Costs of raising a family, including childcare has been a hot topic of late and is a real issue families need to think about, given these financial times. Recent figures have shown that the foregone income for a family with three children (lost through one parent taking time off to raise the family), is over a million dollars.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. In Chanel 10’s program THE PROJECT, Emma Walsh, Director of mum@work says mums don’t need to give up their careers to raise a family.  However, she acknowledges it’s a real challenge and to make it work, it is a matter of getting the right support, planning in advance and communicating effectively.

“The real concern is childcare costs.  Some parents can find themselves paying out as much as $4000 a month pre-tax; and with a $7000 cap on the Federal Government’s 50% child care rebate, some parents find themselves going backwards fast. Not only is this de-motivating, it’s unsustainable. To avoid this, mums AND dads need to do the sums, plan ahead and ‘think smarter’ about how they can return to work by negotiating better flexible work arrangements with employers. It’s not always easy, but it can be done,” assures Emma Walsh.

It is worth noting that Australia is well behind other OECD countries in the work flexibility debate. According to Walsh, employers need to be more lateral thinking with their workplace practices, rethink job design and be more adaptive and open to using technology better to deliver more productive outcomes that create a win/win for all.  “They risk losing valuable talent if they don’t adapt. Whilst mums and dads should create a plan for how they’d like to work, they should also consider the business impact and propose some solutions to how the job could be made more flexible – it’s about focusing on what can be done flexibly rather than entirely focusing on the negative. Too many parents – when negotiating flexible work arrangements – are ill-prepared. They should seek out support to plan for the conversation with their employer if they feel a lack of confidence.  When making ‘flexibility’ work the responsibility doesn’t fall entirely on one or the other,” says Walsh.

Statistics show that working dads in this generation want to spend more time with their children and are also experiencing the need for different working conditions. When asked about ‘sharing’ the parenting role with fathers, Walsh acknowledged that there are a lot of dads now stepping up and taking on some or all of the primary caring role, but Australian workplace cultures have been slow to adjust to this fact and more needs to be done to encourage organizations to support working dads with the juggle.

Walsh believes, “For a lot of mums, it’s about taking the leap and asking for help. A lot of us want to be the ones doing everything; the pick-up, the drop off, pleasing the boss, doing the shopping and the housework and we have to realise we can’t do everything ourselves because we’re not super-human.  We need to discuss and plan with our manager how to work flexibly and share the load with our partners, friends and family, where possible.”

This means effective communication is critically important between employers and mums & dads for the family unit to be able to function well and cope with the many and varied demands of juggling raising children with work.

View the full interview on THE PROJECT (Friday’s episode - 4^th November – segment ‘super mums’)

If you’d like support in your return to work or as a representative from an employer’s perspective, want to know more about how to implement Family Friendly solutions into your organization, contact mums@work.  See our Working Parents Toolkit

Source: mums@work

A few weeks ago, I was at a shop where I witnessed a store manager and a customer arguing loudly. The customer was ranting and even said, “I’m a customer and you should respect me even if I’m wrong!” He was obviously bordering on being obnoxious but yeah, he’s right.

Whoever said “The Customer is King” hit it right on the money. At some point, you will encounter a very difficult customer and this is the harsh reality that you have to face.

It is important to treat your customers properly as they’re the best advertisement that a store could ever have. A bad review for a business could result to failure.

Customer service skills, however, do not come naturally for some people. When a person becomes aggressive, another person’s nature is to fight back. It takes special skill and an extraordinary amount of patience to deal with customers who demand value for their money up to the last cent. Here are a few easy tips on how to improve your customer skills:

• Learn to Listen

Listening is different from hearing. Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sounds by ear. Listening, on the other hand, requires concentration so the brain processes meaning from the words or sentences.

