The three central elements of behavioural economics

** The Say V Do gap

** “Button anxiety”

** How to create social proof

** The “now me” and “future me”

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Bri’s website: http://www.briwilliams.com.au

** Bri’s book “Behavioural Economics For Business”: http://www.briwilliams.com.au/be-for-business

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

Bri summed it up perfectly: “if you’ve ever had a day where you’re bashing your head against a brick wall saying ‘I don’t get it, I don’t know why people don’t do what they say they do and I don’t know why my customers aren’t buying,’ then you need behavioural economics” Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


Sharon Livingstone is a real psychological all-rounder. Her expertise stretches across hypnosis, life coaching, NLP and even as far as emotional marketing. There is a lot we can all learn from someone like Sharon. In every aspect of our lives, there is probably something we can improve with coaching.

Sharon has certainly been there and done it. She has been president of both the QRCA (the largest qualitative research group in the world) and the ICCA (an organisation dedicated to the training of coaches), has a PHD in psychology, and as if that wasn’t enough, she is also a bestselling author. Read on for some of the nuggets that came out of the conversation with Ben:

** “What else” is a more effective phrase for making an extra sale than “anything else?”

** It takes 30 repetitions for our brain to learn a new procedure.

** Your brain is most receptive to reprogramming when you are in a state of hypnosis, so it can be very beneficial to listen to educational audio before you go to bed.

** As a general life lesson, always think about your best possible outcomes in life, and constantly visualize the journey that will get you there.

** Life coaching can work for everyone! Don’t ever assume that you won’t need it.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The process of ‘laddering’

** How emotion features in marketing

** The basics of hypnosis

** The basics of life coaching

** The inner workings of the ‘Breakthrough To Success” workshop

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Jack Canfield’s inspirational book “Chicken Soup for the soul”: https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Soup-Soul-20th-Anniversary/dp/161159913X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469010901&sr=8-1&keywords=chicken+soup+for+the+soul

** Jack Canfield’s book: “Success Principles: https://www.amazon.com/Success-Principles-TM-Anniversary-Where/dp/0062364286/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469011114&sr=8-1&keywords=jack+canfield+success+principles

** Contact Sharon by phone: +1 603 505 3000

** Sharon’s online coaching site: http://www.takethecoachingtest.com

** Sharon’s book: http://www.getlostgirlfriend.com/Book

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast… join the tribe and get exclusive offers at: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  Remember that there are experts across all aspects of business and life that can help you. Sharon’s story proves just what can be made possible with the right coaching. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


Ed Dale first used the internet in 1984, so he’s a great man to speak to about digital marketing strategy. Ed certainly isn’t your usual technology geek. He actually spent time as an AFL commentator and then used his technical knowledge to develop a stats collection system that is still used today by the top clubs and associations in the league. He then built up an internet marketing company that he sold for AUD3.5m, and for the last ten years he has developed and internet marketing programme called “The challenge” which has helped over 300,000 people across the world.

Here are some of Ed’s top tips:

** The biggest challenge in internet marketing today is generating traffic.

** Product creation has become easier.

** The biggest mistakes people make is to develop a product before they develop a market for it.

** All product makers should aspire to become a market influencer.

** Talk the language of your niche, and understand their pains.

** Think about testing your market by spending a small amount on Facebook advertising, before you jump in to a large-scale campaign.

** Most people are accessing the internet on mobiles, so don’t get stuck on producing campaigns for desktops.

** The way you speak to your friends now is a good trailing indicator of the most effective medium of advertising in the future.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to understand the pains of your market

** The value of advertising on YouTube

** How to be specific with Facebook advertising

** The difference in buying intent between Facebook users and google users

** Where email fits in the marketing mix

** The inner workings of “the challenge”

** The merits of using social media V personal email messages

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** This week’s show sponsor, Bartercard are offering free advertising for your business, and have a special offer of 5,000 AUD credit for BBF listeners. Visit: http://www.go.bartercard.com.au/actioncoach

** Free access to Ed’s marketing “Challenge”: http://www.challenge.co

** Ed’s personal site: http://www.eddale.co

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast… join the tribe and get exclusive offers at: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  As Ed says, “there has never been a better time to create a business than now”, so as long as you listen to the right marketing advice, you stand a good chance of making a success of it. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF097_Building_A_Successful_Digital_Business_with_Ed_Dale.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Although Sue has made a career out of her own PR agency, she was kind enough to give us a whole load of tips about how you can get yourself great publicity without having to pay anyone else to do it. Sue spent her early career as a journalist, so she has a great understanding of what a business needs to do in order to persuade the media to cover their stories. What’s more, she managed to get her own business featured on the Australian TV show ‘A Current Affair’ which gave her 40,000 AUD of business within a week. Sue pulled this off long before she was a PR professional, so it is well worth listening to her story of how a small business became national news after just half-an-hour of work.

Sue’s top tips:

** Don’t worry about not being ‘ready’. Publicise your company as much as you can, wherever you are in your evolution.

** Identify what’s interesting to the media and lead with that in your PR efforts. This is not the same thing as just telling the media about what you do.

** Forget about gimmicks and freebies. Remember that most journalists value their integrity, so the best way to butter them up is by fully understanding what their audience wants to read, see or hear.

** When writing a press release, think of the problems that you solve for your customers, and emphasise this in your output.

** Journalists and their audience tend to be interested in what you know about, not necessarily what you do.

** Don’t be offended if the media isn’t interested in what you send them. In as polite and constructive a way as possible, try and find out why they weren’t interested. From that you may well be able to find a better angle.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** When to time the release

** How to get inside the heads of journalists

** How to set a release plan

** How to find the contacts

** The amount of contacts you need

** The merits of using social media V personal email messages

** How to write a press release

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Sue’s “How To” publicity seminars: http://www.publicityforprofit.com.au

** ActionCOACH Business Diplomas: email ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

** Sponsor the show: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au, put in subject line “interested in sponsoring BBF”

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  The message from this is “get over your fear”. It’s highly likely that any business is doing something that is newsworthy, so don’t be shy about shouting about it. The key is to understand who to shout about it to. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF096_How_to_Generate_Publicity_for_Your_Business_with_Sue_Papadoulis.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve gone pretty out there this week on BBF as we welcome Business Futurist, Craig Rispin onto the show. Craig is a world expert on how advances in technology can affect business – he is basically using technology as his corporate crystal ball! He’s worked as a future consultant for some of the biggest companies in the world, like Toyota, IBM, Symantec, Kimberly Clark etc. And he even likes to do drone racing in his spare time… a futuristic sport if ever there was one!

In a far-reaching discussion with Ben, he shared with us some of his tips on how to stay ahead of the game:

** The development of technology is actually predictable – it is possible to find out what is in progress.

** It’s a great time to be an SME. With technology growing at an ever-increasing rate, SMEs are better positioned than large corporates to embrace the change.

** Semi-autonomous vehicles are set to be our next “watershed moment” like the Iphone was.

** As a business owner you should identify these watershed moments and see how you can gain some business as a result of it. It is not just about working with the innovative product itself… how about the many links in the supply chain?

** Make yourself part of a network. When it comes to staying ahead in business, there is real safety in numbers.

The wider point is that managing AdWords is all about fine tuning. There is a big element of trial and error here, so it’s important you stay on top of what is working for you and what isn’t. Be ruthless with the campaigns that are struggling – don’t just wait around for them to come good. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** Why ignoring innovation was the main reason for the demise of Kodak

** The rapid rise of Tesla Motors

** How the world of commerce is currently changing

** The trend of robotics

** The 8 technologies that will impact SMEs in the near future

** How colossal computing can help your business

** The potential of co-working

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Craig’s website: http://www.futuretrendsgroup.com

** Craig’s Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/craigrispin

** Elon Musk books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=elon+musk

** Elon Musk interview @ Code Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsixsRI-Sz4

** Other book recommendations:

** https://www.amazon.com.au/Abundance-Future-Better-Than-Think-ebook/dp/B005FLOGMM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1465261052&sr=1-1&keywords=abundance+the+future+is+better+than+you+think

** https://www.amazon.com.au/Bold-Create-Wealth-Impact-World-ebook/dp/B00LD1RZGM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1465261138&sr=1-1&keywords=bold

** https://www.amazon.com.au/Exponential-Organizations-organizations-better-cheaper-ebook/dp/B00OO8ZGC6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1465261164&sr=1-1&keywords=exponential+organisations

** Abundance Is Our Future TED Talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_diamandis_abundance_is_our_future

** Ben’s free business coaching consultation: http://www.businessassessment.com.au

** Sponsor the show: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au, put in subject line “interested in sponsoring BBF”

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast: http://www.dbtpodcast.com

** Facebook: facebook.com/businessbrainfood

** Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood

** Twitter: https://twitter.com/bfewtrell

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes

** ActionCOACH: http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher

  As Craig says, “if we don’t remake ourselves every few years, we’re going backwards”. Listen to Craig today and find out how your business can keep pushing the boundaries. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF095_Know_First_Be_First_and_Profit_First_with_Craig_Rispin.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Greg Cassar is fast becoming a legend of the BBF podcast… we like him so much that we’ve invited him back for the third time! As one of Australia’s leading marketing coaches, there’s simply no one better at describing the technicalities of marketing in simple terms. This week we major on the world of Google AdWords, and how to use it best to get your business featured on google in order to generate leads.

