+Mac vs. PCwhich way do you swing?

CooliPhone apps for tradiesProudly Australian

Issue #26April-May-June 2012

THE #1 TRADESMAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Anthony & Annie Bedrosian,

Mr.Switch ElectricalVIP  Diamond  Members  

ʻ‘achieving  the  unachievableʼ’

What’s in store for the Aust & global economyThoughts  from  the  Westpac  Global  Head  

Avoid business burnout5  simple  

burnout  busters  to  prevent  this  from  happening  

to  you

Hamilton IslandWish  you  were  there

TradeTalk 1

It’s  over  1/4  of  the  way  through  2012...believe  it  or  not...  and  I’m  sure  your  excited  with  your  progress  to  date.  Are  you?     April  signified  25%  of  the  way  through  the  year  and  now  we  are  only  8  weeks  :ll  the  end  of  the  financial  year.  Have  you  made  an  appointment  to  meet  with  your  accountant  for  the  end  of  May/start  of  June  to  talk  about  how  you’ve  been  tracking?

   We  absolutely  must  start  by  saying  a  huge  congratula:ons  to  Annie  and  Anthony  Bedrosian  from  Mr.Switch  Electrical,  Diamond  VIP  members,  for  their  success  in  being  honoured  as  a  Na:onal  Finalist  for  the  Australian  Small  Business  Champion  Awards  in  the  category  of  ‘New  Business  Under  2  years’.  A  huge  accolade  to  have  made  it  this  far  in  such  a  short  period  of  :me.  Coincidently  we  share  their  amazing  story  in  the  Member  Profile  on  page  7,  plus  talk  the  Power  of  Awards  on  page  13.  

  We  had  a  great  night  with  Anthony,  Annie  and  their  team  while  we  too  waited  in  an:cipa:on  to  see  if  either  Dr.DRiP  (trade  category),  Tradesman  Inner  Circle  (Educa:on  category)  or  Andy  (Australian  Small  Business  Champion  Entrepreneur)  were  going  to  celebrate  a  win.  Unfortunately,  no  such  luck,  but  had  a  great  night  all  the  same!                      

  The  past  3  months  have  been  great  fun  where  we  have  seen  ourselves  work  hard  and  play  hard!  With  a  wonderful  and  memorable  trip  to  Hamilton  Island  in  March  (shared  on  page  17)  we  were  all  provided  the  chance  to  renew,  rejuvenate  and  reward  ourselves  with  plenty  of  ‘fun  in  the  sun’!  (nothing  beats  an  ‘ac:ve  adventure  morning’  and  lazy  ‘cocktail’  arvo  by  the  pool!...  ahhhhhh!)

Have  you  checked  out  MyTIC  lately?  Ange  and  Carolyn  have  loaded  a  great  ‘many’  resources.  Just  start  at  ‘Latest  News’  to  get  the  overviews.  

Bill Evans predictions. Page 4

Wondering what’s happening with the Australian and global economy in 2012? Let Head Economist, Bill Evans, share his insight.

Mr. Switch Electrical Page 7

Diamond VIP Member Anthony and Annie Bedrosian from Mr.Switch Electrical share their journey achieving the unachievable!

Lost In The Web Page 9

Did you know: the ATO is watching and benchmarking your business? If you didn’t know then this might be an article you want and need to read.

TradeTalk 2

    Interes:ngly,  having  men:oned  how  close  the  end  of  financial  year  is,  it  was  a  mee:ng  we  had  with  our  accountant  in  March  that  educated  us  in  more  detail  about  ‘Big  Brother’,  the  ATO.  If  you’re  a  li`le  unsure  what  I’m  talking  about,  you  might  want  to  read  the  ar:cle  on  page  9.  

  To  take  this  ‘finance’  angle  a  li`le  further  I  was  invited  to  a`end  a  ‘Westpac  Economy  Presenta:on’  with  Bill  Evans,  the  Head  Economist,  to  hear  his  take  on  the  Australian  and  global  market  movements  predicted  for  2012.  Read  my  review  on  page  4.

  A  recent  ‘google  slap’  to  our  Dr.DRiP  website  (saw  our  1st  page  organic  ranking  drop  off  the  charts)  saw  us  in  deep  chats  with  our  ‘SEO  master’.  It  is  true  that  Google  is  changing  some  rules  and  guess  who’s  in  the  firing  line?  Find  out  more  on  page  20.  (Thankfully  our  other  websites  are  safe  from  this  form  of  control  by  Google.

  I    recommend  you  check  out  the  ‘best  of’  You  Tube  video  on  page  14  plus  we’ve  included  it  on  MyTIC.  The  video  is  Dale  Beaumont  sharing  his  4  step  formula  on  ‘how  to  get  the  right  tes:monial’.    

Business Burn Out Page 11

5 Simple Burnout Busters to prevent this from happening to you.

Mac vs. PC Debate Page 15

It is easy to be caught up in the marketing excitement of the Apple Mac, but the question remains - do you really need it? and which do you prefer?