If a customer is suddenly shouting at you, force yourself to listen beyond the yelling and understand the words he’s saying. You can also ask him a question in a calm voice without sounding condescending. I find this strategy quite effective because 1) it shows the customer that there’s someone willing to listen and 2) it motivates him to lower his voice and explain his emotions.

It can be difficult at first but once you’ve gotten the knack of it, your buyers will surely return to you knowing you can understand what they are saying without too much emotional stress.

• Address the reason

When people are mad, they tend to say things that may be hurtful to one’s feelings. But there are reasons why the words are being said. Find the reason behind the words and address that reason.

A client could be irate because he was waiting for a long time. The solution is to ensure that the problem is being resolved quickly to the customer’s satisfaction.

Try to see things from their perspective to help you find the basis for their angry words. It can be challenging when the client is on the offensive, but keep your calm and count to 10 before you say those words which could end a business relationship.

• Keep your Promises

When we’re with a customer that we want to keep, we tend to promise everything including the kitchen sink. Make sure though that you intend to give up the kitchen sink when the client demands for it. On that note, never promise for something that you cannot afford to give and if you do give your word, make sure you follow through. If the client persists, then it’s time to negotiate.

• Smile.

Smiling requires less work than frowning. It conveys the message that you are a receptive person and people will tend to approach you more with their concerns. It makes other people more comfortable. Make sure you don’t smile during inappropriate moments but nevertheless, it’s the best skill to have.

Like I said, it can be difficult at first. But I believe developing your customer service skills is just like an exercise—a mental and emotional one. You need to practice your skills over and over again until you finally get the hang of it.

Okay, so you have made your business plan, have enough working capital, and studied all you can to finally start your own home-based business. You think you’re ready and you can’t wait to start the first day. But wait! Do you have a website?

A website is important for any home-based business. It is relatively cheap, easy to do, and provides enormous benefits for budding entrepreneurs. Here are just some of the rewards of having a website:

1. 24-hour online presence

Your own website gives you an online presence. Without a website, you are losing business. Potential clients can access your site and learn about your products and services.

2. It gives you a professional image.

At a time when almost everything is online, nothing frustrates a buyer than looking for a specific product but couldn’t find it because the company doesn’t have a website. A website gives entrepreneurs a professional image, creating the impression that you have made information about your business available.

3. Get valuable feedback.

Your website may have the facility for customers to post feedback—whether good or bad. Feedback gives you insights on what products your clients like and what are the ways to improve your business. Of course, this means allowing dissatisfied customers to post negative comments about you. Instead of deleting the posts, think of it as an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and to show clients that you are sincere in your transactions.

4. Save on costs.

A website provides financial savings. Instead of printing tons of brochures or flyers, you can just print your business card that shows your contact details and website. You can also save on postage costs because all you need to do is email your promotional materials to friends and clients.

5. Sell ad space.

You can earn money from your website by selling ad spaces. You can enrol your site in Google Adsense, this is especially profitable for sites that have high traffic.

6. Point-of-sale channel.

Many websites have the facility to accept credit card or PayPal charges. You can earn more by allowing clients to pay online. You can also expand your website by including a chat function which you can use to communicate live with your client. Potential buyers can ask about your products and get answers immediately.

7.  Expand your customer base.

Although your business may be focused within your area, don’t lose the opportunity to get clients from all over the world. Whether you’re selling wooden toys or providing consultancy services, remember that someone from out of town may need your services.

Another great thing about websites is that you don’t need programming skills to create one.

For those with little money, you can try blogging sites like WordPress, Blogger, LiveJournal.

For a hosted DIY option with all the bells and whistles you can try WebCityPro, BigCommerce, Spitfire,

Once you get the hang of it, you can get your own domain name and hosting. But whether it’s a free or paid platform, a website is necessary for any business.

It is a huge learning curve, but heaps of fun.

Commuting can drive us crazy, and it’s not just the length of the commute, but what happens on the way to work.

A study by office space provider Regus tells us that it takes on average 27 minutes for Australians to get to work. It also finds that for 17 per cent, the trip takes 45 minutes, which isn’t too bad.

