My Business Podcast

Entrepreneur Gary Elphick, co-founder of Disrupt Sports, reveals the manufacturing efficiencies most Aussie SMEs overlook, why not all feedback is useful, and the limitations of customer choice on profitability. The two-time Optus My Business Awards winner joins the My Business team for a forthright discussion about his mistakes and master strokes in establishing his on-demand manufacturing business, including: The hidden efficiencies in foregoing offshoring production His experience “getting schooled” in business planning Why some customer feedback can be a waste of your time Commercial benefits of taking out industry awards Plus much more! www.mybusiness.com.au

Well-known former Olympic swimmer Eamon Sullivan has become a restauranteur in his native Perth, and as he candidly admits, the challenges of running a business outweigh those of elite sports. From not liking school and working casual jobs at McDonald’s and Subway, Eamon went on to win three Olympic medals and twice set a world record in the 50m freestyle event. Now, having retired from swimming at an elite level, Eamon is successfully growing his four Perth-based hospitality businesses. Yet the transition to business owner has by no means been guaranteed, and in some instances his profile has actually hindered, rather than helped, his progress. Tune in as Eamon discusses: • The challenges and benefits of setting up a business while still working full-time. • Why following your passion can actually be a commercial disaster. • His novel approach to turning around negative customer feedback • The biggest mistakes he’s made in business and how they now shape his efforts. Plus much more! www.mybusiness.com.au

The co-founder of high-profile custom fashion retailer InStitchu shares his experiences on competing against the big boys and developing a new form of retailing. As Robin explains, consumers have never been more savvy: they want to know the journey “from farm to fashion”, and expect tailored products and services over a one-size-fits-all approach. Robin joins the My Business Podcast to explore: • His approach to winning market share from major players like department stores • Operating as a retailer without holding any stock • Balancing the ups and downs of being in business with a good friend And lots more! www.mybusiness.com.au

Funding, supplying and marketing a business is never an easy prospect, but as EduKits founder Michael Nixon reveals, doing so while under the legal age is infinitely harder still — but by no means impossible! The savvy schoolboy has already secured thousands of dollars to fund his growing business, without access to traditional funding types because of his age. Tune in to hear Michael's insights on: • Funding a business without loans, credit cards or cash savings • Being taken seriously in a new business channel • Sourcing suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and even customers for a new-to-market concept • Why age is just a number, not a determinant of your abilities And much more! www.mybusiness.com.au

We are all familiar with the phrase "worked to death", but for Rand Leeb-du Toit, an entrepreneur and former venture capitalist, those words carry with them a vivid memory from a first-hand experience. As Rand admits, while lying on the floor after suffering from a sudden cardiac death, his thoughts zoomed in on work and the meetings he would miss. He has recovered from the attack and a subsequent minor stroke, and now Rand is on a mission to help save other overworked business leaders from themselves and share his lessons for leading a productive, balanced life. Tune in to hear: • Rand's experience of knocking at death's door and how it can happen to anyone at any age • The factors holding business leaders back from reaching their potential • How to reinvent your business, and yourself as its leader, for peak performance Plus lots more! www.mybusiness.com.au

Admitting failure can be a difficult thing, yet as these 10 business owners reveal, mistakes have helped to strengthen their business – and others can do the same without taking the hard route. In this collection of guests on the My Business Podcast, hosts Adam Zuchetti and Andy Scott explore some of the most common mistakes business leaders have made, and what lessons have been taken away from the experience. Tune in to hear: • Finance tips from those who have struggled first-hand • Growing pains and missing the mark with your audience • The unrealised dark side of doing something innovative • Avoiding burnout and cutting down on staff management Plus lots more! Enjoy the show. www.mybusiness.com.au

In this special edition of the My Business Podcast, Andrew Conway, head of the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA), joins My Business owner Phil Tarrant to share his insights on the ‘evolving’ conditions facing modern SMEs. In a wide-ranging discussion on topics as varied as mental health and wellbeing to cyber security and tax reforms, Andrew reveals: • The differences between various types of accountants, and how to choose the right one for your business • Tax changes that are now, and will soon, impact business operators • Common pain points for SMEs and the role accountants can play in resolving them • Why mental health is a growing concern for employers Plus lots more! www.mybusiness.com.au

A blind video producer – “tell him he’s dreamin’!” Yet for gough of Beernuts Productions, dreams do come true, and his inspiring story has plenty of valuable insights for other business owners. Joining the My Business Podcast, gough, “a one-word name, like Madonna” discusses exactly how he has overcome not just the challenges that everyone faces when starting and growing a business, but doing so with a disability.