Here are some of the best snippets:

** Remember the power of advertising on a search engine V advertising anywhere else. When someone types something in to google, they already want something.

** Google only charges you as the client when someone clicks the ad.

** Don’t forget Google Places For Business. You don’t need to pay for the right to appear on their map.

** Although the Google AdWords interface is user-friendly, you’re probably best using a professional for your campaigns in the first instance.

** Make sure any advert drives people to a focused page. A common mistake people make is to create a campaign ad for something specific that merely drives the traffic to a generic home page.

** Google prefers one page to be about one thing – always remember this.

** Track your activity! All of the tracking codes are there as part of the service – make sure you utilize them.

  The wider point is that managing AdWords is all about fine tuning. There is a big element of trial and error here, so it’s important you stay on top of what is working for you and what isn’t. Be ruthless with the campaigns that are struggling – don’t just wait around for them to come good. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to get results from an agency

** How to appear on the google map

** The “relevance + direct response” equation

** “Buying intent key words”

** The potential consequences of using landing page templates

** The importance of call tracking

** The “authority” of a site

** Cost per acquisition versus cost per click

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** This week’s sponsors, Bartercard are offering an interest-free line of credit of 10,000 AUD with a bonus 500 AUD. Visit: bartercard.com.au/actioncoach for an exclusive offer for Business Brain Food listeners

** Greg’s article on “How to do keyword research with google’s keyword planner” (http://com.au/google/keyword-planner/)

** Greg’s site (http://www.collective.com.au)

** Greg’s new podcast (http://www.salesforprofit.com)

** Sponsor the show: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au, put in subject line “interested in sponsoring BBF”

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Facebook (facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  As Greg reminded us, the cliché goes “google knows more about you than your partner”, so make sure you take heed of his marketing advice and get up to speed with it! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF094_How_to_Turn_Google_AdWords_Into_a_Cash_Spewing_Machine.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’re all trying to make money in our businesses, but do we really know how to handle the money? Joan Sotkin explains to us some of the emotional pitfalls related to the process of making money, and what you can do to avoid them. Joan is the author of the hugely popular book “Build Your Money Muscles” and hosts The Prosperity Show podcasts which is now over 200+ episodes old. We know firsthand just what an achievement that is!

Joan is all about an holistic approach to business, having learnt from her own bankruptcy, and also from her inability to cope with financial success. She’s had a long and spiritual journey which began the day she asked herself “why do my brothers have what they want, and I don’t?” Read on for some of the spiritual nuggets that have helped Joan succeed in business and in life outside of it:

** Our emotions are our decisions. Emotions are our bridge from our internal world and the world around us.

** Meditation is a great tool to help find your own good judgment.

** The emotional habits that we learn through childhood can often hold us back. Don’t underestimate the quality of your heart-felt judgment.

** Money doesn’t take care of itself – you have to take care of it.

The main message to understand is that any amount of money means something emotionally. Whether it’s high or low, more than enough or not enough, there is an emotional reaction to it. Once you understand what that emotional reaction means you can find ways to change it for the better, or keep repeating the good feeling. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The emotion around money

** How shame can affect financial judgment

** How “touch” affects our everyday life

** “The identity factor”

** How to handle suddenly coming in to money

** The difference between feeling emotions and burying emotions

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** This week’s sponsors, Bartercard are offering an interest-free line of credit of 10,000 AUD with a bonus 500 AUD. Visit: bartercard.com.au/actioncoach for an exclusive offer for Business Brain Food listeners.

** Joan’s site: (http://prosperityplace.com/)

** Joan’s course: The Financial Freedom Formula (https://www.udemy.com/financial-freedom-formula/)

** Rode Videomic Me - directional microphone for ipad/iphones (http://www.rode.com/microphones/videomicme)

** Videoshop app for editing video (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.videoshop.app)

** Youtube Uploader (http://download.cnet.com/Youtube-Video-Splitter-Uploader/3000-2194_4-75000404.html)

** Sponsor the show: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au, put in subject line “interested in sponsoring BBF”

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Facebook (facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  It’s really important that you judge success in more lateral terms than money earned or money lost. Listen to the show for a load of shortcuts that will tell you how. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF093_Improve_Your_Relationship_with_Money_with_Joan_Sotkin.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We all want a better world, right? Our guest this week will explain just how easy it is for us to use our simple day-to-day business as a path towards a better world. And what’s more, we will discuss the enhanced power of connection that a giving company has with its customers, and just how valuable this can be.

The man with the plan this week is Paul Dunn; a world-renowned business guru, known as “The Wizard of Wow”. It’s certainly the first time we’ve had someone on the show who’s given four Tedx talks – this man is certainly worth listening to. What’s more, he’s one of the reasons we’re here at all, because he actually helped found Actioncoach alongside our good mate Brad Sugars. Nowadays, Paul fronts up B1G1 (Buy One Give One) which is a system to enable SMEs and their customers to help good causes with every single transaction. Paul is all about connection, so below are a few of the key points he made about how to connect with people in business:

** It’s not about getting a ‘wow’, it’s about getting an ‘oh’. Remember that a shock is not necessarily a good way of connecting.

** An estimated 2.5bn emails are sent per second, so we need to think long and hard about how we can make a stronger connection than the competition.

** Consider doing things a little bit differently in order for people to feel compelled to make a connection with you, i.e. setting appointments at unusual times like “3:50”.

** People do not have as much time to delve into the detail of business concepts as they used to, so a few small touches in the delivery could make all the difference.

** Because of the volume of competition out there, building trust has never been more important, and one surefire way of doing that is by showing that your company is conscientious.

  As Paul says, “there has never been a time like this” in the world of commerce. On the one hand that means that competition has never been more fierce, but on the other hand it means that the technology is there to enable businesses and their customers to give something back, and all parties to increase their connections with each other. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to build moments of connection

** Examples of how B1G1 can enable businesses to give something back

** The concept of Behavioural Economics

** “The love triangle”

** How to use “why” as an attractive business proposition

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Paul’s site: (http://www.b1g1.com)

** Book VIP tickets for an event in Sydney with Paul on June 15th (http://www. http://actioncoachanz.com/vip-event)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Facebook (facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Pauls’ concept really is something that is changing the world, so have a listen to understand just how you can be a part of it, and how this can enhance your connections with your customers. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF092_The_Power_of_Small_with_Paul_Dunn.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

It’s always great to get one of our previous guests back on the show to give us a chance to get into even more detail. Alex Pirouz is something of a Linkedin legend, so in this episode we’ve asked him for his advice on how to use Linkedin to court the media.

Alex did his own survey and found out that 94.5% of journalists in the publications he analysed were on Linkedin, so if you want a tool to connect you to the media, look no further. Below are some of Alex’s top tips for using Linkedin to connect with the media:

** You are who google says you are, and a Linkedin profile is a fundamental part of that.

** In your Linkedin profile, think about the possible objections that a potential collaborator may have, and try and answer those.

** Don’t automatically accept every bit of coverage that is offered to you – make sure it is relevant to whatever brand image you want to project.

** When trying to connect with someone on Linkedin, always make the effort to write a customized message.

** Don’t just connect with anyone – it’s always worth checking just how active somebody is, for example.

** At the beginning of your media strategy, create a top 3 publications hit list, and then do a Linkedin search for each relevant reporter.

  Never forget the concept of “adding value” when doing any of the above. It’s an obvious statement, but it’s true. Just like out in the real world, you’re more likely to get something out of people on Linkedin if you build a rapport with them and make it look like you can bring something to their table, so don’t just go steaming in with a pitch asking for coverage. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The credibility of association

** The kind of challenges that journalists face, and how you could solve them

** “The moment of truth”

** How to weed out dodgy Linkedin profiles

** Which journalists will be the most effective for you

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** My Podcast Review (http://www.mypodcastreview.com)

** Alex’s site (http://www.linkfluencer.com)

** Help A Reporter (http://www.helpareporter.com)

** Source Bottle (http://www.sourcebottle.com.au)

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Facebook (facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Linkedin can often be more effective and significantly less expensive than hiring a PR firm to court the media on your behalf. Alex’s simple advice will tell you all you need to know to get started. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF091_How_To_Get_More_Media_Coverage_Using_LinkedIn_With_Alex_Pirouz.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Are you enduring your career, or are you enjoying your career? Our guest this week has kindly given us the toolkit to make sure we enjoy our careers. Mark McKeon has become a master of the art of mind control and high performance, thanks to 20+ years as a performance coach in the AFL and beyond.

What sets Mark apart from many gurus is that he is qualified in the physiology of performance, as well as the mental side. He’s just as comfortable talking about adrenaline and cortisol as he is about positive thinking and prioritising. His book, “The Go Zone”, is a culmination of his years of work and study, so we talked to him about how his “Go Zone” framework can be used by people to achieve maximum performance. Here were some of the highlights:

** Be in control of events rather than letting events control you.

** Stress in itself is not a bad thing – in fact, we all need a certain level of stress to remain healthy – but not recovering from stress is extremely harmful.