Other articles include;

• TIC Work Shop is this month - 25/26 May. Have you booked? - page 6

• Riding the award wave. Why it’s one wave you really want to be on - page 13

• You tube ‘best of’ video -How to get the right testimonial. Dale Beaumont shares his 4 step formula - page 14

• Hamilton Island - We reminisce - page 17

• Warning for those with SEO on their website; read this - page 20

• Cool boys toys in the Man Cave - page 21

We’ve  had  a  few  members  asking,  so  thought  this  would  be  useful  for  all.

 gadget  covered  in  ‘Man  Cave’  is  a  winner!  Perhaps  I’ll  buy  it  for  Ange  for  mothers  day  (really  support  buying  a  gi8  for  your  partner  that  YOU  can  enjoy  too...  Ange  has  been  doing  it  for  my  b’day  for  years  and  I’ve  only  JUST  coEoned  on!  Bought  her  a  coffee  machine  for  her  b’day  and  I  LOVE  IT!).

And  best  :ll  last  -­‐  the  room  is  filling  fast  with  Diamond  and  Pla:num  members  for  our  Work  Shop  on  the  Gold  Coast  less  than  3  weeks.  Can’t  WAIT  to  see  you  all!

Till  then...

Make  it  happen!

Andy

Tradesman inner CircleHelping You On The Road To Success

MEMBERS – You are never far from help.

Unlimited phone support on 1800 704 822.

Lay it on the plate.........

T   o  get  an  insight  into  global  market     ac1vity  and  how  Australia  is  expected  to  track  for  2012  and  beyond  I  took  up  an  invita:on  to  a`end  a  presenta:on  conducted  by  Bill  Evans,  Westpac  Banking  Corpora:on’s  Global  Head  of  Economics  and  Research  a  few  weeks  ago.

  Let  me  share  with  you  the  ‘take-­‐out’  of  the  night  -­‐  The  most  exci:ng  and  promising  news  for  us  as  business  owners  (and  mortgage  owners)  is  the  expected  rate  decreases.  

Australian  interest  rates  are  expected  to  drop  by  50  basis  points  within  the  next  few  weeks,  then  25  basis  points  in  December  -­‐  and  perhaps  even  an  addi:onal  25  basis  points  to  follow  soon  aier.  Reserve  Bank  are  aware  the  banks  won’t  follow  suit,  so  to  bring  the  cash  rate  down,  the  RBA  figure  if  they  drop  75  -­‐  100  basis  points,  the  banks  will  be  forced  to  at  least  go  half  way  which  will  reduce  interest  rates  and  hence  have  a  posi:ve  effect  on  consumer  confidence.

Bill  spoke  of  Australia  where  he  expects  property  prices  to  be  neutral  for  the  next  few  years.  He  also  predicts  the  growth  for  Australia  to  be  fairly  flat  un:l  at  least  the  second  half  of  the  year  and  confirmed  the  boom  in  both  QLD  and  WA  thanks  to  the  mining  industry.  

China  officially  in  a  recession.  They  were  growing  at  approximately  11%  and  have  dropped  to  7%.  China  has  done  this  to  themselves  to  slow  down  the  economy.  Having  completed  the  first  stage  of  a  three  stage  policy,  China  is  now  looking  at  social  housing  for  its  people.  China  is  in  a  very  strong  posi:on  regardless  of  what  the  media  says.  This  assists  Australia  overall.

America  is  looking  on  the  up  and  employment  has  improved.  Believes  President  Obama  wants  to  provide  another  round  of  s:mulus  packages  but  decision  is  based  on  congress  agreement.  Thinks  they  don’t  want  to,  but  common  sense  will  prevail,  based  on  the  fact  that  U.S.A.  will  drop  by  2.7%  if  this  isn’t  ac:oned.

Spain  expected  to  default  in  next  few  months  which  will  make  headline  news.  Youth  unemployment  currently  at  50%  and  general  unemployment  20-­‐25%.  By  2014  the  Euro  is  predicted  to  collapse.

England  is  struggling  at  present  with  the  Olympics  Games  this  year  the  only  ac:vity  keeping  them  buoyant.  Watch  this  space  come  post-­‐Olympics.

Bill  spoke  a  great  deal  on  Australia’s  debt  very  low  debt  versus  all  other  countries.  

The  most  alarming  item  for  Australia  is  our  high  personal  debt  rate.  Our  household  debt  is  highest  in  the  world.  Bill  wasn’t  saying  we  were  headed  for  a  recession,  but  this  does  effect  consumer  spending.  That  said,  with  the  predicted  interest  rate  cuts,  consumer  confidence  and  hence  spending  will  increase.

Bill  talked  very  posi:vely  about  business  in  Australia.  The  significant  global  policy  s:mulus  will  se`le  consumer  confidence  issues  and  lower  interest  rates  will  provide  the  2nd  half  of  year  with  the  buoyancy  we  Australians  desire.

In  short  -­‐  the  Australian  economy  is  looking  stable  at  present.    

You  can  stay  up  to  date  with  the  economy  through  the  weekly  update  provided  by  The  Westpac  Bank  on  their  Your  Tube  channel  ‘Westpac  Banking’.,  namely  the  ‘Westpac  Economic  Update’.  

NOTE:  The  day  this  magazine  went  to  print  the  RBA  dropped  interest  rates  by  50  basis  points  to  3.75%.  The  ques:on  now  is;  will  the  banks  follow  suit?

