Attention Central Coast - Buy Local Festival the April

Coffee Time Minutes - 9th March

Coffee Time Minutes 11.3.11

Welcome

Welcome to our new visitors.

Apologises

Dean,

Who we are?

Small and Home Business owners meeting to build relationships from other SBO’s.

What is CT?

Relatively casual meeting group, where you can network, talk about business ideas and strategies, and learn from one another.

Where?

Tuggerah’s Zenith Centre.

When?

At 10.30 am on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays of the month. Arrival 10.25 am for 10.30 am start. (Runs for about 1 hour)

Update on our Raffle?

Coffee Time raised $168.45 this year for the Iris Foundation in 2010.

This year we will continue with our Raffles and donation to Iris Foundation. This year we will do a raffle again for the Iris Foundation. We will be looking for prizes/donations up to the value of $10. Its will be up to you if you would like to participate and none should feel obliged. Tickets will be $2 each, or three for $5.

Updated Members

We have over 105 members for Coffee Time. You can come when you are free, never feel obligated and always feel welcome. I have a list with everyone who has come along to Coffee Time; I am updating the distribution list. If you would like to be included, please check your details are correct, update where necessary and add if not on there.

There are 2 business card holders, please feel free to put your business cards in, these are passed around each meeting, and feel free to support each other and utilize their services.

Networking:
· Coffee Time 23rd March
· Coffee Time 13th April
· Coffee Time 27th April
· Wyong Chamber After Dark – 23rd March
· NSW Business Chamber – Breaki with Ita Buttrose – 25th March
· Success Women’s Networking – 5th May
· Fridays round the coast SBNG – 3rd Friday her at Zenith


Expo’s in 2011
· 29-30 Apr 2011 – Buy Local Festival – Terrigal
Over 100 people/businesses booked in to the festival already. Advertising to start next week on TV, Radio, letter box drop, B2B book, and flyers around the coast.

· 22/6/11 Central Coast Women’s Network – Mingara Tumbi Umbi

Advertising with Buy Local
· B2B – online buy local $22 per month – see B2B or www.buylocalconnect.com.au
· Book now and sign up – and you will get couple of months for free (coffee time members only)

Education:
2011 – Visit BEC upstairs or log on to www.ccbec.org.au
Courses:
· 15/3/11 – Business Planning Part A
· 22/3/11 – Business Planning Part B

Update:
B2B Book went to bed last night, and due out to 20,000 central coast businesses in the next 2 weeks. Keep an eye out for it.
Action Coach is running Business Mastery – Business Cart IV. If interested contact Michelle on 4369 3704
Nights out to meet people on the coast, for singles and couples - Hawaii 5 O Cruise – 19th of March & Dinner at the Yellow Piano 23rd of April– see Events with Pizazz

Wins:

Marama – Saved client lots of money and helped him with his business and website.
Simon – Signed off on a deal with a company and assisted them with saving 40% communications
Michelle – has contributed to a new book that has just come out.
Michelle – Picked up Work Cover Website
Sharon – signed a 6 month lease with Ettalong Markets
Kate - CC Tourism to have new residents pack, and Kate’s events will be in it.
Lyn – Won 2 tickets to the Harbour Cruise on the 19th from Events with Pizazz
Tarnia – spoke at a women’s luncheon.


Who are you & what do you do: 30 Sec story about you

Tarnia Gurney
Gurney Financial Services www.gurneyfinancialservices.com.au
Planningwerx4U www.planningwerx4u.com.au

Michelle Allen
Webstuff.biz www.webstuff.biz

Nicole Lothian
SOS Onsite Admin www.sosonsiteadmin.com.au

Karen Teunissen
CRS Australia www.crsaustralia.gov.au

Tim Close
Close Financial Group www.closefinancialgroup.com.au

Dujon Zivic
Encore 8 www.encore8.com

Dawn
Iris Foundation www.irisfoundation.org.au

Kathy Bree
Coffee News www.coffeenews.com.au

Lyn Thompson
Buy Local online/ LBH Promotions/ B2B www.b2bwithatwist.com.au

Julie McDonald
Julie Mac www.juliemacypnosos.com.au

Marama Carmichael
Essential Wellbeing www.essentialwellbeing.com.au

Kellie Targett
Insurance Advisernet ktargett@iaa.net.au

Toni Fountain
Insight Health www.insighthealthaustralia.com.au

Simon Calder
Celtic Management Solutions www.celticmanagement.net.au

Rob Buckworth
Interactive Telecoms www.interactivetelecoms.com

Jenny Abourizk:
Job Centre Australia www.jobcentreaustralia.com.au

Kate Morris
Events with Pizazz www.eventswithpizazz.com.au

Nicolette Gregory
Photographer & Independent Associate – Usana Health Sciences
onefitone@bigpond.com

