SALES TIP - by Colin Wilson– Director of Key Business Advisors

The year of 2011 has started and when it comes to building the hype with your staff for better business customers and higher profits, “The Green Light should now be On!”

Advice:  You should already have your marketing & sales strategies mapped out and planned.  Your sales targets and expectations should already be set on the quality customers you want to develop in your business to provide more products or services to them.  If you are not organised, you need help NOW before the year gets well under way.

More importantly do all your staff share this same vision with you?  Do they know the process and your expectations of 2011?

This is the year of “Quality, Focus & Delivery”.  Make sure everyone in your company knows the expectations, sales targets and company goals!

The Global Financial Crisis is over, this brings huge opportunities to those businesses who are 100% focused and ready to go, so please ensure your vision is crystal clear with everyone - Yourself, Employees and Customers!

HUMAN RESOURCES TIP - by Stephen Keens – Team Leader of HR Advisors - Key Business Advisors

As an employer, are you satisfied with the way your business is operating? Or do you know if your staff are satisfied? What process have you put in place to measure this? 

Also what would happen if you lost one or two KEY staff members going into 2011?  How would this impact your business and customers?

Advice:  Based on research from the HR Coach Institute, businesses that have high staff and customer satisfaction have clearly set and then communicated goals to all departments, staff and managers sharing the same vision as a team. 

High staff satisfaction is linked to high performance which is crucial in growing your staff and your business.  These businesses continually measure performance against their company goals and this is where results are driven.

Going into 2011, it is extremely important that your HR Process is 100% organised and a key staff member, preferably with a HR background, takes ownership of this process to protect your business against the Fair Work Ombudsman.  It is critical your business is using the correct documentation and following the NES – 10 National Employment Standards, also updating all staff on new legislation changes that have come into effect as of January 1, 2011.

Parental Leave Changes
Australia’s first national Paid Parental Leave Scheme started on 1 January 2011. Please click on this link for more information regarding parental leave changes. 

http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/businesses/ppl_toolkit.htm

Cost of Replacing a Staff Member
2011 brings opportunities for all businesses and it is important that you put strategies in place to help retain all key staff members to help you build your business and not someone else’s.  The cost of replacing a staff member can cost up to 3 times their annual salary.  It is proven that it takes 3 years to get your return on investment on the average employee. Remember your staff are your biggest asset as well as the biggest expense in your business, yet quite often the least amount of money is invested in them.  Ensure you grow your staff in 2011 as they will grow your business!