 

Bill Evans predicts interest rate cuts and an increase in consumer confidence

INTRODUCING  THE  TRADESMAN  INNER  CIRCLE  IPHONE  &  ANDROID  APP

Now  you  can  access  our  free  content  all  in  the  one  

convenient  loca1on.  Allow  us  to  help  you  make  the  right  moves  to  ensure  your  business  and  life  success

If  you’re  on  your  iPhone  you  will  find  it  in  the  app  store  by  searching  Tradesman  Inner  Circle.  For  Android,  search  for  us  on  your  handset  in  the  Android  Market.

TRADE SECRETS IN YOUR POCKET

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FREE now!

TradeTalk 6

Tradesman Inner Circle Work Shop

Friday 25th and Saturday 26th May, 2012HQ Hotel, Gold Coast

Exclusively for Diamond and Platinum members

here are some things in business that you simply CAN NOT drop the ball on...

Solid steps to Sales and Marketing Success

How to Turn On The Sales Cycle For Maximum Results

Whether you’re happy with the size business you have, or are looking for fast growth both with the result of more customers, a higher turnover and profit, this hands-on Work Shop will provide the path to success you need for a fail-proof foundation in sales and marketing success that you will carry for life and will revisit time and time again.

As the chinese proverb says - ‘Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime’.

It’s time to get your hands dirty with your fellow TIC members where you’ll discover TIC’s SIMPLE strategies and base foundation that will help take the guesswork out of running a highly profitable business.You’ll leave the Work Shop feeling excited and energized about your business with rock solid NEXT STEPS to implement immediately on return! This one is not to be missed...

T

For more details check out the MyTIC website/Events/Next TIC Work Shop.Book your accommodation and flights today...Looking forward to seeing you there!

7 TradeTalk

Tradesman Inner Circle Member Profile“We’ve reached goals we thought were unachievable.”

Members

1. Tell us a bit about your situation, your business and family etc.

I started my electrical apprenticeship when I was 17 years old and was employed by a small business working alongside the boss mainly targeting construction sites. I was hardworking and quick learning and soon enough opened my eyes to the world of electrical service. I realised how customers were being disappointed and let down when the company would not turn up to the job or the customer was totally forgotten about.In 2008 and at the age of 21 I completed my apprenticeship and was employed as the first electrician with a medium sized maintenance plumbing company that was starting up their electrical sector. Coming from a mainly construction background this was a clear challenge for me to learn and take in all the new maintenance service side of the industry.As a result, I learnt the marvelous side of maintenance electrical and my customers loved my excellent service! Within one year working for this company, I started sub-contracting to them and finally made the decision to start my own business- Mr Switch Electrical.My wife Annie and I had only been married for 6 months and she realized I was struggling with the paper work side of the business as I was working 24/7 and had no time nor patience to sit in front of the computer!. She made a huge life changing decision to leave her career in the wedding planning industry to help me with Mr Switch Electrical.Once Annie came into the picture in 2010 a lot changed. She changed the company trading name to Mr Switch Electrical and got the ball rolling for marketing and clientele base.Together for the past year through hard work, tears, sweat and love and with the marvelous help of TIC we have built a business which runs from our home office and have 3 vans with 3 tradesmen and are striving to reach more goals!

2. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in the last 12 months? The biggest challenge we have faced in the last 12 months has definitely been to find and implement a field integrated CRM Software.For the past year we have been tossing and turning to find the right CRM Software for our business as we realized paperwork was going nowhere. We realized that we needed to step up to the ladder and implement technology where it was needed to help us be more efficient and productive. There are so many options out there however finding the right one for our business took longer than anticipated! We now have signed up to a great CRM and are currently in training progress.

3. How have you tackled that challenge? How do you feel about it? After intensive research, meetings and discussions for a year we finally came across a system that was easy to handle and learn. We now are happily in training and are glad we are going paperless!

Anthony & Annie BedrosianMr.Switch ElectricalDiamond VIP Member

4. How have you and your business changed since joining TIC? Seriously both of us are much more motivated now to move the business even more forward! There is no looking back! We’ve reached goals we thought were unachievable! We also have a clearer vision of our life and business!

5. Where do you see your business in 5 years? We are now in the process of building systems and procedures for the company so we can grow smoothly without headache! Our next goal is to move the office out of our home to an office and hire office staff so we can spend more quality time together. Overall in the next five years we want the business to run for itself! (while we are sipping on cocktails at Waikiki beach hahaha)

6. What are the top 3 things you have learnt about business that you would recommend to others, and WHY? (eg; life plan, watching numbers, customers first????)

Tip1 and why:Always adapt to change- The world, economy and customers are always changing and we need to be willing for our business to adapt to these changes so we can continue being in business!

Tip2 and why:Don’t involve your emotions- Never mix business with your emotions as it is not professional and business is business!

Tip3 and why:

Never Ever Give Up!- Always think positive, surround yourself with positive people to avoid failure so you can kick those goals in life and business!

7. Favorite tool and why?Anthony: Portable Eftpos Machine- so easy to use and speedy!Annie: Mine is Google! Any questions I have just google away!!