** Know your diary three weeks in advance and compartmentalise everything from the most important tasks right down to time off.

** Consider using a buzzer or some kind of automatic mechanism to help you compartmentalise your days.

** Have no shame in letting people know that you are not to be disturbed when you’re in your most important time slot of the day (AKA, your “Go Zone”). You could wear a hat, lock the door, turn your phone off etc. etc.

** Mark’s optimum length for being 100% focused on your own tasks is 2 hours

What’s in your mind has a clear physical impact which, in turn, affects the way you think and the way you perform. This is why getting a hold of each day is so important. The “Go Zone” is part of a framework to make sure you don’t sleepwalk into bad mental and physical habits. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The value of business coaching

** How to buy yourself more time

** How to get over the guilt of not doing work

** What a “Go Zone” means

** How to handle the weekend

** The control of adrenaline

** How cortisol can create unhealthy habits

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Mark’s email address: mark@mckeon.com.au

** Mark’s website: http://www.markmckeon.com/

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group – What should we do for the 100th show? Post your ideas to the group! (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Remember that there is some concrete science behind the ups and downs of the working day - it can be physically measured in terms of adrenaline, blood sugar etc. – it’s not just the random factor of “having a bad day” or “having a good day”. The good news is; you can control it. Have a listen to Mark and he’ll show you how. The science behind it is complex, but the way to apply it is very simple indeed. Now get in that Go Zone! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF090_Work_Life_Balance_and_High_Performing_Teams.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; if your company is not on Facebook, then it should be. If you are on Facebook, then you can benefit from learning about the many different advertising options on offer, so this week we’ve got Samuel Junghenn on the show: a man who knows Facebook advertising inside out.

Samuel has used Facebook to push his own marketing business as well as for numerous different clients, so he has certainly been there and done it. He shared some great tips with Ben this week. We can’t mention them all here so do have a listen, but see below for some snippets:

** 74% of people will look you up online, even if they’ve heard about you before, so your online presence is vital.

** People seeing your ads is not what makes you money – it’s what happens after that.

** Be careful of people who claim to be ‘gurus’ of Facebook marketing. If they’re spending all of their time teaching then they probably aren’t keeping up with the marketing trends.

** The days of flashing banner ads are basically over. Think of your advertising as something that is down-to-earth and, ideally, part of a conversation about an issue that your audience is already having.

** If you’re running a competition, make sure the prize is relevant to a product or service your company is offering.

** Don’t make your Facebook audience too big. Optimum target audiences should be in between 10,000 and 100,000.

** Whatever campaign you do, it is vital you have the right mechanism to capitalize on any increased interest, i.e. a robust CRM system.

** Consider your strategy in three sections: “audience”, “offer” and “follow up”.

  There are many different forms of advertising on Facebook, but be cautious about spending too much money on the most simple methods. It’s worth understanding the ad manager properly and taking more time to focus your campaign. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to target different subsets of audiences

** The different types of Facebook ads

** Layering

** Native advertising

** Examples of how to harvest qualified leads

** Video advertising on Facebook

** The relevance of Facebook likes

** How to measure boosted posts

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Samuel’s marketing agency: http://www.thinkbigonline.com

** Samuel’s personal website/blog: http://www.samueljunghenn.com

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group – What should we do for the 100th show? Post your ideas to the group! (facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Sponsor the show: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au, put in subject line “interested in sponsoring BBF”

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Facebook (facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

The different options on offer can be daunting, but that doesn’t mean that you should avoid Facebook marketing altogether. Even if you need to use an agency to do your marketing for you, you will only get the best out of your Facebook marketing campaigns if you understand the basics. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF089_Using_Facebook_Ads_To_Generate_Leads.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:36am AEDT

LinkedIn is hardly a new phenomenon, but do you really know how to utilise it properly for your business? Our guest this week, Jason Miller, certainly does. He’s the worldwide group manager for content marketing, so you can be pretty sure that he knows what he’s talking about. He came into the world of marketing after a career in music, first as a band member and then as an artist development professional for Sony Music. He became fascinated by the potential of the internet for bands/musicians to interact with their fans, but his employers didn’t share his enthusiasm, so he left and made it his mission to become an expert on all things internet marketing. He’s also written an Amazon #1 bestseller, Welcome To The Funnel, but if you want some of his insight without buying the book, see below, and then have a listen to the show!

** Write a good headline on your profile, and it doesn’t have to be short and snappy. This is your chance to give a brag summary of the services you offer.

** Don’t forget that LinkedIn profiles are searchable on google, so make sure they are optimised properly.

** The most effective blog posts on LinkedIn are commentaries on current news in your industry.

** Remember that anyone who interacts with blog posts on LinkedIn is directly contactable – they are not just faceless usernames like you would see below most other articles.

** Although a lot can be done on LinkedIn for free, it’s worth fully understanding the power of the premium services + also the potential of sponsored content.

** A LinkedIn company page is an absolute must.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to write an appropriate profile

** The power of LinkedIn blogging

** When it’s appropriate to connect with people

** What you get from LinkedIn Premium

** How LinkedIn integrates with Slideshare

** LinkedIn Sales Navigator

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Ben’s LinkedIn Profile: (https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/benfewtrell)

** Jason’s LinkedIn: (https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/jsnmiller)

** Slideshare: (http://www.slideshare.net/)

** The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide To LinkedIn (https://business.LinkedIn.com/marketing-solutions/c/14/1/sophisticated-guide-for-marketing)

** Jason’s site: (http://www.welcometothefunnel.com/)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group – What should we do for the 100th show? Post your ideas to the group! (facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Sponsor the show: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au, put in subject line “interested in sponsoring BBF”

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Facebook (facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  As Jason says, “people spend time on social networks, but they invest in LinkedIn”. Can you really afford to not be an expert on the biggest networking facility in the world? Jason will show you the ropes! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF088_From_Heavy_Metal_to_LinkedIn_Marketing.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Richard Maloney knows what it takes to build a winning team. After having done his time as an AFL player, he became an expert on motivation and mind coaching in the sporting arena. He was so successful (to the tune of 25 Premierships) that directors and fans of the teams he worked with recruited him into their businesses, and he now has a worldwide business that helps companies maximize their potential through team building.

Rich has seen proof that the main teambuilding techniques in the world of sport are applicable to the world of business, and has authored a great book called ‘The Minds Of Winning Teams’. See below for a sneak preview of some of his best advice. As you’ll see, it’s surprisingly simple.

** When things are at their worst, it is a great window of opportunity to make change.

** A key responsibility of a leader is to keep learning and growing.

** Taking pressure off a leader by dividing it among other members of the leadership team is one of the best things you can do to improve your business.

** Create a critical mass of ‘we’ people rather than ‘me’ people.

** Hierarchy is basically a thing of the past.

** Don’t see millennials as a problem – see them as the solution.

** Social connection is the most important aspect of teambuilding

  And there’s plenty more where this came from. If you listen to Richard for 45 minutes, you can’t fail to find something that will help engage your team in business. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** What a true leader really is

** How to re-engage employees

** The ‘quality, unity, trust, truth’ equation

** How to create social connection

** How to create a leadership group

** How to define a business in terms of its ‘heart’ and its ‘brain’

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group – What should we do for the 100th show? Post your ideas to the group! (facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Richard’s teambuilding website – check out the free employee engagement survey (http://www.engageandgrow.com.au)

** Richard’s mind training site: (http://www.qualitymind.com.au)

** Richard’s email address: richard@engageandgrow.com.au

** Sponsor the show: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au, put in subject line “interested in sponsoring BBF”

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Facebook (facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  ‘Engagement is the new leadership’ as Richard says, so understanding how the likes of Richard build engagement is vital to the future of your business. And we don’t just have his word for it either. Deloitte recently released the results of a survey that listed ‘employee engagement and culture’ as the number one priority for every business, so make it your priority today by having a listen! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF087_Turning_De-Energised_Businesses_into_Rocking_Success_Stories.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve got an interesting twist this week, as we speak to one of our loyal listeners about how he’s helping businesses around the world. Paul Higgins has a great corporate track record after having worked 18 years at Coca Cola, and now he has his own business which helps other companies automate those fiddly day-to-day tasks in order to free them up the time to think big and scale up the business. What’s more, Paul somehow managed to listen to 80+ BBF podcasts in just a couple of weeks, with my voice at double speed!

Paul talks specifically about a software package called Podio, which is what he uses to empower businesses to free up their time. In short, it is a different take on a CRM/internal reporting system, modeled on the concept of customisable templates and themes that we would normally associate with web building packages like Wordpress. Paul has a particularly personal stake in this. Because of a debilitating kidney disease, there will be a time when he will have to be on a dialysis machine for a number of hours every day, so this inspired him to find the perfect methodology for how to delegate day-to-day tasks and free up time. He wants his business to be able to run without him, and he wants to teach you to do the same. Below are some of the key points from the conversation:

** It takes a human being on average 16 minutes to refocus on a particular task, so it’s vitally important to eliminate distractions like constantly replying to emails.

