National Small Business Summit – Join us in Brisbane on 8 July

Join David Koch, the host of Channel Seven’s Sunrise, and the Kochie’s Business Builders TV team of business experts as they host this year’s COSBOA National Small Business Summit.

I attended last year and found it very beneficial from two perspectives:

•    Firstly, Networking.  I met numerous contacts that I’ve gone on to do business with. These were excellent quality contacts who were truly there to collaborate and network (I find that to be the case when people are willing to pay a fair price for a conference; the quality of the business is done better).

•    Secondly, the speakers this year are looking really good. If’s a very full day of panels and talks (see some of the main ones below). There aren’t many places where small business can come together with big business and government to tackle small business issues.

For these reasons, and because we’ve arranged a special 25% bonus,  I recommend you make your way there next week.

Your ABN Discount
Mention ABN when you register to get 25% off the going rate. This discount applies to both the full day event as well as the Gala Dinner. Register here.

About the Small Business Summit
Outstanding small business summit delivering access to emerging business ideas and techniques, including workshops packed with practical tips and tricks to help small businesses boost revenue, find new markets and manage their business more effectively.

Special guests include:

• From the US, social media thought leader Richard Binhammer, who is a core member of Dell’s Social Media Advisory Council and part of the team that has helped Dell adopt social media tools as a profitable business channel and corporate reputation builder.
• Kelly Baker, founder of Edible Blooms and Small Business of the Year Award Winner, who will reveal how she built one of Australia’s fastest growing gift websites.
• Jon Dee, founder and managing director of Do Something, NSW Australian of the Year for 2010 and author of Sustainable Growth, who will share how some of the best in business have achieved their sustainability goals.  He will highlight how small business can take this experience and apply it to achieve real dollar savings and a market edge.
• The Kochie’s Business Builders regular team, including marketing expert, Linda Hailey; finance expert, Julia Bickerstaff; growth expert, Natalie Archer; cash flow expert, Matthew Nolan; online marketing expert Dave Chaffey; and technology expert, Pete Blasina.

Here’s a link to details of all these speakers and the program.

It’s a great opportunity to network with entrepreneurs and business owners converging from all over Australia, as well as take home some great ideas and connections to boost your business.

After the main event, there is a networking Gala Dinner spectacular hosted by David Koch that features inspirational Australian small business success stories.

I hope you’ll join me. Come by Stand 19 to say hello!

Sincereley,

Suzi Dafnis

Are you Mentor-Ready? New Video about the award-winning MentorNet program

On 8 June a group of business women will take part in the next MentorNet program, an award winning program that pairs women business owners with experienced business mentors.

The program was launched in early 2006 and this year won ‘Best Coaching or Mentoring Program’. Hundreds of women have improved their business skills, expanded their networks and developed new confidence with the MentorNet program.

In this video I explain how you can be part of the next program and how to take advantage of early bird savings (until 7 May) and also take up our offer of a free 30-Minute ‘Are you Mentor-Ready?’ consultation where we help you determine your business goals and look at whether a mentor will help you and your business.

Learn more about MentorNet here.

Read success stories from previous mentorees here.

Related post:

Are you being mentored?

MentorNet wins national mentoring program award

A New Definition of Mentoring

By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit

Think “small business” and the idea of selling goods or services for profit immediately comes to mind. However, within a few months of establishing Admin Bandit, I realised that running your own business could be about far more than being my own boss and making (hopefully) a wheelbarrow load of money.

What could be better than that?

I had a lightning bolt moment when I participated in a business mentoring program through what is now Canberra BusinessPoint and not long after won a grant to see a private business coach.

Yes, I was still in business to become an entrepreneur and make a livelihood, but I realised my journey was not just about me as an isolated individual trying to get a business off the ground — I was part of a wider community comprised of other small business owners, government advisory services, private consultants, and an array of associations and peak bodies dedicated to supporting people like me.

And every single one was a potential wealth of information to help me grow.

For any ancient history fans, the concept of mentoring harks back to Homer’s The Odyssey, in which the heroic Odysseus (you may know him better by his Roman name, Ulysses) has a wise advisor and trusted friend named Mentor.