8. Tell us something quirky about yourself that your buddies don’t know (eg. you have a favourite coffee cup that sings happy birthday!, you’re the only one in your extended family that is left handed)

Anthony: Unlike my mates I like listening to classical music such as frank Sinatra and James Dean with a glass of Scotch and relaxing!Annie: I hate going to the shops! Every time someone asks me to go along I always come up with an excuse! Always prefer being in and out!

9. Who would you most like to have lunch with and why (eg. Richard Branson, just to say I’d had lunch with him! or to ask him how he gets so much stuff done)

Anthony: Donald Trump- he i s an impeccable businessman and I have a long list of questions I would love to ask him especially how he faced his challenges along the way and how he balanced his work with his family life and what kept him still going!!Annie: Mother Theresa- she was a miracle herself! To bring such love, hope, peace and faith to the world is very touching!

TradeTalk 8

Enjoying the Australian Small Business Awards with their teamAnnie & Anthony were honoured to be National Finalists at the Australian Small Business Champion Awards in the category of ‘New business under 2 Years’.

With only 20 nominations from a pool of ‘all business’, it was a huge accolade for Mr. Switch Electrical.

The award night was at The Westin Hotel, 21st April 2012 - a great night enjoyed by 950 small business owners from across Australia.

Congratulations again...

LOSTIN THE

WEB

9 TradeTalk

Did you know; ‘Big brother ATO’ is watching and is benchmarking your business...

ave you ever given much thought to how closely the A T O i s w a t c h i n g y o u r

business? and how it can both (shock horror) positively and (oops) negatively be affecting you?... perhaps this is one article you’re going to want to read...

It was a casual comment from our accountant about our ‘position in relation to the ANZSIC code’ that made us sit up and take notice... or ‘Austral ian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification’. This is the ATO’s way to benchmark the finances of small business by business type (A-Z) and business industry.

W h a t a r e s m a l l b u s i n e s s benchmarks?Small business benchmarks are financial ratios developed to help compare performance against similar businesses in your industry. The ratio is expressed in a range to provide the variation that occurs between businesses based on regions and circumstances. Benchmarks are published for businesses with different turnover ranges across more than 100 industries.

Types of benchmarksThere are two types of benchmarks developed for the small business sector;1. Performance benchmarks2.Input benchmarks

Performance benchmarks provide financial ratios for your industry to help you work out

* if you fall within or outside the benchmark range for your industry

* why your business may differ from the benchmark range

They are developed using information from the income tax return to include rations such as:- cost of sales to turnover- total expenses to turnover- rent to turnover- labour to turnover- motor vehicle expenses to turnover

Input benchmarks show an expected range of income for tradespeople based on labour and materials. The information is provided by industry participants and trade associations. Input benchmarks apply to tradespeople who undertake domestic projects and are responsible for purchasing their own materials.

How benchmarks can help youBenchmarks are a useful took to help you;* Compare your business with your industry

benchmark range* Provides you with ‘best business practice’ and hence

you can review your business and make changes based on true results

H

10 TradeTalk

* Check that you are meeting your tax obligations, including recording all cash transactions

* Work out if you need to adjust your business and record-keeping practices

* Assess if your business is likely to be selected for an audit or review... you don’t want that!

How to calculate and use your benchmarkFirstly, check the benchmark specific to your business (See ‘find your business benchmarks’ in the last paragraph of this article)

Secondly, calculate your benchmark using your income tax return for the relevant year.

Example below: Plumbing Services - issued 2012 Performance Benchmarks (www.ato.gov.au)

Key benchmark ratio (annual turnover range)

$50K - $150K $150K - $600K

more than $600K

Income tax return

Cost of sales/turnover

27% - 38% 32% - 41% 35% - 44%

Total expenses/turnover

50% - 67% 66% - 79% 79% - 89%

Average total expenses

59% 72% 84%

Example: Cost of sales to turnover ratioTo calculate cost of sales to turnover ratio, divide cost of sales by turnover and multiply by 100.(cost of sales / turnover) x 100 = cost of sales/turnover ratio

ABC Plumbing company tax return figures Total business income $705,200Cost of sales $253,300

Calculating cost of sales to turnover ratioCost of sales $253,300turnover (divide by) $705,200 x 100Cost of sales/turnover ratio = 35.91%

ABC Plumbing co. turnover places their business in the highest turnover range for plumbing companies. The cost of sales to turnover ratio is 35.91% which is within the benchmark range of 35% - 44% for plumbing companies.

What does it mean to be outside the benchmark?If your business falls outside the benchmarks you may meed to explain why. Performing outside the benchmarks could indicate that you need to review your business’s performance and record-keeping practices to ensure you are reporting all business income and expenses.

Reporting above a benchmark rangeIf your benchmark is reporting above the benchmark it means your expenses are high relative to your sales.This may indicate that:* You have not recorded all your sales* Your mark up is lower than your competitors* You have high wastage* Your competitors may be able to source inputs at

lower cost than you* Your volume of sales is too low (for rent and possibly

labour)

Reporting below a benchmark rangeIf your business is reporting below the benchmark it means your expenses are low relative to sales.This may indicate that:* Your expenses may be recorded under the wrong label* Some of your expenses may have not been recorded* Your mark up is higher that your competitors* You have less wastage

A range of factors may affect a businesses performance. Benchmarks cal help you to identify differences which can assist in determining your competitive position and whether you need to change how you operate.