** There are apps out there that can prevent you from opening certain applications on your computer or phone at certain times, and thus can help you focus on the job in hand.

** Poor implementation is of a system is a more likely reason for system inefficiency than a poor system itself.

** For implementing a new task-management system, it’s best to tailor it so it suits those at the very top of the company first. Once it has been proven to save time at executive level – the level where there is normally the biggest bottle-neck – then the value of the system can be fully ‘sold’ to the rest of the organisation.

** Successful entrepreneurs spend 20% of their time working on their business rather than working in it.

The last point is the most telling. It’s very easy for people at an executive level to be swamped by day-to-day tasks which distract them from the bigger picture. The solution is not to ignore them, but to find a system that can process them efficiently enough to free up time to think about developing the business beyond the day-to-day. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The concept of the “the time target”

** The inner workings of Podio

** The ‘discovery’ methodology

** How to fight ‘superman syndrome’

** How to use offshore virtual assistants to maximise efficiency

** How emails can be turned into tasks without actually having to read them

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Paul’s website: (http://www.bolloempire.com)

** Sponsor the show: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au, put in subject line “interested in sponsoring BBF”

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Facebook (facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Have you ever thought “I’m sure I can find a better system of working, but I don’t want to go through the hassle of implementing it”? It’s an understandable view, but listening to an hour of Paul talking will persuade you that it’s the wrong view, and that you should go out and make the effort to automate your business as best you can. As Paul says, “most people’s fears never come true”, and in the case of the business information system that Paul uses, he has the evidence to prove it. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF086_Use_technology_to_scale_your_business_Paul_Higgins.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Anyone who is part of a company of a certain size will understand the difficulties of the recruitment process. It simply isn’t automatic that a new recruit is going to fit in, and one key reason is because of the vast range of ages and generations that work under one roof. It’s perfectly common for a new employee to be working under somebody who is the same age as their parents, and while it is generally accepted that children and parents will see the world in a different way, employers often fall into the trap of expecting all generations to behave the same way in the workplace.

It was certainly a very interesting chat. See below for a sneak preview of some of the great advice Lee shared with us on how best to manage younger employees: As well as giving his incredible first-hand account of what happened on flight 1549 that day, Dave was kind enough to share with us some of the lessons he learnt from the incident that he has been applying to business and to life ever since:

** Outline company rules from the very beginning, ideally at the interview stage, i.e. working hours, social media policy etc.

** Again, from the earliest possible stage, clearly outline the prospects of career progression.

** In many cases, there is no such thing as ‘normal’. What one generation assumes as ‘normal’ could easily not be reflected by another generation.

** Accept that people are going to leave, sometimes after a relatively short time. Remember that there is a high value in having your employers leave on good terms.

The key thing to remember is that younger workers have grown up in an era where information is more readily available than it was to certain older generations. Therefore they expect a lot of feedback, and a lot of clarity on company policy. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** What ‘the millennial generation’ actually means

** How technology has shaped the perceptions of the millennial generation

** How the concept of ‘end of day’ is being challenged

** A reasonable expectation of staff loyalty and length of service today

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Sponsor the show: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au, put in subject line “interested in sponsoring BBF”

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  As Lee saliently pointed out, if your company doesn’t cater for younger employees then it doesn’t have much of a future… you simply cannot afford to dismiss the challenges that younger employees bring. Learn about how best to work with them, and take action! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF085_Managing_Multi_generation_teams_with_Lee_Caraher.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This has to be one of the most extraordinary BBF episodes – it isn’t every day you get to speak to a survivor of a plane crash. Dave Sanderson was on the now infamous US Airways flight 1549 which was struck by a flock of Canada geese just moments after takeoff on January 15 2009. The pilot was forced to ditch the plane in the Hudson river. This quick thinking helped save all 155 people on board, but it was not the only quick thinking on the plane that day. Dave Sanderson was also lauded for his quick thinking during the rescue. As he was making for his nearest exit, he heard the voice of his late mother in his head, and proceeded to step up to lead the rescue effort for all the passengers on his side of the plane. He became the last person to be rescued from the scene, and has since used his experience to become an internationally renowned motivational speaker.

As well as giving his incredible first-hand account of what happened on flight 1549 that day, Dave was kind enough to share with us some of the lessons he learnt from the incident that he has been applying to business and to life ever since:  

** Think hard about how you manage your time. If you were faced with an impending tragedy, would you regret having not spent enough time with your family?

** Don’t take anything you learn for granted. You never know when you might need the knowledge to save yourself or someone else.

** Communicate with people in the way they are most comfortable, not the way you are most comfortable.

  Dave has written a book called ‘Moments Matter’ which outlines 12 different lessons like the above. His story is a great lesson of what can be achieved when people seize the moment. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** A first-hand account of the Hudson river crash

** The concept of post-traumatic growth syndrome

** How to help people out of a trance situation

** How to manage focus

** How an extreme situation can focus the mind

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** Dave’s site: (http://www.davesandersonspeaks.com)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Dave’s story is an unforgettable one. Listen to it in full and prepare to be inspired! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF084_Beyond_the_miracle_on_the_hudson_Dave_sanderson.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Joshua Belanger is living proof of the power of email marketing. Originally a Wall Street options broker, he used email marketing to reinvent himself as an options-trading adviser to the public. He now has a big enough following to be regularly quoted by the likes of the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, while his own website Option Sizzle continues to go from strength to strength. Here are some of Joshua’s top tips:

** Don’t go overboard with bells and whistles. The more obstacles you remove from the process, the easier it is to maintain regular output.

** Most mass-email software is similar. Don’t waste too much time worrying which one is best.

** Leave people wanting more from your content so they become active rather than passive.

** Manage subscribers’ expectations from the very beginning, i.e. be honest with how often you will be sending them emails.

** Opt outs are not always a bad thing. Don’t allow your strategy to be driven by the need to avoid them.

** Repeat business is more easy than you think. If someone has bought once, don’t be afraid to try to sell to them again.

  Joshua’s strategy is unashamedly aggressive. He focuses on the simplicity of daily output over any concerns about offending his subscribers. To him, someone who unsubscribes would never have been a paying customer anyway, so any strategy should not concentrate on trying to placate these people too much.   In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The potential impact of capturing emails

** How to design a mailout

** How to properly understand your audience

** The pros and cons of free giveaways

** Average email open rates

** How to be entertaining in short form

** The optimum length of an email

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** 8 recurring themes of leadership and culture: (http://actioncoachanz.com/8-recurring-themes-of-leadership-and-culture-lessons-i-learned-from-john-eales)

** Joshua Belanger’s site: (http://www.optionsizzle.com)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Sales Made Simple Workshops with Ben (http://actioncoachanz.com/salesmadesimple)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

 

  Despite what some people might say, email marketing is still an immensely powerful tool, and for many companies can still be the most important part of the marketing mix. If you want to maximize the power of email marketing for your business, listen to Joshua! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF083_Simple_Daily_emails_double_sales_Joshua_Belanger.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve all heard of webinars, but how many of us actually know how to use them to make money for our business? This week’s guest Steven Essa certainly does – he travels around the world showing people how. Webinars can be useful for so much in the course of business, i.e. more sales, lead generation, increasing your own authority etc.; but like most people, Steven didn’t realise their value at first. He’d always struggled to write good sales copy so was always frustrated at the low quality of his online output, until one day he was completely inspired by the quality of a seminar he attended. He realised that if he simply projected his own personality online in the same way, he could make money online without the need for the conventions of sales copy and mailshots.

Steven was full of great detail about the art form when he spoke to BBF. Here’s a sneak preview of some of his insight:

** Webinars produce higher conversion rates than ‘conventional’ online marketing channels.

** The concept of seeing someone projected on a video can often actually qualify the speaker better than if you were to meet them in person.

