$75 Million Climate Ready Program Opens For Business
July 30, 2008
Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, today announced that the Government’s new $75 million Climate Ready program is open for applications. Climate Ready will support Australian businesses developing new products, processes and services to tackle climate change by providing dollar-for-dollar support for research and development, proof-of-concept and early-stage commercialisation activities.
Applicants can apply for grants ranging from $50,000 to $5 million.A broad range of applications are expected in areas as diverse as water recycling, waste recovery, small scale renewable energy technologies, green building materials, and other products, processes or services to monitor emissions or reduce energy use.
For more information, click here to access the media release, or visit www.ausindustry.gov.au.
Coaching vs Mentoring – Which is Right for You?
July 29, 2008
We are often asked by women whether they should get a mentor or a coach? We asked one of our regular mentors, Dennis Roberts (who is also a business coach) for his opinion:
“The terms coaching and mentoring are often used inter-changeably. The best distinction is that ‘a mentor is someone you learn from, whereas a coach is someone you learn with’.
A mentor implies that they have been there, done that in a similar or related field and has a pool of knowledge and experience to draw from and share. A coach doesn’t need to have that same knowledge or experience. He/she just needs to know how to ask the right questions of you to facilitate your self-discovery. Whereas coaching is entirely about the learner, mentoring involves more sharing from the mentor’s experience.
If I was advising a small business owner starting out to choose between a coach and a mentor, I’d suggest choose a mentor. When you’re entering the world of the unknown (business) there’s a lot to learn and much of that relates to common mistakes in business that a seasoned mentor can point out very quickly. Sure you can learn by making mistakes and growing from them but if there was a faster path, why wouldn’t you choose it?”
Dennis Roberts
So, if you’re looking to grow your business with the help of an expert business owner, then we strongly recommend the mentoring path.
Congratulations to graduates of the MentorNet program
July 29, 2008
Congratulations to the businesswomen who graduated this week from the MentorNet program. Your acknowledgement of your achievements, namely more direction in business, increased confidence in your self, more enthusiasm about business, increased business skills, and of course a plan! are inspiring and encouraging.
We wish you the very best and congratulate you on your commitment to your own education. Thanks also to our mentors who give their time generously and our expert presenters who bring value through their own experience and knowledge.
We hope to welcome you all back to the program. Regards, Suzi Dafnis
Government Invites Comment on Proposed Carbon Pricing Scheme
July 21, 2008
The Government has released its proposal for a new plan to tackle climate change by reducing carbon pollution. The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, scheduled to commence in 2010 will, for the first time, place a limit, or cap, on the amount of carbon pollution industry can emit.
The Scheme will require affected businesses and industry to buy a ‘pollution permit’ for each tonne of carbon they contribute to the atmosphere, giving them a strong incentive to reduce pollution.
Because the carbon pollution reduction scheme will concentrate on the biggest polluters, it will place obligations on around 1000 Australian companies in total, those that produce more than 25000 tonnes of carbon pollution each year.
The Government claims it will use every cent raised by the sale of pollution permits to help Australian households and businesses adjust to the scheme and invest in clean energy options.
For the first three years of the scheme, it will cut fuel taxes on a cent for cent basis to offset the initial price impact on fuel associated with the scheme’s introduction. At the end of the three year period the Government will review this adjustment mechanism. It will also offering a range of additional assistance measures, in particular for low and middle income households, to help with adjustment costs and improve household energy efficiency.
The green paper also outlines programs to assist businesses in the transition period. This assistance involves providing free permits to the most emissions-intensive trade exposed activities, some direct assistance to coal fired electricity generators, and the creation of two specific industry adjustment funds, the Climate Change Action Fund and the Electricity Sector Adjustment Scheme.
The paper, along with fact sheets, summaries, details of public information sessions, information about making a submission and related publications, can be downloaded from:
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/greenpaper/report/index.html
Spend more time working ON your business
July 17, 2008
How much time do you spend growing your business?
When your business is still new you probably spend more time working IN your business than working ON your business. That’s normal – but what successful business owners do is spend time also working ON their business.
Working ON your business includes things like planning, acquiring new business skills, doing ‘big picture work’.
Working IN your business is when you’re doing the doing-ness, the details that need to be done (often the grind!).
We’ve made it easy for you to work ON your business
One way to make working ON your business part of your life is a structured mentoring program. We’ve seen it help 120 women focus and grow their business over the last 12 months.
And that’s why we’d like to invite you to find out how the MentorNet program will help you grow your business IF you are ready. Attend the “Are You Mentor-Ready? Mentoree Information Session (by webinar) on 4 August, 9.45am for 10.00am – 11.30am AEST and find out more.
For more information and to register call 1300 720 120 or visit www.abn.org.au/events.
Business Tools for Small Businesses in Victoria
July 17, 2008
This August Victoria’s Small Business Festival will provide inspiration, ideas and information for you small business with more than 360 events registered as part of the festival. Learn more at business.vic.gov.au/energise or by calling 13 22 15.
100 women take up chance to learn about Government Programs and Support
July 17, 2008
Yesterday 100 women from all over Australia participated in the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s webinar: Government Support and Programs for Small Business, presented by Susan McGrath. Women explored the various grants, subsidies, rebates and programs available from both state and federal governments.
One participant said: “This is my first webinar. Fabulous information. I have found it most useful.”
Participants continue the conversation and access resources via a specially-designed online community.
Mentoring can improve your business experience!
July 15, 2008
A recent survey of our some of our most successful members showed that Mentoring is a skill that successful women business-owners believe will make them better leaders.
Despite their success in business these women proclaimed that what would make them even BETTER is acquiring skills as a mentor.
So, we’d like to give you the opportunity to improve your leadership skills. I invite you to apply to be a mentor for the next MentorNet program.
As a Mentor you can help another business owner reach their goals and being a sounding board.
Learn more about the process by attending a special MENTORS INFORMATION SESSION on 28 July at 10.30am AEST. More details are available at our website www.abn.org.au/events.
Mentors Wanted
July 14, 2008
The Australian Businesswomen’s Network seeks experienced mentors to take part in the next MentorNet program which starts on 23 September. You should have at least five years experience full time in your own business.
Applications forms are available under the Apply Now tab on this site or call us for more details. 1300 720 120. Not sure why you should mentor? Here are some of the benefits past mentors have expressed:
Benefits gained from being a MENTOR:
- Opportunities to test new ideas,
- Renewed enthusiasm for your own business,
- Challenging discussions with people who have fresh perspectives,
- Satisfaction from contributing to the Mentoree’s development,
- Opportunities to reflect upon and articulate your experience, and
- Improved ability to share experience and knowledge.
Apply today to be a mentor. To qualify you need a min. of five years full time experience in your own business.
ABN Meets with Minister for Small Business to Share Member Concerns
July 9, 2008
Following our initial contact with his office earlier this year, the ABN met with the Hon Dr Craig Emerson MP (Minister for Small Business) and his Chief of Staff on 8 July, to discuss a range of public policy issues identified by our community.
We raised with the Minister the need for more government support for women in small business, particularly in terms of business education and training; and the profiling of entrepreneurship as a career option for young women; the superannuation gap between males and females at retirement age, our members concerns about extensive compliance and regulatory issues for small business, the impact of skills shortages on our members and avenues for ongoing representation to government of our members’ further concerns.
In turn, the Minister discussed a range of small-business friendly initiatives that the Government has either introduced or is progressing. These include a superannuation clearing house which will ease the burden on business owners with less than 20 employees of having to pay employee superannuation contributions to different funds, a Business Enterprise Centres network to support small and micro businesses across Australia, 27 separate regulatory and compliance issues that the Government is in the process of streamlining, the application of general skilled and employer nominated migration streams to assist in easing the skills shortage and plans to introduce a national high speed broadband network.
In terms of government support for small business generally, we also raised our concerns about the closure of the previous government’s flagship Commercial Ready commercialisation funding program; and the Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business Scheme. The Minister advised that the funding was being transferred to programs that related to climate change and green business initiatives in line with the government’s focus on environmentally friendly enterprises.
We also discussed with the Minister our unique representative focus and the need for the ABN’s ongoing involvement in public policy development related to Australia’s female entrepreneurs and small business owners. As a result, we have been invited to contribute both informally; and as invited participants in formal consultative mechanisms as they occur.