Let me suggest a new definition, one that is broader and more collaborative. What if I said mentoring is about engaging with the business community; that is, exchanging information, ideas and resources to the benefit of all involved?

I stress the word “exchanging” because I believe mentoring is a two-way street — just as you receive, it’s important to give. You may not realise it, but you have an abundance of experiences, ideas and skills to share … even providing a willing ear, a burst of humour during a tough time or leaving a comment on a blog is a form of mentoring.

My definition of mentoring leads to an enriched experience for all. Let’s face it, a mad dash for money does not bring happiness, but active and genuine participation in a business community results in better business practice, a sense of fulfillment and increased financial reward (hey, it has to come in somewhere).

I was part of a wider community comprised of other small business owners, government advisory services, private consultants, and an array of associations and peak bodies dedicated to supporting people like me.

What’s more … it’s fun. Given that small business owners in the start-up phase work up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week, you might as well enjoy yourself!

Okay, it’s all very good to spout off theories of mentoring, but how does one actually get involved? Here are some easy ideas:

1. Google search your local government-run small business advisory service and access their (often free) services, workshops and courses
2. Join a club, organisation or peak body that represents your field … and actually go to the meetings and events
3. Read blogs … and leave useful comments and click on related links
4. Go to seminars, conferences, awards nights, openings, workshops and talks … and pluck up the courage to talk to people
5. Become Facebook friends with people you admire, but always send a message first introducing yourself and explaining that you want to keep in touch with what they’re doing.

With any of the above, it goes without saying to carefully match mentoring activity not just with your business, but also with your values and personality — before you jump in, think about the qualities you’re looking for in an organisation, coach or trainee.

And finally, should you pay to be a mentor or to be mentored? For a well-respected professional consultant or business coach, my answer is “yes”. And for anyone else who freely gives of themselves and their time, write a personal “thank you” note, shout coffee or lunch while you gain their wisdom or send a small token of your appreciation afterwards.

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Nerida Gill - Admin Bandit Nerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment. Phone: 02 6176 0030 Email: nerida@adminbandit.com.au Website: www.adminbandit.com.au Blog: adminbandit.wordpress.com volunteertreasurernetwork.blogspot.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/neridagill Facebook: See Admin Bandit’s Facebook Page LinkedIn: See Nerida’s Public Profile Member Profile: See Nerida’s Member Profile

Coaching vs Mentoring (and is it worth drawing the distinction?)

By Cat Matson, Alito

As I write the title for this post I can anticipate the comments from ‘purists’ on both sides of the table. Yes. Of course there are differences between coaching and mentoring and yes, of course it’s worth drawing the distinction.

For me … the words (and roles of coach and mentor) are interchangeable … and I’m not sure you can have one without the other. But first, let’s address some definitions.

Zeuss & Skiffington (2000) define coaching as:

• essentially a conversation – a dialogue between coach and a coachee – within a productive, results-orientated context
• about learning – yet a coach is not a teacher and does not necessarily know how to do things better than the coachee
• more about asking the right questions than providing the right answers

(from The Complete Guide to Coaching at Work, p. 3)

In the same book, they draw a number of distinctions between coaching and mentoring, particularly in the way that mentoring, traditionally was

“a heirachical relationship involving a wise senior who dispensed wisdom, knowledge and advice to a grateful but essentially powerless junior.“

They also however acknowledge that modern-day mentoring relationships aren’t so ‘parental’ in style and acknowledge a wide number of similarities between mentoring and coaching, including;

• both shorten the learning curve
• both aim for the individual to improve their performance
• both provide support without taking away personal resonsibility
• both can act as role models
• both encourage the individual to stretch and grow

For me, I use the words interchangably. I see the role of coaches and mentors in Small Business environment to provide:

• information
• guidance and direction
• introductions to resources and networks
• opportunities to grow
• opportunities to learn from other’s experiences (be it the coach/mentor themselves or the ‘collective’ experience of Small Business Owners)

As ‘methodologies’, coaching and mentoring work synergistically … to ‘only’ coach or to ‘only’ mentor someone, in my mind, is like only bringing half of myself to the conversation. When I am in fluid, engaging conversations with colleagues, clients or friends, I move in and out of asking ‘coaching questions’ and providing ‘mentoring experience’ … ‘what do you think you could do?’ to ‘here’s how I see other people handle similar situations’.