** All webinars need a title that identifies a specific target market, and then a specific benefit.

** Break all webinars into pre-defined steps.

** Don’t sell during the main content of the presentation. Any calls to action must be at the end.

** Forget about branding. Plane ole black & white looks more believable and less salesy than a properly branded message.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The first steps towards getting started with webinars

** How a webinar can replace cold-call sales scripts

** How to find the perfect webinar title

** How to create the all-important Segway between impartial information and a sales pitch

** How to automate webinars

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Best place to host webinars (Gotowebinar.com)

** The Webinator Software (http://www.webinator.biz/)

** Steve’s website (http://www.stevenessar.com)

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Sales Made Simple Workshops with Ben (http://actioncoachanz.com/salesmadesimple)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@actioncoachanz.com

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  It really was astonishing to find out that conversion rates from webinars have been measured as approximately 10 TIMES higher than from mailshots. Those figures alone should be enough to convince you that Steven is worth listening to! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF082_Webinars_to_grow_your_Business.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Chris Gray has truly built an empire… an AUD 14m property empire to be precise! As a result he has gained great notoriety as a commentator on the marketplace… you may have seen him appearing on his fortnightly slot on Sky News called “Your Property Empire”. Perhaps what has made him so successful is his schooling beyond property. Chris is also qualified as an accountant and as a mortgage broker which has enabled him to see beyond the bricks and mortar. It is a great privilege to have such a great all-rounder on the show, so if you aren’t listening already, have a look at a few of these highlights from our chat:

** Buying property in capital cities is generally a safe bet.

** Second guessing a more ‘provincial’ property marketplace can offer high rewards, but also high losses.

** Do not underestimate the value of mortgage brokers.

** Refinance your portfolio regularly to ensure a consistent release of equity.

** Use zero emotion when investing.

** Remember that someone else can do all of the donkeywork for you.

  Beyond the above, Chris was very keen to point out that when you have multiple properties, paying off mortgage debt can often be pointless. Using spare equity to increase an asset base is generally more productive than paying off a mortgage, especially if you refinance regularly. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to raise finance to build a property portfolio quickly

** Differing attitudes to money across generations

** How best to reinvest equity

** The benefits of a “buyer’s agent”

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Podcast Addict app: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bambuna.podcastaddict&hl=en_GB)

** Smart Passive Income Podcast Tutorial: (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/how-to-start-a-podcast-podcasting-tutorial/)

** Cliff Ravenscroft: Podcast Answerman (http://podcastanswerman.com/learn-how-to-podcast/)

** Chris’ Website with free book (http://www.yourempire.com.au)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Sales Made Simple Workshops with Ben (http://actioncoachanz.com/salesmadesimple)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@actioncoachanz.com

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Chris’ story shows that you don’t necessarily need to be a slave to property day-to-day in order to earn a full-time living from it. His own company and many others like it specialize in doing the hard work to acquire and trade property, so you might be surprised at just what returns could be open to you in double-quick time if you shook off the fear and took the plunge… Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF081_Effortlessly_build_your_property_Empire.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This man is a serious legend in the world of human performance, so much so that Ben credits him as the person who inspired him to get where he is today. Having studied the art for a total of 43 years and having authored 40 self-development books, John is now revered as a world authority on the matter.

What makes John such a good guest is the practicality of his theory. He is not a generic ‘guru’ who simply deals in top-level philosophy – he distills everything in to day-to-day goals that we can all use for ourselves. BBF listeners will also be enthused by the fact that he succeeded in business before he became a human-performance expert; building up a chiropractor firm in double-quick time that made him the envy of the industry. If you still aren’t persuaded that you need to listen to the episode, have a look below for a summary of some of the advice he gave. Once you read that, you’re bound to give it a listen!

** Find out what really is valuable to you, not what other people decide is valuable

** If you please everybody on the outside, you’ll ultimately be displeased on the inside

** Your goals will be mere fantasy unless your values actually link properly to your goals

** It is possible to change your values

** When your values shift, you can better see new opportunities

** If you struggle to be motivated to do what you say is important, then it is probably not all that important to you at all

  What Dr John keeps going back to is the concept of aligning values with high-level goals. On paper this might sound like an obvious way of being a high achiever, but simply beING clear about both values and goals is not enough. The key is for the path between the two to be clear. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The 6 things common to wealthy people

** The “200 benefits” method

** The definition of ‘fear’

** The workings of the ‘executive centre’ of the brain

** The myths of depression

** The benefits of saying no

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Sales Made Simple Workshops with Ben (http://actioncoachanz.com/salesmadesimple)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@actioncoachanz.com

** Dr Demartini’s website, including the “Determine Your Values” exercise: (http://www.drdemartini.com)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Dr Demartini’s methods are an important lesson in what is possible if you think laterally and are honest with yourself. Just because Bill Gates is a billionaire doesn’t mean that you actually need to be. You might be surprised at how much more achievable your goals suddenly become when you use Dr Demartini’s methods to properly align your values. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF080_Maximise_human_performance_with_DrJohn_Demartini.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Matt Holmes is so passionate about networking that he has become known as Matt “handshakin” Holmes. He even has a world record for the longest ever handshake, standing at the grand total of 46 hours! Matt first realised the power of networking when he landed a big contract as a result of his future employers seeing photos of him online shaking hands with people who had connections with that company. He now has his own agency (appropriately enough, called “Handshakin”), but in this week’s podcast he gave us some of his advice for free: Here are some of the highlights:

** When approaching someone online who you don’t know, be specific. Make them feel that they’re the only person capable of doing what you’re asking them to do.

** At networking events, don’t assume that just handing out your business card is the main goal. Have a conversation first before you go steaming in.

** Keep the ball rolling with the contacts you meet in real life. Follow up immediately online by adding them on one of your social networks.

** Wear a different hat depending on the networking event you’re attending. For example, consider if your goal is to find leads or if it’s to gain referrals. These two scenarios would require significantly different conversations.

** Get the job done quickly – it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s more important to strike while the iron’s hot (i.e. when your new contact/audience is receptive) than to wait longer and aim for perfection.

  The ever-increasing use of the online sphere has led some to believe that the formality of networking in person is a thing of the past, but this really is not the case. There is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting, but the many online networking opportunities out there are great for making the face-to-face meetings more likely to happen. And while there is much networking and business that can be done exclusively online, it is more important to understand how an online networking tool can link to ‘action’ in the real world (i.e. meeting for a coffee, doing some business etc.) than it is to be an expert at building up a load of online contacts. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The future of real-life networking

** The viability of networking groups

** How to stand out online

** The importance of building a personal brand

** The Conspire and Any Mail apps

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Sales Made Simple Workshops with Ben (http://actioncoachanz.com/salesmadesimple)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth AUD$500.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@actioncoachanz.com

** Matt’s website (handshakin.com/about-matt)

** Matt’s Ebook “6 Networking Strategies For Entrepreneurs” (http://www.handshakin.com/free)

** Matt’s own agency site: (http://www.handshakin.com/)

** Matt’s username on Snapchat is “handshaking”

** Matt’s twitter is (http://www.twitter.com/handshakin)

** Any Mail app (https://anymailfinder.com/)

** Conspire App (https://www.conspire.com)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  “Network is net worth” as Matt so rightly said. If you’re starting out in business you’re going to need all the traction you can get, so networking is a must. And if you’ve got an established business, don’t be complacent and assume you have all the contacts you need. By networking you ensure that your business doesn’t stand still. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF079_Building_Relationships_to_Build_your_Business_Matt_Holmes.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Tom Breeze has made it his duty to educate people on the massive potential of YouTube advertising. He was inspired to spread the word after the roaring success of a video advert he created for his previous therapy/self-help business. Having never done video advertising before, he uploaded his own advert to his site, and was amazed to see his lead conversion rate go up from 7% to 22%.

Since then he has created over 1,700 video ad campaigns and has analysed the data from every single one of them, so he certainly knows what he’s talking about! You really must listen to it, but if you’re still not persuaded, here is a sneak preview of some of his best advice:

** Video doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact sometimes the opposite is better. An honest and down-to-earth description of why something is good can be a lot more effective than a contrived sales pitch.

** Don’t forget, YouTube is not merely an entertainment resource. More people than you think are researching products/services on YouTube.

** It’s always the ‘right time’ for the buyer on YouTube, because they’ve just proven they’re keen by typing in a particular search term.

** When you’re starting out it’s best if you create a campaign that can quickly turn leads in to sales. A long lead time between initial traffic and the possibility of buying will make it very hard for you to measure your progress effectively.

  Think of YouTube as a place where people go window shopping, but a place where there still are not all that many shops.  Youtube advertising is so often overlooked in the marketing mix, so there is a great opportunity to make a real impact. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The ‘four p’ formula

** What an Indisplay ad is

** How to use key phrases to your advantage in YouTube searches

** The most effective use of skippable, pre-roll ads

** The optimum length of video ads

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@actioncoachanz.com

** Tom Breeze’s personal website (http://www.tombreeze.com)

** Tom’s Agency, Viewability (http://viewability.co.uk/)

** One-on-one 90-minute business assessment with Ben (http://www.businessassessment.com.au)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Remember, Tom has done 1,700+ campaigns in his time, so if he says there’s a gap in the market that can be exploited on Youtube, you should believe him!  Don’t think that you don’t need video advertising, and don’t think that it’s going to be too much hassle to pull it off.  Get cracking with it today! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF078_Crushing_YouTube_Ads_Tom_Breeze.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Mark Schaefer is an absolute guru when it comes to social media. Having worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies over a number of years, he left the corporate world to indulge his obsession for sharing his knowledge with others, as a lecturer and author of six different books.

In this week’s podcast we are lucky enough to hear Mark giving us a sneak preview of his new book, The Content Code. Mark was inspired to write the book when he kept being asked the same questions from business owners, i.e. How do we get started? How do we create the strategy? How do we respond to negative comments? How do you measure all this? Here are some useful snippets:

** You can’t have a digital strategy unless you have a marketing strategy.

** Can you easily complete the sentence “only we….”? If you can’t, then you don’t have a strategy.

** Don’t be a slave to the different social mediums. Think first what the best kind of content is that you can create, and then find the platform best suited to delivering it.