Owner of Adore Estate Coffee and the Killer Coffee Co, Nick Mastro, reveals first-hand the highs and lows of operating a multichannel business, and what lessons other brands can take from his experience. Along with his chief marketer Antonio Galati, Nick joins the My Business Podcast to explain the hows and whys of moving a business from solely importer to manufacturing wholesale and retail channels, and the real-world implications and prospects of business diversification. Tune in as he explains: - Their social media faux pas that courted controversy - Starting from scratch to market and sell a new product - The business processes involved in getting “Australia’s strongest coffee” to market - His approach to balancing innovation with brand integrity Plus lots more! www.mybusiness.com.au

Many business owners are afraid of competition. Others, such as Lachy Rowston and Raph Freedman of CrossFit Creature, say competition is a tool to hone your product or service offering. “The competition [has] forced us to try and differentiate our product more and make it of higher value,” they tell My Business, adding: “We can just provide the best service that we can offer and at the end of the day, if people like what we do, fantastic.” Returning to the My Business Podcast, the team reveals how they’ve stepped up to the plate by differentiating themselves from their competitors in order to grow a sustainable business within the highly competitive gym industry. In this episode, find out: - Why going cheaper doesn’t always work - How they are leveraging a large social following to drive growth - Their mindset behind competition and how they’ve countered resistance And plenty more! www.mybusiness.com.au

He’s not the biggest fish in the pond, but Marty Halphen from The Fruit Box says that if he wants to be number one, he’s got to train like he’s number two. “We don’t want that way of thinking to go away because it keeps us hungry … The way we look at it, it just incentivises us to actually keep on improving and getting bigger and growing in the right direction.” Returning to the My Business Podcast, Marty reveals the driving forces behind growing The Fruit Box nationally, the ways in which he engaged wholesalers to create a marketplace unique to the business, as well as the steps he took to successfully adapt the business to target markets and connect with consumers. Tune in as he explores: - Why a business is only as good as its last delivery - His approach to scaling a business that is realistic and sustainable How he unites his 250-strong team from multiple locations nationwide - The importance of continued learning and development as a business owner And much more! www.mybusiness.com.au

Delivering new growth options for a long-established business is no easy feat. Red Rooster’s CEO Chris Green reveals exactly how he is tackling this challenge head-on. Established businesses often find themselves in a unique dilemma – they have years of experience serving a loyal customer base, but recognise that bringing new customers in requires change. How can innovation be delivered without alienating the business’ bread and butter base? In an exclusive chat on the My Business Podcast, Chris reveals: • How new service offerings are expanding the brand into untapped markets • Why he personally got behind the wheel to test Red Rooster’s new delivery service • The importance of differentiating different brands owned by the same company • His insights from three decades in the customer-facing fast food industry Plus loads more! http://www.mybusiness.com.au

Gym owners Lachy Rowston and Raph Freedman came frighteningly close to becoming another business failure statistic. Now, they have three gyms and an active social following in excess of 100,000. Despite getting to a point of not being able to pay themselves for three months, Lachy and Raph – owners of the three Crossfit Creature gyms in Sydney and the popular podcast The Mind Muscle Project – were able to act quickly and turn their business into one of healthy growth. Tune in to hear: The moment they realised they were heading for failure, and how they turned things around; Their experience building a social following through The Mind Muscle Project podcast; How reviewing past work can reveal valuable insights for future improvement; and The biggest lessons the guys have taken away in transforming their business towards sustainable growth. Plus loads more! http://www.mybusiness.com.au