Cassandra Parrish
Insight Health – Nutritionist & Wellness Coach www.cassandraraparrish.com.au

Michelle Bambridge
Action Coach www.actioncoach.com

Michelle Kavanagh
Central Coast Photo Balls www.ccballs.com.au

Bill Annesley
Central Coast Business Coaching Centre www.ccbusinesscoaching.com.au

Sharon Calder
Coop Handcrafts

Jo Thompson
Destiny By Choice www.destinybychoice.com.au


Presentation

Today’s presentation is about Social Media – By Michelle Allen of Webstuff.biz

Promotion of business through Face Book page.
Have a separate social profile
Have a business page where people can like, but make sure you have protection for your personal page
Company Pages/Business Pages
Interesting links
Interesting articles
Encourage business to business
Encourage and support businesses and charities
Promoting businesses
Sell your brand
BEC has vouchers for $20 – for a appointment with Webstuff.biz to meet with the team and discuss your Facebook/social media marketing
Work with your community
Face Book is world wide
Linked in is more for businesses and professional people
Twitter is for messages.
Add join us on twitter, Facebook or linked in on your website (good way of building your data base)
Central Coast Business Networking & We love our Central Coast Region Face Book pages – promote your businesses and meetings, like it.
Like other businesses on Face Book – helps promotion – e.g. – BEC, B2B, LBH Promotions, Gurney Financial Services
Link your business page through your personal profile
Post something every day or every week.
Twitter a message – forward to your Facebook. E.g.: Tarnia twitters a message; it goes through to Face Book, Linked in and My Space. She has different people on each of them
Make sure you have a website. Make it fresh and inviting

Today we raised $59 (included in total for year). Thanks for your support. Today’s winner was Toni Fountain, who won 1 ticket to the value of $65 for the upcoming Hawaii 5 O cruise from Kate at Events with Pizazz.

Thanks to Iris Foundation and Kathy from Coffee News who have donated a prize for the next 2 meetings. Feel free to donate a prize.

Planningwerx4u has Business Planning Cds for $50 each, if you would like one please let Tarnia know.

Michelle from Webstuff.biz has her books available - $29. Please contact her if you would like to purchase one.

Thanks and see you next time

NEXT MEETING: 23rd March 2011
Presentation – Health and Wellbeing

15 Rules for finishing off the day

15 Rules For Finishing Off The Day

1. Clear, clean-up and tidy your desk – by clearing your workspace you will enable you to start the new day with a clean slate in all respects.

2. Try to have only one working or project on your desk at any one time, ensuring you to focus your attention on that one activity.

3. Throw unnecessary paper in the bin – get in the habit of removing rubbish and unwanted paper from your desk each day. This will also assist your ‘clear desk policy’ if that works for you.

4. Put files away each day – keep files off your desk unless you are working on them. It is not good for office security to have valuable company information available to anyone who might wander past your desk. Place them in locked cabinets or drawers.

5. Adjust your priority on tasks for the next day. What may have been B minus today can become A double plus tomorrow

6. Check the time of your first appointment the next day – if you know what your first commitment for the day will be, you can plan the rest of the day around it. It also allows you to book travel time to that appointment and any preparation you may need to do beforehand.

7. Start your “to do” list for the next day – carry over important tasks form your current day’s list, add new tasks for the following day and your planning will save you a few minutes the next morning.

8. Put your reading file in your briefcase – start a reading file and carry it with you to read on your way home on public transport or while you are in a queue – you can get through your reading easily if you carry it with you and make the most of each opportunity,

9. Wash your coffee cup or empty your water bottle – start each day afresh by cleaning up the night before.

10. Switch your phone on voicemail if appropriate – if you are not going to be in the office until later the next morning, this will allow any early morning callers to leave you a message.

11. You may like to change your voicemail message if you are not going to be in the office the next day to advise callers where they could reach you or an alternative number.

12. Get those final email messages and memos out tonight, not tomorrow. Rule number one of business momentum is to have other people busy for you, not the other way around

13. Switch off your computer, screen and printer – be environmentally friendly and save power and money where you can.

14. Remind yourself of your achievements of the day – take a minute to remind yourself of what you achieved in your day. You may like to record it in a journal or diary. Celebrate your success

15. When you switch off, switch off! Let go and go home

Thanks to Jim Prigg and the team at the Financial Services Sales Academy www.financialservicessalesacademy.com.au.

GFS - Helpful tips to reduce your debt, & manage your finances

Gurney Financial Services
Helpful Tips to reduce your Debt, Get out of Debt and Manage your Finances and Family Better.

Work out how much debt you have?
How much owes on the mortgage, credit cards, personal loans, car loans.
Set some goals to pay them off.
What are the minimum payments per month on the loans?
Can you pay extra?
How much can you save per week?

Work out how much to pay each week.
Example is, if the monthly mortgage is $2,578 or $30,940 per year, work it out weekly. That means that the payment weekly is $595 per week, but if you can pay back $600 per week, which is an extra $5/week, you can possibly reduce your mortgage by 3 – 5 years.

Did you know making weekly payments is better than monthly payments as it can reduce the interest each month?

Try and Save 10% of your wage each week, even if it is $20 or $50. Put into a savings plan eg: ING, Bank West, etc, savings account where you have it deducted each week from your normal account and cannot deduct anything unless you ring up or transfer via the internet. This helps you build your wealth. Also it has compounding interest, usually paying daily.

Track your spending, and find extra money to pay down the loans and debts. Write a list for a week of where you are spending money.
Example - $150 on food at Coles, $60 on petrol, $13 on Magazines, $80 on Cigarettes, $80 on Restaurant, $20 McDonalds, $100 on Sport. Then at the end of the week, work out what was necessary. Are you spending your food money on Junk foods or take away meals?

Did you know buying items on special or it bulk can save $100’s of dollars a year?
Example: Go to the butchers and buy 2 kilos of mince or chicken when on special, and throw into the freezer to use when needed. Go to your local fruit and veg shop where you know the fruit is fresher and lasts longer than at the supermarkets. Watch for specials, 2 for one, buy 6 for $2. But make sure they are items you will use and will save you money. There is no use buying 10 cans of Spaghetti for $4.00 if the family wont it spaghetti.

Write a shopping list for when going shopping. Do not impulse buy?
If you take a list, you will be more conscience of keeping to the list. If you cannot afford it – YOU CANNOT HAVE IT!

Learn how to play the credit card game. Always pay the minimum payments so that you do not get caught up with the debtor. Making sure you pay on or before the due date to stop late fees, and try not to over draw your credit cards.

Credit Cards – before you buy something, ask your self, do I need this. Can I afford to pay the $20 interest per month for the next 12 months for an item worth $50 now? Why not put it on lay-by and save up all that extra non essential spending each week and pay it off.

Christmas and Birthdays – go to the sales, put items on lay-by and pay off. July and January have the sales. Put items on lay-by, even if it is for the birthday 5 months later. Once you have paid it off, then you can put it away till you need to give it.

Did you know that if you pay $10/day off your loans or credit cards, then you can pay off your debt quicker? By saving the $10 a day on lunch or coffees and if you put this money aside, then you can make extra payments to your debts.

Spend time with family and friends: Go for a picnic or go to the local park with the kids. Spending time with family and friends can be worth more than money can buy and it can be cheaper than going to the movies. Take the kids to the Skate Park and take a drink and food with you, the kids will love it as you are doing something with them, honestly they don’t need everything bought for them, just you.

Kids Weekend Sport – take drinks and snacks, most parents are spending between $5 and $50 per weekend at the kids sporting games. As a treat support the local sausage sizzle, but don’t buy every week. (you can always buy a box of soft drink from the supermarket when on special and then take it with you – the kids wont mind)

Pocket Money - Teach your children to respect money and YOU. Times are hard, families are struggling, but if you teach your children to earn their pocket money rather than hand it out anytime, they will respect it more and you. Children these days understand more with what is going on with family debt and finances, and probably more than you realise. So sit down and explain to them, they cannot have the new play station game or Barbie doll this week. But maybe they can help around the house and earn some pocket money. Even if it is $1 a week, give them a list of chores they can do, like making their beds, and tidying their room, setting the table. This will help and teach children to respect their belongings, themselves and others. They will have an appreciation of things better if they save up and buy it themselves than giving it to them. We all want to give everything, but we have to realise we cannot.

Petrol – try to buy on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings. It is not only cheaper on these days; you get more petrol into your tanks due to it being colder in the mornings.

Expenses to Consider for Family and Business Insurance & Financial Planning

Expenses to consider for Family and Business Insurance and Financial Planning


When considering insurances you need to look at a variety of information and expense. It is not only paying the mortgage but buying the food, kids sport, etc. So when thinking of which expenses to cover, remember everything you can to help you more.

Some examples are:
Repaying debts:
Credit cards,
Personal loans,
Mortgages,
Business loans,
Family loans

As well as:
Cost of Weekly food and petrol
Monthly Bills – rates, electricity, insurances
Kids schooling – sport, uniforms, excursions, shoes.

Other considerations are:
Any capital gains tax or personal taxes due
Funeral Expenses:
Church/parish/cemetery
Costs related to burial,
WAKE - get together afterwards

Emergency 50% of annual income to cover expenses

Children’s education

Some thoughts can also be towards about 10 x annual salary – which is income for about 10 years.

Letter to my local member in relation to commissions

Hi David,

I hope you are well.

As you are my local member I thought you might be interested in this article and might be able to assist or put through to someone who is making the decisions for this.

If the government gets rid of all commissions and adviser fees and puts in place all the proposed changes, then Australia will see many financial planners will be leaving the industry as they won’t be making any money for their services. That means there could be up to 14,000 private advisers (not including the bank advisers) in our country looking for work, including their staff of lets say 2 per adviser of about 28,000. That’s a lot of people out of work if they have to close businesses.

Another point, Financial Planners will just have to charge an hourly rate for advice, my rate is $177/ hr, others are higher, so many consumers will not be able to afford the majority of financial planning services, and will do it themselves, pushing them into misinformed decisions.

Even with the governments My Super, as well as the industry funds and any retail fund, consumers still need to get advice from somewhere and they still have to pay for this advice. As it is not allowed to be provided due to Financial Planning laws by superannuation companies or industry funds.

I agree with the revamp of the financial planning industry to protect consumers, but what about financial planners, who is protecting them. Financial Planners spent many years and spend thousands of dollars studying to help others, they have small businesses, they support the local community, and they have loyal and supportive clients. What about the financial planner’s livelihood? A lot of advisers have moved to the adviser fee base, rather than the commission based system. However this is going to put a lot of strain on advisers and their businesses, with the proposed changes.

For example, I like may other advisers rebate all super and investment commissions and just charge an adviser fee, this is payable from the super fund to the adviser each month. These fees cover my costs, my emails, mail outs, reviews, appointments, seminars, my staff & their taxes and their super, education for clients, business expenses. If the government and the revamp committee have their way, and they push through a opt in and out adviser fee clause. It will be a huge problem. This clause means that each client will have to sign a new form each year to say yes they want a fee and assistance. What happens when clients decide they don’t want to pay but want the services? Who pays then? The government? I don’t think so.

I know you’re not the person to have a whine to, but I would appreciate if you can escalate this email to others who are not in my industry but are making decisions for me.

Maybe if instead of the Government and the Committee pushing the Cooper and Henry report and the government supporting everything in it, maybe they can look at the big picture and explain to consumers what these changes mean and why. Financial planners have a hard enough time dealing with the controversy the Industry funds put out there, and now we have this to explain and decipher.

One thought I have is, the Government employees – PM’s, MP’s, Party people (Lib & Lab), etc have a great superannuation benefits, and have large pensions and yes they may pay for some advice, so why are they being more supportive of UNION Based INDUSTRY funds, and Changes to financial advice and not being supportive of retail funds or Financial Planners.

AS FOR THE ARTICLE:

You will all find this article prepared by Zurich very interesting reading and puts an alternate view to the many being espoused by certain associations, vested interests, union controlled industry super funds and media commentators.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you would get the same result about financial planning and investment consumers if the questions were put to them in the same unbiased way.

The problem we face is our destiny is being shaped by non advisers and people who do not actually work in our business and with our clients on a day to day basis. Consumers want commissions so what is driving the pressure for change.

Loss of a commission option for consumers is a loss of their given democratic right and the loss off or restriction on choice always means they will pay a higher cost. Pity that doesn’t seem to mean anything to some people who are not directly impacted.

Regards Tarnia