** Zone in on who is sharing your content and tailor your output for them and people like them.

** It’s not all about traffic! Interaction is the key.

  By 2020, the amount of info on the web is expected to increase by 500%, so it is vitally important to focus properly on your content in order to stand out. As Mark puts it, “the rules of engagement” with the public are changing almost daily, but the main social platforms do not change regularly, so businesses should not be intimidated by all of the different choices out there. A working knowledge of the two or three most useful social platforms for your business is all you really need. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** What makes a social media channel popular

** How a business works out where their customers are

** The future viability of blogging

** How to get your content seen and shared

** The ‘alpha’ audience

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** The Marketing Companion Podcast (http://www.businessesgrow.com/podcast-the-marketing-companion-2/)

** Content Code Audiobook. You can get it for free from Amazon by signing up to the Audbile Book free trial (http://www.amazon.com)

** Mark’s website (http://www.businessesgrow.com)

** Business Assessment free tutorial (http://www.businessassessment.com.au)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Every business needs to understand social media, but more importantly; they need to understand how people are using it to interact with their business. If you believe a man of Mark Shaefer’s experience, this is not as difficult as it sounds…… just buy a book and you won’t go far wrong! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF077_The_Content_Code_Mark_W_Schaefer.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Steve Hui is the leading authority on optimising credit cards for frequent flyer points. Dubbed “The Points Whisperer”, his company I Fly Flat helped his customers spend 125 million points in 2015.

Steve was inspired to start the business when he once flew business class and decided that he wanted to do it more often. He realised just what was possible by earning loyalty points on credit cards. He then advised his friends to switch credit cards and cash in on the benefits. When none of them took him up on the advice, he was frustrated enough to create his own company that helps people use points that they don’t know what do with, as well as pointing people in the direction of the right cards that will earn them the most points. They can then look after the entire flight booking process. The highlights of Steve’s story were:

** Starting a business where there is no existing market is worth the risk (he has no competitors)

** Businesses should use their credit cards to pay their suppliers – they can even pay their rent with it

** Using a credit card to pay monthly bills can pay your supplier immediately, but still give you 30+ days of credit

** By spending as little as 60,000 AUD, you can get free business class flights

** He received a great boost from media coverage, but wrongly thought that his company wasn’t interesting enough to be covered in the media. He advises anyone to have a media strategy, whatever their company

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to decide which credit cards are best for you

** How many points you will need for certain flights

** Strategies to achieve flight upgrades

** The concept of ‘remarketing’

** The 95% rule

** The pros and cons of using a marketing agency

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** I Fly Flat website (http://www.iflyflat.com.au)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

If you are using your credit card for regular purchases, you might well be entitled to significant frequent flyer points. If you are not using your credit card for regular purchases then you should, especially if you are a business! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell

Direct download: BBF076_Fly_Flat_with_Steve_Hui.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Facebook marketing is something that every business could benefit from. This week’s guest Greg Cassar shares his online marketing expertise with us, offering some of the tricks of the trade to make your facebook campaigns stand out from the crowd. This is actually the second time Greg has appeared on the show (see his last appearance here: http://actioncoachanz.com/bbf-071-how-to-get-more-leads-customers-and-sales-with-digital-marketing-expert-greg-cassar). We decided to invite him back because the feedback from his last show was so darn good; so keep reading for a brief summary of Greg’s no-nonsense take on facebook marketing.

If you are uncertain whether Facebook is the right medium for you, then Greg will have changed your mind by the end of the podcast. Here are some of the main reasons why Facebook marketing is so powerful:

** Facebook is a more targeted form of marketing than banner ads

** Greg believes there has never been a better time in history to position your brand, and Facebook is one of the main reasons for this

** Every time someone clicks ‘like’ or they share or comment, Facebook logs this as part of an intelligent database that can be used when you buy Facebook advertising

** For no more than 20 AUD per day, you can run a very advanced and targeted advertising campaign

** By just changing an ad’s image, you can hit way more people

** Running a wide range of adverts is very easy on Facebook

The phrase that Greg keeps referring back to is “perpetual motion”, i.e. whatever marketing you do on facebook, make sure it is part of a consistent flow. A surefire way to waste money is by spending big and then pulling the plug. Facebook will also give your ads better priority if you’re consistent. Another important thing to consider is your mindset when analysing a campaign. If a campaign goes badly, don’t take it personally. See each advert and each campaign as an experiment, but an experiment that is always effective enough to give you the data you need to make your next marketing decision

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** Why you should market on Facebook

** How ‘big data’ is set to shape Facebook marketing in Australia

** The different ways of advertising on Facebook (there are a total of 15 different advert types)

** The concept of ‘remarketing’

** The 95% rule

** The pros and cons of using a marketing agency

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** For a one-on-one business assessment (http://www.businessassessment.com.au)

** Greg’s website (http://www.collective.com.au)

** Podcast Addict for Androids (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bambuna.podcastaddict&hl)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

Remember, there are 1.5bn people on facebook worldwide (18m in Australia), so unless you want to miss out on a load of potential leads, you simply have to understand the brilliant marketing opportunities that facebook has to offer, and who better to teach you than a straight-talking Aussie called Greg? Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell

Direct download: BBF075_Mastering_Facebook_Advertising_Greg_Cassar.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Valerie Khoo’s story is all about... well… stories! In the modern world of data analysis in business, it is easy to neglect the art of storytelling as part of the marketing mix, so Valerie has tried to address this with her book, Business Power Stories. It actually debuted at number two in the Australian business-book chart (only beaten by Richard Branson), so it was great to be able to get a sneak preview of it on this week’s show. Valerie also founded the National Writing Centre in Australia, which has grown to become an international writing tutorial network that has helped 23,000 students since 2005. Judging by the poor standard of the message on many websites, a lot of businesses could benefit from this kind of training.

The book is based around the need for every business to tell eight different power stories, i.e. their ‘product story’ or their ‘customer story’. Here are some of Valerie’s tips for successful storytelling in business:

  • Customer stories are always important because they can strike a chord with the public who are reading, but this can often be more than a simple testimonial.
  • When thinking about a case study, quite simply define the ‘before’, the ‘during’ (i.e., when they were using your product or service), and the ‘after’.
  • Think long and hard about whether to write about yourself in the third or first person.
  • Don’t get hung up on telling stories in chronological order.
  • 80% of sales is based on emotion, so only 20% is based on logic. It is the stories about a person, business or product that conjure the emotion.

A constant battle for businesses/people is that they don’t think their story is very interesting. As true as that might be when they think about it themselves, there’s a high chance that some other people will have similar stories so they will be able to identify with it. Also, authenticity is often more important than simply ‘being interesting’.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

  • How to approach writing an ‘About’ page on a website
  • The importance of frameworks
  • The different types of stories that need to be told
  • The power of targeting a specific audience

The most important thing that Jay will tell you is that some of the most successful companies in the world simply started as an idea – something that solved a problem that we could all identify with in everyday life.  You don’t need to be able to develop, build or market the concept yourself – the real money is in the idea.  So if you look hard enough at all the problems you face in everyday life, you can make yourself a billionaire just by knowing how to solve the problem that no one else has solved yet!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The overall message is that telling a story isn’t as intimidating as many people think. There are established frameworks out there that have been proven to work time and time again. All it takes is to understand these frameworks and then fill in the gaps with your own person information, and hey presto, you’ve told your company story! If you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell

Direct download: BBF074_Business_Power_Stories_With_Valerie_Khoo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Suzi Dafnis is Community Director and CEO of the Australian Businesswomen's Network, where she has been involved for over 20 years. This week she gives us the benefit of her decades of career-coaching experience and of her own development in business, which importantly is applicable to both men and women.

Many will wonder whether there is still a need for a women’s network in this day and age, and while Suzi says that the business landscape is significantly different to when the network first formed, she also pointed out that there are still conferences where every speaker is a man, and nearly all delegates are too.  Thus there is still an imbalance.  But why? When it comes to the judgement of people’s success in business, only ‘the habit of confidence’ was cited as the main psychological difference between men and women in the workplace – even the concept of women taking time out to have babies was not seen as too big a barrier to success.  But the advice about how to create that confidence is absolutely interchangeable across men and women.  Some of the key points are below:

  • Find a greater purpose than just using business to pay the bills.
  • Always have a budget and a business plan, even at the very beginning of a project.
  • Successful people always have mentors, so find a way to surround yourself with people who understand you.
  • Find ways to hold yourself accountable. As per the above point: an informal network of people is a great way to spur you on to make progress

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

  • What ‘risk’ really means
  • The relative value of a business degree
  • The concept of masterminding
  • Effective blogging for business
  • Ben’s future plans for a daily show

Resources mentioned in this episode:

SME Association of Australia (http://www.smea.org.au) Two-hour workshops with Ben (http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au) Australian Businesswomen's Network (http://www.abn.org.au/) Darren Rowse blogging site: (http://www.problogger.net/) Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood) Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood) Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell) ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes) ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher) The Australian Businesswomen's Network is quite simply a resource to empower people to be be more successful in business.  The discussion kept going back to the fact that, especially when starting your own business, you are not going to have the skills and experience to understand every aspect of the business journey.  So the people who find success are not necessarily the ones who have the most knowledge in the beginning – it is those who know where they have to go and find support who make it in the end. It’s so utterly simple: use the resources you have at your disposal, and if they aren’t enough, go out and find some more! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF073__Empowering_Women_in_Business_with_Suzi_Dafnis.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

 

How To Get More Leads, Customers and Sales With Digital Marketing Expert Greg Cassar

Every business needs to know how to market themselves in the online sphere. Greg Cassar is all about empowering businesses to do just that. Having run his own online stores, he then built up a marketing agency, before deciding to become an online marketing coach. He now has a portfolio of clients who turn over AUD 500,000 to AUD 100,000,000 per year, but took the time out to give us the benefit of his wisdom in this week’s podcast.