Perhaps there is the kicker for me – I see coaching and mentoring as methodologies to facilitate certain outcomes … not as titles to separate professions.

So, are there differences between coaching and mentoring? Sure. Are those differences important? I guess it really depends on your outcomes.

But this is just my opinion … what do you think?

Do you see value in drawing the distinction and if so, what are the distinctions for you?

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ABN: The Australian Businesswomen’s Network offers a 6-month mentoring program for women business owners. Learn more here.

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Cat Matson - Alito Cat Matson ignites the performance of small business owners, their teams and ultimately their businesses through a range of robust mentoring, coaching and education programs. She is a strong advocate for practical, pithy and ‘real’ business advice and loathes the ‘one-size-fits-all’, ‘you-too-can-be-widely-successful-if-you-just-follow-OUR-system’ approach taken by many ’so-called’ business experts. Cat runs Alito with her husband Keith who provides synergistic and smart accounting expertise to their clients who enjoy having streamlined business advice across all key areas. When not working, Cat enjoys spending time with her two young boys and reading interesting business books and biographies. Phone: 07 3289 7055 Email: cat@alito.com.au Website: www.alito.com.au Twitter: www.twitter.com/catmatson Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlitoFusion LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/CatMatson Blog: www.alito.com.au/blog Member Profile: See Cat’s Member Profile

Are You Being Mentored?

By Cat Matson, Alito

Many people often think they need to establish a ‘formal’ mentoring relationship in order to receive the benefits. But I often find mentoring … and the benefits that come with it … can be a bit more organic.

A mentor is considered a trusted friend, counselor or teacher, usually a more experienced person. In the business context, we often look for mentors who are ‘ahead’ of us in their business pursuits … someone from whom we can learn valuable lessons and gain insights based on their experience.

I know I’ve found it hard to find mentors in my time as a business owner … and when I have been ‘partnered’ up with someone ‘older and wiser’ I’ve found the structure of the relationship limiting. For example there was a time when I was paired up with a renown female business leader – literally a leader in her industry. We had a couple of chats over coffee, but I didn’t actually receive a lot of benefit from the ‘chats’. What I really needed was to be able to talk to her more informally – when an idea came to me, or when I hit a snag in my plan … it would have been great to just pick up the phone and have a chat about it.

That experience taught me that there are many ways to be mentored. Just ‘watching’ other people and how they do things is a mentoring experience for me – I ask myself ‘what would happen in my business if I took that approach?’ The different perspective yields interesting responses.

Then there’s the people I hang out with – they wouldn’t necessarily consider themselves my mentors … but I learn an incredible amount by bouncing ideas around with them.

Or there have been times when I’ve looked at high-profile business owners, for example the late Anita Roddick, or Richard Branson and asked myself ‘what would they do in this situation? Of course, it’s largely an exercise in imagination and mind-reading … however if you’re even half the avid-reader I am, you get to learn a lot about Business Leaders just by voyeuristically watching how they run their business.

Then there’s the people I hang out with – they wouldn’t necessarily consider themselves my mentors … but I learn an incredible amount by bouncing ideas around with them. Some of my most valuable insights have come from my clients – the people who are paying me for my expertise – but when I watch their approach I feel I too am being mentored.

There is of course incredible value in creating formal mentoring relationships – I consistently hear amazing things about the ABN’s MentorNet Program and I by all means encourage you to get involved in such programs when you can. But if for whatever reason you can’t establish a formal mentoring relationship with someone, remember you can receive the benefits of mentoring in other ways.

For more information about the MentorNet mentoring program for women business owners, visit the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website.