When your business is outside a benchmarkIf your business is outside the benchmark, we recommend you:* Speak with your accountant to be sure* Review your record-keeping practices* Consider how your business operates* Check if you have made a mistake or not reported all

your income and expenses in your tax returns or activity statements.

Is the ANZSIC benchmarking code a negative or a positive? I would reply with a huge POSITIVE. Although it seems that ‘big brother is watching’, if we too keep an eye on the data and take action where necessary, the information they are capturing will help us improve business performance year on year.

To find your business benchmarks plus more information on ANZSIC see www.ato.gov.au and search for ‘small business benchmarks’. All the information you need can be found here.Better still - ask your accountant how your business sits in relation to the benchmark. wonder what they’ll say...

How to BattleBusiness Burn Outustralia’s long working hours from small business owners is a health hazard.

Sound like you? frantically busy? You might want to turn it down a notch to ensure you don’t become a statistic of business burnout - the reaction to constant, day-in-day-out stress.

Mental health group Lifeline have r e p o r t e d ‘ w o r k ’ a s t h e t o p national cause of stress.

Lifeline have reported ‘1 in 2 Australians are experiencing a level of stress that could cause illness’. This same report rates ‘work’ as the TOP national cause of stress, and adds that 93% of Australians were stressed in 2011 - up from 90% in 2010. So now that we know the facts, let’s take a look at 7 warning signs that you or someone else needs help.

1. Extreme fatigue. A feeling difficult to shake, even with a few days off. A lack of enthusiasm about the business than usual.

2. Details start falling through the cracks. Like forgetting your regular Monday morning meeting, or neglect to follow-through on important paperwork.

3. Withdrawal from social events. A person feeling emotionally delicate will decline any offer of a social nature.

4. Increase in coffee or alcohol. Alcohol to sleep and coffee to stay awake. A never ending cycle that is hard to break.

5. Lost confidence/Doubting capabilities. Once-confident people will begin to doubt their decision making capabilities. They’ll often seek reassurance and/or procrastinate on decisions.

6. Over-reaction. Often the over-reaction is to things that wouldn’t have bothered the person in the past.

7. Lack of focus. Struggling to lead the team and to complete any one single task correctly.

If left unchecked, there is a high probability of getting sick plus burnout can trigger more serious clinical depression. Don’t let yourself, or someone you know become a statistic.

A

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5 Simple Burnout Busters to prevent this from happening to you;

1. Have fun - Constantly stop and ask yourself are you happy? and could you be doing things better to ensure you are.

2. Talk to someone - Whether it’s a friend, your partner, your mentor/coach or a counsellor, make sure there is someone you can trust.

3. Choose your attitude - You may not be able to control what happens around you, you can control how you respond to what happens.

4. Manage your workload - Set priorities and learn to delegate effectively.

5. Exercise regularly - Go for a walk every day for 30minutes. You’d be surprised how much better you feel once you’ve stretched your legs, cleared your mind and taken some deep breathes.

6. Create systems - this is the only way to replace yourself and reduce your hours. Create systems that your exceptional employees can follow.

You CAN control your destiny...

R U OK?is an independent organisation whose purposeis to empower people through education and the provision of helpful resources to have open and honest conversations.By encouraging meaningful communication, it hopes to stop little problems become bigger and help reduce the 2100 deaths by suicide in Australia each year.R U OK? Day is September 13 when everyone is encouraged to ask “Are you OK?”Visit www.ruokday.com.au for more information and to register for R U OK? at work.

Stress Down Dayis Lifeline’s annual fundraising campaign. To be heldFriday, 27th July 2012.People are encouraged to participate in stress reducing, fun activities like wearing slippers to work, or dressing up or down, and making a donation to Lifeline.Visit www.lifeline.org.au for more information or call 13 11 14 support line. 2011 raised over $100K to assist vital crisis support services.

SPILL THE BEANS. . . . . ‘MIND-BLOWING SECRETS FROM A MARKETING MAVEN’

Riding the Award Wave...   ‘d  be  lying  if  I  said  that  entering  awards  was  a  breeze  and  takes  absolutely  no  :me  at  all,  BUT  that  said,  when  it  comes  to  marke:ng,  there  is  no  beZer  wave  to  ride  than  that  of  being  a  finalist,  or  beZer  s:ll,  the  winner  for  an  Award  whether  it  be  local,  state  or  na:onal.

  Why  is  it  such  a  good  ride?  because  it’s  the  one  piece  of  marke:ng  that  provides  immediate  credibility  for  your  business,  not  just  for  a  week  or  a  month,  but  for  years  and  years  on  end  and  that’s  priceless.  Not  to  men:on  the  benefit  of  being  able  to  talk  about  your  business  without  even  having  to  open  your  mouth  -­‐  a  prospect  immediately  thinks  ‘If  someone  can  acknowledge  their  business  with  an  award,  they  must  be  doing  something  right.  I’ll  give  them  a  chance”.

Oien  it’s  the  vote  of  confidence  provided  by  someone  other  than  yourself  that  will  help  a  new  lead  make  the  decision  to  give  you  money.    “It’s  like  being  provided  a  referral”  says  Andy.