Here are some of the key points:

** Because people are in the habit of sussing out companies online, that means that every business can benefit from online marketing.

** Build your database! It sounds obvious, but list building is an absolute must.

** “How can we help?” is a good question to induce people to give their details. It is less pushy than more obvious calls to action.

** Build your online-business persona as an authority. Don’t lose sight of this when developing your websites and campaigns.

** Consider the different end goals of each page on your website. One might be “will the user buy?”, but another might be “will the user stay and find out more?”. Adapt your message to reflect these goals.

** People often don’t read every word of a website. Make sure that the user can get the message if they just skim-read the headings.

** Facebook advertising is very powerful indeed. There is nothing else out there that can be tailored to such a specific global audience.

** “What you can measure, you can manage”. Make absolutely sure that you use the data available to you from sources like Facebook and google adwords in order to build a true picture of what works and what doesn’t in your marketing mix.

The general message from Ben is that everything you do with your online presence can have an effect. All your web content will be measured by google’s algorithms, and all of your advertising clickthroughs on facebook will be available on your dashboard etc. etc., so use this to your advantage and customise everything you can in order to build that customer base. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** Shortcuts towards how a business can maximise their online exposure from scratch

** The meaning of the term ‘authority site’

** The power of facebook marketing

** The dos and don’ts of websites

** Google adwords as a market research tool

** A ‘tripwire offer’

** How critical drivers are key to understanding the effectiveness of your online presence

Remember, Greg started off with a few simple online stores selling things like Santa Claus outfits, and now he deals with businesses that are turning over millions of dollars every year. With a few of the simple rules of online marketing that Greg shared with us in this episode, your business could go stratospheric too! Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Periscope app – search for Ben Fewtrell

** Business Fast Track (http://www.businessfasttrack.com.au)

** Business coaching, special deal for podcast listeners (http://actioncoachanz.com/businessrich)

** Greg Cassar website (http://collective.com.au/)

** How to double your average business (http://collective.com.au/double)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

If you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!  

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


DISRUPT YOURSELF WITH JAY SAMIT

Businesses of any size must be able to adapt to disruption in the marketplace, and some of the most successful new businesses come about because they solve a problem that disruption has caused.  No one would disagree with how fundamental the concept of disruption/change is to being successful in business, and yet so many businesses fall down because they are scared of adapting. Jay Samit is one of the world leaders when it comes to disruption in business, having worked with the likes of Apple, Coca Cola, and General Motors.  In this week’s podcast he outlines how you could be the next billionaire disruptor and make the same impact as the likes of Ebay, Uber and Amazon.

One of the first points he makes is that only 57 of the original Fortune 500 companies have survived, which shows that however successful and secure a company appear, they can quickly go backwards if they merely stick to what they know. It’s all about spotting opportunities that come from disruption, i.e. Apple’s decision to diversify and manufacture Ipods.  And it’s only the spotting of the opportunities that is paramount.  If you’ve spotted the right opportunity then the rest can take care of itself.  In Apple’s case, all of the parts contained within the Ipod were originally manufactured by other companies – all they had was the concept and the brand. Here are some of the other interesting points to note: Technology is key to winning the game of disruption. For a small business to be able to roll with industry disruption, they must always have a clear idea of where they want to be in 5 years. The “one-world economy” is challenging the way we do commerce. It’s estimated that 40% of current jobs will be automated in 5 years. The current era of technological innovation means that there is opportunity for any individual to compete in the global marketplace.  Jay’s book, “Disrupt Yourself”, has been written to show people just how much opportunity is out there for anyone who looks hard enough.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

How to set yourself up to become a market leader or even create a market yourself How to take a concept to market which is just an idea The concept of crowd funding How 3d printing is gradually changing the world The ‘sharing’ economy How autonomous vehicles are currently causing disruption The most important thing that Jay will tell you is that some of the most successful companies in the world simply started as an idea – something that solved a problem that we could all identify with in everyday life.  You don’t need to be able to develop, build or market the concept yourself – the real money is in the idea.  So if you look hard enough at all the problems you face in everyday life, you can make yourself a billionaire just by knowing how to solve the problem that no one else has solved yet!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Pace Architects Case Study (http://actioncoachanz.com/architects-case-study)

** Jay Samit on twitter (https://twitter.com/jaysamit)

** Companion workbook (http://www.jaysamit.com)

** Jay Samit’s book, “Disrupt Yourself” (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Disrupt-Yourself-Jay-Samit/dp/1509802886/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445506817&sr=8-1&keywords=jay+samit)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

If you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell

Direct download: BBF072__Disrupt_Yourself_with_Jay_Samit.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

How To Open Over 400 Outlets In Just 7 Years

Jacinta McDonell is an inspiration to all of us. In only 7 years she has built up the Anytime Fitness brand to be the leading gym franchise in Australia, and has managed to find time to look after three children, raise big money for charitable causes, and even start her own charitable foundation, the Human Kind Project. There just do not seem to be the hours in the day to have done what she’s done, but it really comes across in the interview just how straight forward her methods have been to get her where she is today. The point she keeps going back to is being honest with yourself about what your strengths and weaknesses are, so you can simply hire people to take up the slack in the areas that are most tricky. There is no shame in realising that you can’t do everything, and you can still be fiercely ambitious at the same time. This is how her growing business just kept growing.

Anytime Fitness was a US-based franchise that Jacinta and her brother saw in a fitness trade-magazine, which they thought would be perfect for the Australian market. They quickly secured the rights to take the franchise to Australia, figuring that their mid-market offering was exactly what was missing in the local marketplace at the time. Having built over 400 outlets in 7 years, Jacinta knows a thing or two about building and managing a franchise. See below for a sneak preview of some of her top tips from the interview:

** The franchise model is great for scalability.

** The franchisees who are most successful are the ones who have the best grasp of sales and marketing.

** Differentiate yourself from the competition by making sure there is a strong refresh policy across all outlets.  In the case of Anytime Fitness, that would mean investing in new, state-of-the-art gym equipment regularly.

** Take time out from day-to-day business regularly to build strategy at board level.

** Find the right senior executive team. If you don’t like the idea of managing 50 people, don’t worry about it – just get someone in who does.

** Consider recruitment to be something that’s ongoing rather than just when somebody leaves.  By definition, a franchise is often going to be growing, so it makes sense to hire talented people when they become available, because there is likely to be something for them to do.

** If you are considering entering a marketplace, don’t be put off if your concept is different to the industry’s current way of doing things.  The key consideration is what the consumer wants, not what the industry is in the habit of giving them.

Jacinta’s charity work is also a heart-warming and interesting story.  Her foundation is as much about empowering entrepreneurs to be able to do charitable work as it is about donations.  There is also a good commercial angle for any organisation to get involved with charity work, as she explains in the podcast. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How Jacinta built her fitness empire

** How it is possible to achieve corporate success with three small children

** How to manage the growth of a franchise

** The importance of sales and marketing in the franchise process

** How charity work can be a win win for you and your business

** The Human Kind Project

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** ProfitLab – join this site and ask about it: http://actioncoachanz.com/l/business-coach-mini/

** Jacinta McDonell’s own website: http://www.jacintamcdonell.com

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

Subscribe on iTunes Jacinta’s story shows just how much it is possible to achieve across a variety of different sectors if you are able to work smart.  It is not just about being busy all the time – you can actually change the world for you and for others if you plan it right. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF070_How_to_open_over_400_outlets_in_just_7_years_with_Jacinta_McDonell.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

How A Whistle Blower Uncovered $22 Million In Fraud

It is said that fraud accounts for an average of 5% of any company’s revenue, so the process of whistleblowing is certainly something that ought to be taken seriously. You might think that it’s not going on in your business, but Sylvain Mansotte’s story is living proof of just how much fraud can happen if no one has the courage to blow the whistle. He unearthed a scam that had been going on for 12 years that was worth $22 million – the largest corporate fraud in Queensland’s history.

Sylvain’s experience inspired him to create an app to make it easier for people to blow the whistle on corruption. His app, Fraudsec, is aimed at any organisation of any size, and provides total anonymity for whistleblowers, as well as allowing for completely anonymous interaction between the whistleblower and their employees. Sylvain explains in the podcast how the system scrubs IP addresses and uses QR codes to ensure there is no awkwardness in the whistleblowing process, and he also shared some useful info about fraud that every business ought to know:

** 20% of fraud worldwide is over $1 million per case.

** The average fraud is over $150,000 per case.

** Employees setting up fake suppliers and generating invoices for them is easier than you think.

** Don’t forget how fearful people will be about blowing the whistle.  If you don’t have a mechanism in place that retains their anonymity, they will probably not want to come forward and risk their job and sometimes their family life.