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Cat Matson - Alito Cat Matson ignites the performance of small business owners, their teams and ultimately their businesses through a range of robust mentoring, coaching and education programs. She is a strong advocate for practical, pithy and ‘real’ business advice and loathes the ‘one-size-fits-all’, ‘you-too-can-be-widely-successful-if-you-just-follow-OUR-system’ approach taken by many ’so-called’ business experts. Cat runs Alito with her husband Keith who provides synergistic and smart accounting expertise to their clients who enjoy having streamlined business advice across all key areas. When not working, Cat enjoys spending time with her two young boys and reading interesting business books and biographies. Phone: 07 3289 7055 Email: cat@alito.com.au Website: www.alito.com.au Twitter: www.twitter.com/catmatson Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlitoFusion LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/CatMatson Blog: www.alito.com.au/blog Member Profile: See Cat’s Member Profile

How MentorNet helped retailer Sarah Ladyman overcome business challenges

Sarah Ladyman knew that her corporate job just wasn’t right for her. She had dreamed of running her own business ever since reading The E-Myth Revisited shortly after high school. She was unhappy in the corporate world, and she knew that she wanted to work with her true passion, food.

“In the kitchen, I found a real love for food and a new appetite to please others through their stomachs!” says Sarah. “After sharing a few batches of home-made relish (made from a tweaked family recipe from New Zealand), I found that other people had an appetite for tasty, fresh, natural food, too.”

Sarah wanted to devote her time and energy to her passion. She knew that other people enjoyed her relish, but she lacked the business contacts and confidence necessary to build on her new business. Then she discovered MentorNet, a mentor program for businesswomen which gave her the information, contacts, and impetus she needed to develop a successful business from her own kitchen.

“Initially, my confidence in my product and my abilities was a huge challenge,” Sarah remembers. “Why would someone really want, let alone pay for, a little product I make in my own kitchen? Being from New Zealand, I also found that I really lacked business support and contacts here in Australia, so starting a business outside of my home country and away from my family’s contacts was difficult. I also struggled with the financial forecasting, budgeting, and planning requirements for a start-up.”

“It’s like having a personal trainer for your business.”

Now Sarah’s company relish this delivers healthy, tasty, saucy preserve products to addicted customers across Australia and New Zealand as well as the U.S. and U.K. Sarah’s passion for healthy food has developed into a thriving company with a registered brand and trademark, an ecommerce site, and a devoted following. Using local, fresh Australian products, Sarah makes natural, gluten-free, home-made quality relishes with innovative flavors such as “Beetroot Apple n Orange” and “Balsamic Red Onion ‘n’ Lime.”

“The MentorNet program, my mentor, and my pod members all helped me overcome my initial challenges,” says Sarah. “I found the interactive environment to be open and nurturing, which grew my business confidence as well as my business network. The business planning and financial chapters within the course covered the main areas with which I struggled by giving real examples of cash flow forecasting, templates, and business case studies.”

“To have a mentor to hold you accountable for tasks you’ve promised to complete is highly motivational,” Sarah continues. “Especially for particular tasks you keep putting off. You can’t put off your mentor! It’s like having a personal trainer for your business.”

“Peers in your pod group also help motivate you. Like you, they are trying to learn as much as possible and improve their business. The more we put into it, the more each of us got out of it. Overall, the program provides a motivating platform for anyone in business as it promotes success, builds knowledge, and nurtures networking.”

MentorNet provided Sarah with the tools she needed to set realistic goals and the newfound confidence she needed to actually achieve those goals. The program transformed Sarah’s start-up idea into a profitable business. Sarah says that the perspective provided by MentorNet “made my goals bigger, more aggressive, and in line with my business plan.”

“I’m a bit of a control freak,” laughs Sarah. “So it’s no surprise that I enjoy making the decisions and being the boss of my business! I like the accountability and freedom I get from managing my own creation and ultimately the flexibility to basically do what I want. It’s very empowering,”

Sarah also enjoys empowering other businesswomen. “I enjoy telling my story to others to hopefully give them the inspiration to do something for themselves too. Relish this. Relish me!”

If you’re ready to get out of the rat race if you’re ready to relish yourself and your freedom register for MentorNet now.

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Unhappy in the corporate world Sarah Ladyman left her IT/Marketing job to take some time out to trial an ‘allaboutme.com’ approach. She fell into the kitchen and found a real love for food and an appetite to please others through their stomachs. After sharing a few batches of home-made relish with friends and family, she began looking at the possibility of taking relish to market…literally. So combining her passions to empower (and feed) others with fresh, tasty, saucy stuff, she created relish this.