  In  a  climate  where  consumers  are  careful  with  their  spending  -­‐  they  want  the  job  done  right  by  someone  they  can  trust  not  to  let  them  down  and  at  a  fair  price  -­‐  nothing  screams  ‘a  perfect  match’  to  this  criteria  MORE  than  an  Award  Winning  Business.    

  Diamond  VIP  Members  Annie  &  Anthony  Bedrosian  from  Mr.Switch  Electrical  will  soon  see  the  reward  of  their  ac1ons  aTer  their  recent  success  in  being  honoured  as  a  Na1onal  Finalist  for  the  Small  Business  Champion  Awards  in  the  category  of  ‘New  Business  Under  2  years’.  Congratula1ons  to  you  both.

Perhaps  the  ques:on’s  you  have  include  “Which  awards  should  I  enter?”,  “What  do  I  write?”,    “When  do  I  start?”  or  “What  do  I  do  once  we’ve  won  or  been  honoured  as  a  finalist?”.  All  these  ques:ons  are  answered  on  MyTIC  under  Marke:ng.  Check  it  out  today.

Below:  The  Dr.DRiP  team  enjoying  the  night  at  The  WesRn  Hotel,  Saturday  21st  April,  at  the  Small  Business  Champion  Awards  for  2012,  where  we  were  NaRonal  finalists  -­‐  Dr.DRiP  Pty  Ltd  (Trade  Services  category),  Tradesman  Inner  Circle  (EducaRon  category)  and  Andrew  Smith  (Small  Business  Champion  Entrepreneur  Award)  -­‐  we’ll  be  able  to  ride  the  wave  of  these  nominaRons  for  years  to  come.

I

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Ange & Andy's GIGANTIC Success Secret of the Month

Reading  and  applying  these  constantly  provide  focus  and  clarity  in  every  aspect  of  our  life  –  both  personal  and  business.  We  hope  they  have  a  similar  effect  in  yours.

Think carefully

making promises, offers or commitments - no matter how minor or trivial.

These are ALL contracts and must be honoured.

They will reflect heavily on your business, your team and you personally if you do not uphold your end of the bargain.

Think before you act or speak!

before

In this 4:54 minute video, Dale shares with us his exact 4 step formula to getting the RIGHT type of testimonial.

You  Tube  ‘Best  Of’  Video

‘How to get the right testimonial’ We all understand the importance of testimonials for our business, but how ‘exactly’ do we get them? and how do we get the ‘right’ type of testimonial?

This is what Dale Beaumont shares with us in this video with ‘Flying Solo’ host Robert Gerrish.

Go to MyTIC for You Tube ‘Best of’ Videos.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

15 TradeTalk

M ost people would remember t h e i n f a m o u s ‘ G e t a M a c ’ advertising campaign with John H o d g m a n a n d J u s t i n L o n g representing PC and Mac in 2006 with their quick one-liners and cheeky fun. Fast-forward to 2012 and the question still remains... Mac vs. PC - which is better and why?

If you ask any IT expert they would tell you Mac and PC have a r e a l l y d i f f e r e n t w a y o f t h i n k i n g although, in the end, they come to the same result.

T h e y b o t h o p e r a t e t h e b a s i c applications such as word and excel, but have major differences in hardware; Macs are only built by Apple whereas PCs are built by a number of companies. This reflects in the price, in that Macs are generally more expensive, and the quality of Macs is considered more stable and stylish.

When it comes to security Mac is said to be more secure due to the fact that there are few viruses that can infect them. PCs need virus protection and sometimes that's not enough.

Malware exists on Macs but it's very rare in comparison to PCs.

That said, the critical difference is marketing. Apple Mac have positioned themselves, and hence now have a stigma, of appearing cool and trendy.

A p p l e M a c h a s c a r v e d i t s e l f a reputation as the ‘alternative’ choice for those that see themselves as an individual such as designers, creatives and artists.

But it's not just about image. Macs tend to be the best platform for design and creativity due to the strength of the applications available for it and the fact that Macs are generally high quality computers.

This and the image of using a Mac make up the perfect team for those that see themselves outside the corporate culture.

Tech TalkMac vs. PCWhich way do you swing?

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If you’re deciding between a Mac or PC, the question to ask yourself is: 'what do you need it for?'

Unless you're editing video, graphic design etc. then you probably don't need to spend the amount of money that Mac demands.

Most people just want to browse the web, check their e-mails and use a word processor, which doesn't need a high-powered machine (this is Andy too a tee, and hence the iPad has been perfect for him!).

The needs of the user are paramount but people like the idea of saying they use a Mac and the image that goes with it, even though in most cases they're not using it to its full capabilities.

Apple ’s strong brand identity has everything to do with their marketing and branding, but also because their products are great. No marketing in the world would have the impact Mac has had without a good product/s like Mac, iPhone, iPad etc to promote.

Mac’s rising popularity was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald in November 2011 announcing Apple Mac as holding 5.2% market share of the world-wide computer sales. A 15-year high for the Cupertino, California, tech giant, according to a report by Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf cited on GigaOM.

In the home segment, Mac's growth was 25.6 per cent versus 4 per cent for the overall market; among businesses, Mac's increase

o f 4 3 . 8 p e r c e n t f a r o u t p a c e d t h e w i d e r market's 4.8 per cent rise.

According to AppleInsider, Asia Pacific represented the fastest-growing geographic region for Apple with 57.2 per cent growth for the quarter."The growth of Apple's sales in China represents a perfect storm between an iconic brand and a rapidly growing middle class t h a t ' s m o r e b r a n d - c o n s c i o u s t h a n consumers in most other regions of the globe," Charlie Wolf said.

So this takes us back to the question - ‘which way do you swing?’

Using both PC and Mac I personally would say the PC is easier to work with, but perhaps this is based on the fact that I’ve worked on a PC far longer than a Mac. I use PC for my basic day-to-day email/admin. I find working with excel and word far easier on the PC, and when it comes to d e s i g n ( m a g a z i n e s / n e w s l e t t e r s ) , photos and the like, nothing beats the Mac.

That said, as I sit here with major virus and spyware issues on my PC, I can certainly say I’m leaning towards the reliability of my Mac (and the integration of iCloud is my life).

Private Retreat

Memorable,  crazy,  adventure,  relaxing,  re-­invigorating  and  overall  GREAT  FUNin  beautiful  Hamilton  Island  with  TIC  Diamond  Members  Aaron  &  Dani  from  ACE  Electrical  and  Mark  and  Emma  from  Secure  Pave.Can’t  wait  till  we  can  do  it  again!

Hamilton

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The golf range. Don’t ask me how many balls we lost! It was lots!

Top Gun eat your heart out!

enter textType to enter text

TradeTalk 18

Island

Happy  Birthday  Mark

Aaron’s attempt at stand-up paddle boarding

Aaron and Andy sail off into the sunset!

To  our  Members,You  are  never  far  from  help.Unlimited  Phone  Support  

Call  us  whenever  you  need  us  on  1800  704  822

Tradesman Inner CircleHelping Tradesman

Australia Wide Since 2008

19 TradeTalk

I        ‘ve  had  plenty  of  failures  in  my  life  -­‐  in  business,  in  sport  and  in  achieving  my  goals.  But  I’m  not  ashamed  of  them,  here’s  why...

  I  may  think  about  them  for  a  day  or  two  analysing  what  I  did  wrong  and  what  I  could  have  done  be`er.   They   seem   like  interes:ng  experiences  that   happened   to   someone  else,   the  person  I  was  before  I  made  the  mistake.  If  anything  they   only   serve   to   make  me   a  be`er   person,   to  mould  the  person  I  am  today.

  On   the  other   hand,   I’m   proud   of   my  successes.   The   buzz   I   feel   when   I’ve  accomplished  my   goals  mo1vates  me.  When  I’ve  felt  challenged  they’re  great  ammuni:on  to  say   to  myself,   ‘You’ve  done  this  before,  you  can  do  it  again!’.

With   that   all  said,   I   am   ashamed   of   my   personal  failings  -­‐  like  the  stupid  things  we  all  do  at  :mes  and  oien  regret  (ever  had  one  of  those  moments?).

The   difference   is   between   the  failures  and  the  failings.

  A  failure  is  falling  short  of  a  goal  you  set  yourself.   A  failing   is  falling  short  of  a  personal  standard   you  set  on  your  behaviour.   This   rule  has  served  me  well.  

The  anger   I  feel  towards  myself  when  I’ve  betrayed  my   personal   standards   is   construc:ve.     It   only  ensures  I  lii  my  game  moving  forward.  

My   failures,   on   the   other   hand,   need   to   be  considered  life’s  lessons.

It   is   the   lesson   of   these   failures   that  mo1vate  me  to  do  beXer,  to  do  more.

  This   simply   highlights   to   me   that   to  accomplish  great  things  in  life  you  have  to  expect  to  experience  failure  at   :mes  simply   because  we  are  forever  seqng  the  ‘bar  high’,  thinking  big  and  ‘going  hard’  to  execute  the  vision.  No  body  likes  to  fail,  but  it  is  the  liquid  that  drives  us  to  achieve  your  goals.

If  you  fail,   it   is  simply   a  :me  to  ask  yourself  “what  could   I   have   done   be`er   or   differently   to   have  resulted   in   a   posi:ve  outcome?”.   Don’t   dwell   on  what  you  did  wrong,  don’t  give  yourself  a  hard  :me  and   don’t   be   ashamed   of   what   happened.   Do  focus  on  the  lesson  learnt  and  move  on!

Remember   the   difference   between   failure   and  failings  -­‐   it   has  served  me  well  and  I’m  sure  it  will  serve  you  well  too!

Why I’m Not Ashamed of my failures and why you shouldn’t be either...

Google has announced it is making a change to its search algorithm to penalise websites that are ‘over-optimised’ in favour of high-quality content.

This will penalise websites with strong SEO such as too many keywords, exchange

Warning: for all tradesmen that SEO their website; Google penalising ‘over optimisation’ on website

For more information: Type into google: ‘google to penalise over optimised websites’

way too many links, or whatever else they are doing to go beyond what you normally expect. This information was shared by Google’s Head of Search, Matt Cutts.

Does this affect you? Ask your SEO guy today if it has? what are they doing about it?

This is where we talk about all cool things that should or could be in the man cave. Gadgets, new tech, cool tools, new inventions or big boys toys, if it’s cool and fun we’ll talk about it.

Ever used the video on your iPhone 4 only to exclaim “ the sound is ‘terrible’?”, well this little gadget could be the answer to the perfect video for either professional or personal use ...

When it comes to videoing the kids, I must admit, I am hopeless! Ange is better than I to grab the camera to capture a few happy snaps or video the kids, and more often that not it’s with our iPhone, simply because its the closest thing to grab to capture the memory. Considering this is the case, in reviewing the videos we have often commented that the new HD video has great quality, but it’s the sound that lets it down. The small internal microphone

only records in mono with no control and as for quality... So you can imagine how excited we were to hear about a mates new purchase - the new Fostex AR-4i, which was specifically designed to increase the quality of the sound of videos you take with your iPhone 4. Check it out...

Offering excellent quality stereo audio recording, (via Dock connector and in-built AD/DA converter), with LED input level metering, gain control and headphone monitoring, the AR-4i is perfect for business testimonials, training videos, live video streaming to the web, video blogs / YouTube uploads plus ideal at home with the family!

MAN CAVE?IS THIS IN YOUR

21 TradeTalk

Although not an Apple product, it has been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards.

There is even an easy to use iPhone App (available at the App Store) that allows for easy control of input level, microphone setting, equalisation, filters etc

The AR-4i works with;iPhone 4S - 16GB 32GB 64GBiPhone 4 - 16GB 32GBiPod Touch 4th Generation* - 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB (*with the supplied adapter)

For approximately $120 from a New York business (ships world-wide) BHPhoto, you can check out this gadget including all its specifications on their website www.fostexinternational.com/docs/products/AR-4i.shtml

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                    Cool  iPhone  Apps  for  Tradies

Google  Translate

Price:  FREEHow  many  1mes  have  you  wished  you  could  say  “xXxx”  in  french,  german,  japanese,  and  the  list  goes  on...  and  now  you  can  with  Google  translate.And  you’ll  know  how  to  write  it  too...Travelling  o/s  has  just  become  even  easier  with  this  liXle  baby  in  your  pocket  removing  the  basic  language  barrier  forever!

Features  ✓Translates  more  than  60  languages  in  text  ✓  Translates  spoken  language

           

         

Facebook  $US1bn  snap

This  month  saw  Facebook  buy  into  a  quirky  li`le  company  called  Instagram  for  $US1bn.Instagram  is  a  simple  photo-­‐taking,  photo-­‐sharing  app  that  applies  filters  to  give  images  a  retro  look-­‐and-­‐feel.  It  can  make  just  about  any  photo  look  interes:ng  and  cool.

With  approximately  432  million  mobile  users  (over  50%  of  ac:ve  users  in  total)  ,  Facebook  has  now  improved  their  usability.

It’s  amazing  to  think  that  a  business  founded  in  2010  with  fewer  staff  than  10,  could  be  worth  such  a  staggering  amount!

Wish  I  had  some  of  these  shares  in  my  man  cave!

NEXT ISSUE

TradeTalk  is  published  by  and  ©  copyright  by  Andrew  &  Angela  Smith,  Tradesman  Inner  Circle  Pty  Ltd  2012.  All  Rights  Reserved.  This  newsleXer  and  any  accompanying  

material  are  for  general  informa1on  purposes  only.  It  is  the  responsibility  of  the  reader  to  comply  with  any  local,  state  or  federal  laws.  S1ck  with  me  here  while  I  con1nue  

with  this  legal  blah-­‐blah.  The  Publisher  has  taken  all  reasonable  measures  to  ensure  that  the  material  contained  within  this  newsleXer  is  correct.  The  Publisher  provides  no  

representa1on  and  gives  no  warranty  as  to  the  accuracy  of  the  informa1on  and  does  not  accept  any  responsibility  for  errors  or  inaccuracies  in  the  informa1on  contained  

herein  and  shall  not  be  liable  for  any  loss  or  damage  arising  as  a  result  of  any  person  ac1ng  in  reliance  on  informa1on  contained  herein.  All  done!

For more information, contact:Tradesman Inner Circle Pty Limited Email: info@tradesmaninnercircle.com.auPh: +61 1800 704 822 Web: www.tradesmaninnercircle.com.au

NEXT ISSUE: Does your logo have the kiss of death? Is your logo the culprit pulling your business back? You decide.

Staff don’t leave businesses, they leave leaders. We reveal the 4 key leadership traits that need to evolve in a true leader.

Alright crew, end of financial year is almost upon us…time to get busy!

To our DIAMOND and PLATINUM members, if you haven’t already - BOOK the Work Shop for 25/26 May today and your next ‘Staying On Track’ meeting via MyTIC.

Look forward to speaking soon.

Andrew & Angela Smith

Don't  forget,  we  would  love  to  share  your  learnings,  hot  tips,  

recommended  suppliers  and  any  other  information  that  will  benefit  

the  TIC  members.  Drop  us  a  line  to  info@tradesmaninenrcircle.com.au

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contact details then ensure to let us know -- simply give us a call or send an email. This way we’ll keep you

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