** Management should have a proper policy relating to fraud.

** Each new employee should be made aware of the above policy.

** Training should be done at least annually to make sure all policies are adhered to, and to strike fear into anyone who might be thinking of breaking the rules.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The inner workings of http://www.fraudsec.com

** The scale of the fraud problem worldwide

** The importance on anonymity in the whistle-blowing process

** How to implement a whistle-blowing policy

** How Fraudsec is particularly useful in the procurement function

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Business Coaching (http://actioncoachanz.com/businessrich)

** Fraudsec (http://www.fraudsec.com)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

Subscribe on iTunes The statistics speak for themselves: this could be going on in your business, right here, right now.  If $20 million can go missing in 12 years from a business that had an annual spending budget of only $6 million, then it can happen to anyone.  Don’t let it be you!! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


Achieving High Human Performance With Dr Adam Fraser

Every day in business – in life in fact – we face challenges. That’s obvious, right? But what is less obvious is the importance of the downtime between each challenge. If you treat it with the right amount of respect, your success can go through the roof. Play it wrongly and you set yourself up to fail, time and again. Dr Adam Fraser has done mountains of research on the topic and has kindly offered to share some of the results with us on this week’s podcast. It really is astonishing just how much more happy and successful people can be once they implement some very simple rules. In short, if you are able to reset your mind in between each challenge, your chances of succeeding at the next one are greatly increased, and this is backed up by some seriously compelling data. But how do you ‘reset your mind’? Dr Fraser has a simple three-point method that anybody can do. Having worked with elite athletes, the military, and the high-fliying corporate world, he developed the method when trying to answer the question of “what makes these people high achievers?” The answer was in how effectively they moved from one action to the next, e.g. how a pro tennis player thinks in between points is the difference between them being a champion and an also-ran. Dr Fraser’s book, ‘The Third Place’ explores this murky and often ignored part of the human psyche. In the podcast he elaborates on the methods in the book, which can do a lot more than merely prepare you for the next challenge. They can actually be the first step in achieving some of those holy grail aspirations like “work/life balance”, “being a good leader” etc. etc. Below are some nuggets from the chat:

** Between every challenge, you must: 1. Reflect on the last one. Rest your mind afterwards by doing something that brings you into ‘the now’ (a call centre worker achieved good results by pulling out one piece of jenga after every call, for example).  3. Reset your mind by then focusing on exactly what you want to achieve from the next challenge.

** Humans have a default negative bias, so there is no shame in needing to use a method like this in order to be happy and successful.

** Spending a long time at work away from home doesn’t automatically make for an unhappy family life. Your mindset when returning home has actually been proven to be more important than the amount of time you are there.

In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The difference between ‘respond’ and ‘react’

** How to be a better manager and leader

** How to achieve a work/life balance

** How your behaviour affects others

** Why struggling is actually a positive thing

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Business Coaching (http://actioncoachanz.com/businessrich)

** Dr Adam Fraser’s website (http://www.dradamfraser.com)

** Dr Adam Fraser’s twitter (http://www.twitter.com/dradamfraser)

** The Third Space book (http://www.thethirdspace.com.au)

** Facebook (facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Subscribe on iTunes It is very reassuring to know just how many good results Dr Fraser’s simple methods have achieved, but you don’t need to be a doctor to actually implement them.  In less than an hour of conversation, he has provided some of the best shortcuts to success you will ever hear.  If you follow them, you can literally change your life tomorrow… and we’re not exaggerating! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF068_Achieving_High_Human_Performance_with_Dr_Adam_Fraser.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

How To Get Leads Using Video On Facebook And Youtube With Gideon Shalwick

Having online video as part of your marketing mix can really engage people. As obvious as this sounds, the market for online video marketing is still relatively immature, so there is great opportunity for you to stand out from the crowd with the right campaign. Gideon Shadwick makes his living from empowering companies to do just that. Like most of the rest of us, he started as an online-marketing novice, but through the promotion of a book he wrote, he soon became fascinated.

When his first round of online advertising delivered great sales for his book, he was a complete convert, but when he ran out of traffic, he didn’t have a clue what to do next. So he absolutely immersed himself in the art of online advertising and became an expert, soon realising that video was a comparatively untapped gold mine for building an audience and driving traffic. Gideon has helped over 200,000 people across 195 countries with their video marketing, and now through this podcast he will help a whole lot more. He discussed the many tricks of the trade he has picked up down the years, but here is a sneak preview:

** Combine both paid video advertising with your existing ‘free’ video sources, i.e. your youtube channel. See your own youtube channel as a slow burner that builds your audience and increases your ranking on youtube and google, but paid advertising can help speed this process up once you have laid the foundations.

** Don’t go overboard with fancy videos. When people go on youtube they have different expectations to when they watch the TV.  In fact, there is evidence that shows that conversion rates actually drop when an online video is too slick.

** Understand what the criteria is for ranking videos on places like facebook and youtube. It is about a lot more than just views and likes (listen to the podcast for a breakdown of the ranking algorithms).

** Any keyword phrase you want to use, try and use it right at the beginning of the title of any video.

** Don’t be put off by the concept of making an advert for a paid advertising campaign. There are facilities out there like veeroll.com that can make it very easy.

** Make your adverts short and sweet. 30 seconds is often enough.

** Remember youtube is not the only video host in town. Facebook is really majoring on their video content at the moment, and their interface to set up a video ad is arguably better than youtube’s.

The conversion rates that Gideon has achieved by using the above methods are very impressive indeed.  It is surprising what can be accomplished by using video as a focal point to drive traffic to your own website, or when used as a simple call to action for an individual campaign. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** Why video is such important content in the grand scheme of online advertising

** How youtube and facebook rank videos

** The key rules that an online advert should abide by

** How to join up the long-term strategy of building an audience with a short-term campaign

** The increasing reach of facebook in the online video arena

** The inner workings of veeroll.com

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Vee Roll (http://www.veeroll.com)

** Gideon Shalwick’s Youtube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/GideonShalwick)

** Facebook (facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Subscribe on iTunes It is so so simple to make engaging videos to boost interest in your company, and yet relatively few companies actually bother to do it.  If you follow Gideon’s advice, you can steal a march on all those other luddite companies out there! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000


Making Your Dreams Come True With Steve Sims

When Steve Sims was sacked as a stockbroker after only three days in the job, it certainly didn’t look like it was the beginning of an extravagant adventure that has seen him arrange a wedding in The Vatican and have dinner at the feet of the statue of Michael Angelo. Steve’s company Bluefish specialises in creating unique experiences for high net-worth clients who want to live life to the full. He literally makes people’s dreams come true… for the right price of course! But Steve’s journey is an important example of how successful someone can be if they are passionate and they understand how to make people happy.

The small touches can sometimes make all the difference, and likewise, the ability to think big and tell people something is possible can be very lucrative indeed.

Beyond that, there are a multitude of insightful and inspirational points that came up when Steve discussed what made him and his company successful:

** If you fail at something, don’t be ashamed, just have a strong Plan A to dig yourself out of it, but then be open to a Plan B/C/D/E, because sometimes they can be far more fruitful than Plan A.  In Steve’s case, his plan to court high net-worth individuals to encourage a bank to give him a job ended up creating an international concierge business by accident!

** Only work with people you like.

** Successful people don’t grow up and don’t conform.  Think of what a 2-year-old does, i.e. what they want.  They’ll scribble all over the colouring-in book because they know no better, but when they get older they are told to colour within the lines.  Most successful people ignore this kind of conformity, and never really grow up.

** Set up your company and product in such a way that clients do the selling for you.  If you give them more than they pay for, they’ll sell you to others.

** Don’t forget the power of “critical non-essentials” i.e. the things you don’t have to do for clients, but that might just make a difference in the long term if you do them.

** Thought and empathy cannot be automated, so often they have more of an impact than the many other things in business that can be automated.

** Use old-fashioned methods of communication like letters… the open rate is generally better for snail mail than email.

** Or if you’re going to send an email, consider sending an audio voice message as an attachment.  That way, more can be said in less time, and it has a more genuine meaning.

** Keep your word, even if it costs you money in the short term.

By Steve’s own admission, he is not an intellectual, but if you are good with human touches and you display the passion and energy to make things happen, you can be clever in business. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The crazy adventures of Steve Sims and Bluefish

** The value of old-fashioned methods of communication

** What can be possible if you subvert the system

** The benefits of sharing your rewards with others

Resources mentioned in this episode:

** 20-minute business coaching (http://actioncoachanz.com/meetwithben)

** Blue Fish (http://www.thebluefish.com)

** Ugly Sims (http://www.uglysims.com)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Subscribe on iTunes

Steve’s made a business out of following dreams, and that came after his biggest knockback in life. Don’t ever give up on yours! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that!

Until next time, have a profitable day.

Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF066_Making_your_Dreams_come_true_with_Steve_Sims.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT