Professor Evan Douglas, Dean of the Faculty of Business, University of the Sunshine Coast shares his knowledge on Networks, Mentors and Management Education. Last issue Carlee Driscoll recalled the proverb “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” I want to expand on that theme, focusing on the differences between networking, mentoring and educating managers. All have to do with gaining information that is relevant to managers, but the useful knowledge that is gained might vary considerably. Information might involve data, such as floor area; or process, such as how to weld steel; or location, such as where is Woolworths. Information is like fish – we can give a person fish to satisfy immediate needs. Knowledge involves understanding why some data is pertinent; why a particular process is the best one; or why one location has advantages over another.

Many of you reading this will be part of the sector of the economy that governments like to call SME’s (small to medium enterprises). Typically that covers businesses that have between 1 and 20 employees. And therein lies a mindset that often works against all such businesses – they are small! Yet small business has it all over big business simply because they are small. Small means… * adaptable * versatile * personal * accountable * and many more! Small businesses can respond faster, listen better, action quicker and generally give the client much better service than large companies or corporations.

Are you an online marketer who is sick of selling the same old content as everyone else on Clickbank.com and other sites? Are you already a guru or an expert on a subject and want a unique way to create a surge of interest in your product that will ultimately result in an avalanche of sales? Are you finding that it is becoming too time consuming and expensive to hire writers to produce your informational products such as eBooks and Bonus eBooks? Then you want to investigate creating a teleseminar as a new way of marketing your products. Quite simply, a teleseminar or (also sometimes called a webinar) is a broadcast that provides information presented using either audio or video. Most marketers use the word teleseminar to describe audio-only products whereas a webinar will usually include some video content. You have probably heard of putting up a video on a site like YouTube and embedding your link in order to draw traffic.

According to the advertising giant Saatchi and Saatchi, “Brands have run out of juice”. This tongue in cheek comment appears on their Lovemark website. This website allows people to nominate certain brands as ‘Lovemarks’. These “reach your heart as well as your mind, creating an intimate, emotional connection..”. This is rather dramatic language but it is true that branding is incredibly important. Saatchi and Saatchi are right on another point: brands are changing, though they have by no means run out of juice.

Depending on your political viewpoint, Australia’s success in dodging the bullet of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) is either due to the good economic management on the part of the former government or the current government’s fiscal stimulus package. The reality is probably a mix of both but perhaps, more importantly, is due to the booming Chinese economy and Australia’s regulated banking system. In any case, what is not in doubt is that Australia not only suffered less during the GFC but also is emerging from it more quickly than other nations around the world.

At the moment, the Australian Government has well and truly begun the process of phasing out the stimulus package put in place as a response to the GFC. The solid if not strong position the economy is currently in is borne out by the fact that domestic demand was up by 2 percent for the December quarter and GDP growth in 2009 was 2.7 percent.

1. Word of mouth:
This may seem so obvious as to be superfluous but the power of word of mouth cannot be underestimated. Treat everyone who contacts you or visits your store as a potential customer, regardless of appearance or stated intention. If someone makes any form of contact with your business it is almost always because they are interested in what you are selling; and while they may not buy something on their first visit, excellent service may help ensure that they become a future customer. And you can be equally sure that most people will not hesitate in reporting a bad experience to their friends. As such, it is worth heeding the words of Walt Disney who said, "Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends".

When we think of work, the word ‘humour’ may not immediately spring to mind. Often, work is something we have to do rather than choose to do, so it can be difficult to inject humour into it. However, if we make the effort, there are many ways in which a little humour at work can help.