Recently relish this. has grown from a ‘foodie experimenting in a kitchen’ to saucy relish products delivered and devoured across Australia and NZ (some jars even hiding in luggage and sneaking into the US and UK!).

Website: www.relishthis.com.au
Blog: www.relishthis.com.au/blog

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Not sure if you’re MentorReady? Apply for a free 30-minute business consultation (normally $95).
Use coupon code: CONSULT to get this valuable session for free.

Business Mentor gives business owner know how to run a business

On 23 August the Sun Herald newspaper featured Julia Nekich of The Ideas Suite who participated in the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s MentorNet mentoring program. The story, titled, Your Guide to Greatness, explored the role a mentor can play in the growth and success of a small business.

The MentorNet program provides women with a qualified business mentor and six months of business skills training. Learn my by calling 1300 720 120 today.

In less than a week an important business opportunity starts

It’s the same opportunity that over 200 women business owners have used to grow their business, improve their business skills, increase their confidence, expand their networks, overcome business obstacles…

learn more here.

MentorNet has really inspired me to keep looking for new ideas and new things to learn

I have so thoroughly enjoyed the way each MentorNet module has been presented.  It was in such a user-friendly form and it built on. Each month was another piece to the puzzle, and there were pieces of the puzzle that I hadn’t even considered yet.  So I’m really, really grateful for the way that it was put together.  I learnt and now I am learning.  I didn’t know I didn’t know, and now I know.  And there’s just so much more out there and it’s really inspired me to keep looking for new ideas and new things to learn.  I really enjoy that process.  And I’m truly grateful for the support.

I think someone mentioned that they don’t feel like they’re alone any more.  Sometimes when I’m working on my own, I can feel like I’m the only one, and I’m really grateful for that, the networks and the small focus groups that we’ve formed. We meet every six weeks, and that’s lovely to meet people with a common goal and a common bond.  I feel like I’m still being supported by the ABN to go into The Know-How Now! webinar series from MentorNet.  I’m really looking forward to every fortnight – having another Webinar to attend and still get my fix of Webinars.  And I just love Suzi and Stella, nothing seems to faze you.  Every week you turn up and no matter what problems present it’s all run so smoothly and I’m just terribly grateful that the ABN exists.  So well done, thank you.

Sue Stevens
McLaren Street Clinic

Do you have a shotgun approach to success?

Do you jump from task to busy task hoping to get ahead with no specific, defined target of what you’re trying to achieve? Do you avoid making commitments that could net you a more substantial result if you invested the time? Successful business owners (and those on their way) would say ‘No.’ to these questions. But what’s true for most small businesses?

Recently I spent and hour with the mentors on our current MentorNet mentoring program, getting updated on how they are doing working with their mentorees. We are just over three months into the six month program (which combines business training and mentoring) and the good news is that the mentors reported that their mentorees are doing well and that those that are participating actively are seeing the results. They’re achieving the goals they set when they started the program.

But, I don’t have time!
The conversation moved to talk about how the time, energy and commitment it takes to take part in a six-month program (even though the commitment is a couple of hours a week) sees some people go full-tilt into the program. These women know that this is EXACTLY where they need to put their energy if they are going to turn their ‘GOOD’ businesses into ‘GREAT’ businesses and yet others find excuses to not make the commitment (of time, energy and money) to grow their business.

One mentor (who works with small business owners regularly) commented how sometimes feels like shaking up his clients and saying: “You’re ruining your chance to be a great business by not going in one consistent direction, by not getting good financial skills, good substantial knowledge and direction.”

Instead these businesses were taking a shot-gun approach to business success rather than consolidating.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re road to success is shot-gun or considered and planned, as long as you get there. Our experience is that a business mentor, good education and your commitment to start and finish a process (such as a mentoring program) is what reaps the rewards.

Suzi

PS If you’d like to learn more about the MentorNet mentoring program for women in business, visit the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website, Or contact us today for your free Are You Mentor Ready? business consultation, valued at $95.

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