But what annoys people is not the length of the trip, it’s what happens during their journey.

After surveying 10,000 businesses, Regus identified seven most annoying commute experiences, starting with dangerous drivers. This was followed by traffic jams, road rage, people talking too loudly on mobile phones, pollution and overheating.

People were also riled about lack of adequate information from service providers, body odour of other commuters and smelly food. You could probably add crowded spaces, cancelled trains and buses to that list.

In terms of traffic, Australia is not as bad as other parts of the world. Try sitting in a taxi in Beijing when you have to get somewhere quickly. You can spend two birthdays doing that.

According to one study, Melbourne ranks as the second best place in the world for traffic after Stockholm – although drivers caught in the grid-lock on Punt Road might disagree.

The one place I hate driving in is Sydney. The traffic is insane and it gets worse every time I am there.

A new study by Sydney City Council has found that Sydney is grinding to a halt. Congestion already costs the city around $4.6 billion a year and it’s set to rise to $8 billion nine years from now.

There seems to have been inadequate planning of transport infrastructure, which must now become a priority of the new O’Farrell government.

It’s been said that much of the anger unleashed on the Keneally government on Saturday was the anger of people sick and tired of not being able to get to work on time because the public transport system could not cope. Fixing that will be a big challenge.

Another study by IBM found that most Australians, including 81 per cent of drivers, are stressed by the daily commute.

Sydney commuters are worst off, with 50 per cent of drivers experiencing negative health effects. The least affected places are Adelaide (28 per cent) and Perth (28 per cent).

According to the study, 41 per cent of drivers say that traffic has negatively affected their health, and 39 per cent believe it has negatively affected their performance at work or school or university.

The bottom line is that we have not put enough planning into public transport and road infrastructure. As John Hawkins, Smarter Transportation Industry Expert, IBM Australia says: “These findings indicate that the daily commute in Australia’s biggest cities is longer and more painful than ever before. It reflects the reality that our transport infrastructure is not keeping pace with continuing economic growth in this country. Building more roads is not enough to solve these issues; introducing smarter technology that can provide real-time information to transportation officials and commuters will help reduce commuter stress and ease traffic congestion.”

Leaving aside the fact that IBM has a vested interest in rolling out “smarter technology”, Hawkins has a point. Companies could be encouraged to have more telecommuting, something I looked at in my blog last week. Unfortunately, not many are doing it.

According to Government stats, 24 per cent of Australian businesses claimed they allowed employees to undertake telework but Access Economics has found that only about six per cent of the Australian workforce is on the job away from the office. Pity, it would be a great way to reduce commuting stress.

Other options include cycling to work and car pooling. But as with telecommuting, people aren’t signing up for these in droves.

How far do you commute and what annoys you the most about the experience?

Source: The Age

Two days a week I am 5 minutes from my office workshifting at home. This lets me see more of my children and helps me better understand both the products I market (GoToMyPC and GoToMeeting, mainly) and the audience I market them to. Sometimes it’s convenient to be just 5 minutes away – if something comes up that requires my physical presence, I can change out of my pajamas and go in.

But sometimes I wish I lived farther away. I think I would commit more fully to being a workshifter then, because I wouldn’t have the security of an easy out. I would be less likely to accept in-person meetings on my workshifting days. I would create a better home office environment. I might even get dressed before noon.

One thing I’m sure I would do is devise a workplace continuity plan.

Most people think workplace continuity is only for big corporations that need to minimize losses in the case of weather disruptions, natural disasters or epidemics – for which the solution is commonly workshifting. But if you’re already workshifting, you can have disruptions, too. And whether you’re an independent contractor or an established employee, when people depend on you to get a job done, you can impress them by delivering the goods in spite of obstacles that may come your way. Plus, if you’re not salaried, you keep the money rolling in.

What kind of obstacles would you need to plan for? Here are a few common ones to think about:

You lose your Internet connection.

What do you do? Go to a friend’s house, a coffee shop, the library? Designate a Plan A location that’s close by and a Plan B that’s far enough away that you can escape regional outage problems.

You lose electricity.

Is it just you (go to Plan B then) or is your whole area affected? For the latter, plan who you’d need to call to tell them you couldn’t work – and make sure their numbers are not just stored in your computer.

Your computer crashes.

If my work-owned laptop crashes, I drive to my office, request a new one and work there while the order is processed. Then I’m usually back to workshifting in a day or so. When you own the computer you depend on for work, you’ve got to rely on yourself. If it’s not economically feasible to have your own back-up computer, plan how you would continue working until you could fix or replace yours. Does a friend have a computer you could borrow? Could you work on a public computer at the library or somewhere else?

Your home office is invaded by unexpected guests.

Insects or in-laws (you may consider them synonymous, but I happen to like my in-laws) may make your home office temporarily unworkable. If you can’t find a way to divert them elsewhere, make an escape to your Plan A or B location.

This is just a start. What other disruptions would you recommend workshifters plan for?

Source: Workshifting.com

Photo Credit: stewf

Not many mums (or dads) are lucky enough to find a job that would allow them work at home. It really is a win-win situation. You get to earn a small living and you get quality time to spend time with your family.

To be a work-at-home professional certainly requires balancing one’s time between meeting clients, teleconferences, webinars, taking the kids to the doctor, making phone calls, doing the groceries, entertaining the child, arranging play dates and  keeping the house spic and span plus everything else that you can squeeze within  24 hours.

But even when you know that there’s a long list of must-do’s, there is always one or two things that you always seem to delay doing. You tell yourself, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” And when tomorrow comes, you say, “I’ll do it the next day.” Yes, you’re procrastinating. Don’t make it a habit to delay what needs to be done. Here are some tricks to help you kick that bad habit:

Make a to-do list everyday

List the things you need to do for the day and identify which ones are considered high priority. Make sure you accomplish the high-priority tasks first. When you can’t finish the task in one day, then you can carry it over the following day.

If you haven’t finished a task in a week, there are two possible scenarios. Either you’re procrastinating again or the task is too big that you need to chop it down to bite-size pieces.

Reward yourself after finishing a long overdue task

Pick a difficult task that you’ve been putting off and reward yourself after you’ve finished it. It can be as simple as getting your favorite dessert or buying that dress that you’ve wanted for so long. But indulge yourself only when you have completed your assignment.

Limit time spent online.

The Internet can seriously tempt you to procrastinate. Once you have logged in to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, you suddenly realize that you’ve wasted two hours of your time. Check your online accounts and emails twice a day only—one in the morning and again, in the evening. This should give you more time to spend on things that really matter.

Okay, some of you might say, “But a client’s email may be very important!” Remember that if something is a matter of life and death, your client would call you on your mobile instead of sending an email.

Get into the mood.

Working from home is a lot like a classical orchestral symphony. All instruments must be in harmony with one another. A nice home office will help you get in the proper work mood. Clear your table from non-work-related items like your kids’ toys or newspapers.  Your laptop should be in great working condition. And if it suits your fancy, play some nice perk-me-up music. You can also add a nice hot strong cup of coffee or hot chocolate to your day. I also love to have my oil burner on with an aromatherapy mix. These little touches can help to really inspire and motivate you.

Working at home certainly isn’t easy but it can be managed. You just need to have the proper attitude, the right discipline, and a good working environment.

Today, women make up just over half of Australia’s total population. More women than men are now educated at secondary schools and universities, and more women than men graduate from university with bachelor degrees. Women have made significant contributions to every aspect of Australia’s development including its society, culture and economy. However, women in Australia still have to battle institutional and social barriers as they struggle for equality of opportunity especially in the workplace.pect of Australia’s development, including its society, culture and economy. However, women in Australia still have to battle institutional and social barriers as they struggle for equality of opportunity Many women take a career break to look after their children or other dependents and the more time they take out of the workplace the more daunting it can seem to get back to work.  Most women may feel they do not have the relevant skills for the ever changing job market, or can’t identify what type of organisation might employ them. They may be unsure about how to update their resume or how to prepare for an interview. Concerns about finding adequate childcare or flexible working hours can sometimes prevent them from taking up employment once again even if they have previously had very successful careers.

A new initiative called Women2Work has been started initially in the Northern Beaches and North Shore areas of Sydney to help women who want to get back to work. The first step to kick-starting their career is to fill in the online personality profiler Finding Potential which enables users to identify their strong points and can recommend types of jobs/careers most suited to their personality.  We then offer consultancy to any women who need help and guidance in compiling a resume, preparing for a job interview or just identifying what role they might want to pursue in the job market. Often women do not want to go back into the same field as they were in before having children and we help them identify the skills they have that are transferrable to many roles.  Most importantly we give our women returners a placement with a local organisation for one week (more if wanted) to gain valuable experience in a relevant job role. The role is unpaid but the benefits include a written assessment at the end, a reference for future job applications and the possibility of future employment with that organisation should a vacancy arises. All candidates on the Women2Work program are also sent regular newsletters which inform them of any positions that are looking specifically for women in the local area.

Women2Work has also just begun to provide a service to organisations that wish to recruit more skilled women after they have had a career break . Similarly we help organisations retain women that have gone on maternity leave by ensuring that they are still informed of company issues and changes and organise workshops so that women on maternity leave do not feel isolated. Like the placement program run for individuals a similar program can be put in place in organisations where previous employees can try out different roles that may better suit them on their return to the workforce. www.women2work.com.au

Source: Sphinxx

It’s often been said that a tidy office creates a tidy mind – But let’s face it, sometimes the day to day operations overwhelm us and cleaning is pushed further and further down the priority list. If you find yourself in this situation, these 7 simple, yet effective tips will help you stay tidy  and focused.

1) Have an “Inbox”

An inbox funnels and organises your workload – It allows you to accurately gauge what work is left to be done and more importantly, keeps all the related documents in one spot.

2) Have an “IncubateBox”

This is normally placed above or beside your inbox – It’s for tasks that aren’t yet ready to be completed – maybe awaiting responses from others or for supplies to be delivered.

3) Put things away

I can guarantee you that the time you spend looking for something that’s not in the correct spot will take at least five times longer than just putting the item away in the first place.

4) The 1 metre rule

If you don’t use it at least once a day – Keep it at least one metre away from your main work space. This will help to reduce unnecessary clutter.

Quick Tip: To find out what it is that you use once a day, put everything from your desk into a box first thing in the morning – What remains in that box the next day is to be stored / put on a shelf away from your main work location.

5) Can it be done now?

When flicking through your in tray of a morning, or when looking at an email – If it can be completed in less than two minutes, do it then and there.

6) Clean as you go

It doesn’t take you long to give your workspace a quick 30 second wipe down / vacuum each morning. If this is left too long however, it can turn into quite a big task that will require a lot  more of your time.

7) Limit clutter on your desk

I’m sure you love your family – we all do, but is it necessary to have more than one photo of them on your desk? Or what about those free giveaways you picked up at an event a few months ago? Unnecessary clutter like this creates a cramped, unproductive workplace.

Author Bio Jake Thomas is a small business owner based in the southern Suburbs of Sydney. Dividing his time between operating Emroy – Print & Design and being a part owner and editor of Small Business Forum has given Jake a keen understanding of all things business, marketing and management. For more information about view his profile.

Source: Small Business Forum

How many times do we start a new job and think, “this is great, I can really make a difference here”,  only to be quite disappointed and let down before the first 6 months are over?…..

What is it that changes from the interview we had where the feelings of enthusiasm for ‘the start of our new career’ were making us buzz; to wondering how we can win lottery so that we can make a quick, no fuss exit?

Did we get it wrong? In a nutshell yes, but why?After having spent many years in the Recruitment/HR and people management space across a range of industries, I have realised that many job seekers fail to recognise their own needs and so have a tendency of selling themselves short when attempting to find that elusive ‘dream job’.

What is a dream job? The answer to this question lies entirely in what you need to experience happiness and satisfaction. What may be a sensational job for one person may bore the socks off another. Having been a recruiter for commercial recruitment firms as well as in house recruiting, I have learned the importance of looking at the big picture as well as drilling down to the finer point of detail when assessing a particular job opportunity.

Step 1. When you make a decision to apply for a particular full time or part time permanent role, ask yourself the following question; ‘Can I see myself doing this job as I see it now for at least 12 months’? If you struggle to answer this question with a resounding ‘YES’; stay away from it and keep looking.

Ask yourself what it is about the job that appeals to you and again, use the 12 month bench mark as a good guide to whether you should actually apply. In this way you, are ensuring that you stay on track for what is important to you….. bells and whistles including company cars, bonuses etc may be all great when you are in the interview but make sure that these are the ‘perks’ which actually drive you. They may not be.

Literally sit down and write up a list for yourself of ALL the things that are essential for you to have job satisfaction and happiness and then write another list which has the ‘desirable but can live without’ list…. I can assure you that the person filling the role will have this list.. It’s called the Job Description. Your list should be as detailed as possible to ensure that you cover all aspects of your life that will have an impact on the role you want to take on.

This is step 1 in the process to ensuring you find the career you want, not just a pay packet that pays the bills

Stay tuned for Step 2………………..

Copyright www.coachingcombinations.com.au Emma Driscoll

Here is how to be an effective leader across levels in the organisation

Would you say leadership is only for top management? Absolutely not!

Leadership is for anybody who manages people and has the power to influence decisions. Leadership is the structure of the personality which includes experience, skill, responsibility, intelligence, power of organizing people and social interaction. It is an indispensable activity, which every leader has to perform for directing the people working under him/her. It is the ability of the leader to induce subordinates to work with confidence and zeal.

A good leader shows characteristics of intelligence, alertness, is action oriented and above all has the power to motivate. But how do we become a good leader? Is it something that we can work on and become better at? Definitely.

Let’s look at what we need to do to become a better leader.

Ability to influence and make decisions: You must have the ability to come to a decision. Once that is done – stick to the decisions that you make!  Practice what you preach.  Remember actions speak louder than words. Leaders do not command excellence – they build it. Pursing excellence isn’t related to accomplishing a task or a job. It means the ability to look beyond the ordinary and doing whatever it takes to achieve it. Your actions should be based on moral principles and reason.

Ability to encourage others to set up and achieve goals: When you have a team of people that you are supervising, it can be very powerful when they know that you are on their side, and that you will do whatever you can to make sure that their interests are protected. One of the most important parts of being a good leader is taking ownership when things go wrong, and how to recognise people in your group when things go well.

Sense of direction and a vision for the group: Inspire people and have confidence in whatever you do. Take charge whenever necessary: however, trust people to do a good job and they will in turn surprise you with excellent results. Be fair and empathise by being sensitive to others.

Motivation to take risks in the face of challenges: Have the perseverance to accomplish the goals. Display confidence when under stress. Be committed and deliver the goal.

Ability to develop good leaders: Coaching is an integral part of developing people to become leaders. Many organisations today have a succession plan and are taking mentoring to the next level by taking adequate steps to groom the best level of leaders.

An effective leader unites followers to a shared vision that offers true value, integrity, and trust to change and pick up the group. The key to leadership is accomplishing the tasks at hand while building relationships. As true leaders, we must know our own skills and deploy them effectively.