After literally being laughed at here in Australia, aussieBum founder Sean Ashby took his apparel ideas overseas, securing none other than luxury London department store Selfridges as his first stockist. Now his business has global sales in excess of $150 million. In this episode of the My Business Podcast, Sean reveals the scale of the rejection he faced and how he used that rejection as motivation to succeed. Tune in as he explains how taking the initiative, daring to take a risk and infusing the “spirit of Australia” into his product enabled the aussieBum brand to take hold and flourish. Speaking on the podcast, Sean reveals: - His journey from $30,000 at his dining table to $150 million global empire - How blatant honesty has helped secure business opportunities against the odds - The cheeky marketing tricks he used to build a massive social following - Why he thanks counterfeiters for helping to grow his business And plenty more! www.mybusiness.com.au

Anton Pemmer of Bottles of Australia imparts some key advice for SMEs on exporting, learnt from his own experience building a sales network across 22 countries around the globe. “It’s one thing to say, yes, you’re getting involved with exporting. The next question is, how much are you prepared to invest within a market to actually try and develop that market to work for you?,” says Anton. In this episode of My Business Podcast, Anton explains how he took his Canberra-based business global by investing in and building partnerships with worldwide vendors, as well as how utilising the services of credit agency Efic enabled the business to identify opportunities in the export space. Anton reveals: - The difficulties he faces in exporting products and services worldwide - How cultural differences can make or break your exporting efforts - That exporting is on track to grow from less than 1 per cent to 15 per cent of his total sales - How Efic works with businesses to identify and facilitate opportunities And plent

With 90-plus per cent of web traffic to a site coming from SEO, can your business afford to do without this valuable marketing tool? Tim Barnett of digital agency 2BInteractive explains how to get SEO to deliver more customers. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is like “witchcraft”, explains Tim – poorly understood and something of a dark art for many business operators. Having previously joined the My Business Podcast to explore the costs of a new or improved website, Tim returns to demystify this seemingly supernatural force, and reveals: • The best way to confuse Google and lose your ranking • How to target web content to capture a wider audience • Why pushing to close a sale online can be counterproductive And loads more! http://www.mybusiness.com.au

“We would get more than 95 per cent of our customers from our online marketing strategy,” says Amajjika Kumara of Lily Jackson Hair & Makeup, who explains exactly how they achieved this feat. Amajjika and business partner Jules Peacocke return to the studio to reveal the clever marketing strategies they’ve employed to win the war online and drive new business. Tune in to hear how Amajjika and Jules: - Adapted their business to deliver new customers during an economic downturn - Drive higher conversions from the time and money invested in digital marketing - Tailor their marketing strategy to their core demographic - Deal with bad online reviews, and turn them into wins Plus loads more! http://www.mybusiness.com.au

Mark Gardiner and Nicole Billett from Teddington Legal return to the My Business studio to give listeners the inside track on a number of hot-button legal issues facing business owners. Speaking on the My Business Podcast, Mark and Nicole reveal: - Changes to the Privacy Act and how this could affect businesses - What constitutes defamation, particularly in the digital world - The legal implications of not understanding a commercial property lease - Why debt recovery and chasing money can be difficult Plus loads more! http://www.mybusiness.com.au

Businesses don’t know employee expenses are coming in until the claim hits the finance desk, as Concur’s Murray Warner explains. However, there are ways to make the expenses process more transparent and efficient. “If you’re trying to go from a 10-person company to a 50-person company, how do you grow without having to hire more people to do very manual tasks?,” asks Murray. The answer, he says, is in delivering efficiencies through process automation. Joining the My Business Podcast, Murray explores: - How to make back-office functions cheaper and more efficient - Ways to simplify the audit process - The concerns many business owners have around cloud-based data storage - How transparent expenses management can improve cash flow Plus loads more! http://www.mybusiness.com.au

Mark Rusbatch, CEO of Mister Minit Australia, reveals how a business dependent on foot traffic is embracing technology to overcome the general retail malaise and how turning franchisee is unlocking profitability for independent operators. “One of the things we’re very conscious of is that the market is changing at a faster rate. It’s not only enough to change and modify our offer and ensure that we’re relevant, but we have to do it faster,” explains Mark. Mister Minit is one of the most successful franchises in the country, solving in excess of 10 million problems a year with its extensive service offering – from key cutting, to watch repairs, to battery replacements and more. Speaking on the My Business Podcast, Mark dispels the common misconception that practical services are unaffected by marketplace disruptors and explains how the business is diversifying its offering to keep up with its customers’ changing needs. Tune in to hear how Mark is investing in complementary distribution channels to improve the