Rob's Rev

December 2006

Introduction

Welcome to the December edition of “Rob’s Rev” the e-newsletter of Business Performance.

In this edition we feature

• Taking Score during the break
• Outlet Books -Small business success story
• Podcasting News
• Sponsorship update.
  

Now the Christmas break is upon us. What a Great time to read my new book produced in partnership with Sensis, Small Business, Big Opportunity - Enjoy the read and have a merry Christmas and fantastic new year.

Keep Thinking Big
Rob Hartnett

A Time to Take Score
January marks the start of the second half of the financial year and the start of the run home to June 30th and as such represent’s a great time for business owners to review their progress to date.

So how are you going? Are you on track or off track?

• Are you hitting your sales targets?
• Are you hitting or exceeding your profit targets?
• Is your paperwork up to date ie BAS? (Presumably you have done last year’s tax return!)
• Have you planned ahead for your expenses so you don’t make a capital purchase in July and go “oh I should have bought this three weeks ago”
• Is your database up to date? Is it on computer, when did you send out your last communication to your customers?
• How are your IT systems – is everything backed up are your domain names all up to date?
• Do you know how your customers are finding you, where do you rank on Search Engines?
• What about your marketing materials – is your website current or does it have the latest news from June 2004?
• Are you on the way to your personal goals? These are even more important than your business goals ie are you spending more or less time with you kids?

Author Nicholas Boothman uses the well known fast food acronym KFC as way of checking your progress.
K = Know what you want.
F = Find out if your on track to achieving it
C = Change whatever you need to get back on track
So have a review in January and make use of the time wisely to take time to reflect and prepare for 2007.

Case Study – Outlet Books
Business Performance and its design partner Vanzella Design are very excited to be part of the launch of the new Outlet Books flag ship store at the new DFO at Southern Cross station in Melbourne .

Outlet Books sell new and remainder books. These are new books that need to be cleared by various publishers and they have a range second to none. Everything from health to aviation including a large range of children’s titles. They also do a huge range of Hallmark cards and gifts.

Outlet Books came to Business Performance in mid 2006 wanting to grow their business and become a national brand. Being part of the national roll out of the DFO stores across Australia Outlet Books needed to be able to efficiently and effectively scale the business and the leverage their marketing spend. They also needed to manage the set up of new stores while continuing to drive the profits from the existing stores. Business Performance has assisted Outlet Books with business and marketing strategy, retail store layout and design and marketing and sales systems and ideas.

While there is still plenty to do owners Tony and Veronica McCarthy and Kitch Wendt are excited to see the new store at Southern Cross station open and with more stores to come in 2007 Outlet Books are in for a busy 2007.

Check out their stores at DFO outlets in Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane. www.outletbooks.com.au

Business Performance Productions
Business Performance has entered into an agreement with Big Rob Farley Productions to podcasts for businesses. The podcast community is growing exponentially each day as more and more people acquire Apple I-Pod’s, I Rivers and Podcast capable mobile phones.

What this means to you is we can now offer a low cost way of getting your audio message up on your website and can include product pictures and video should you wish that can be downloaded by clients, prospects and staff and students for example.

As broadband rolls out internet users are demanding more than a static web page.
Rob from Big Rob Farley Productions (actually a gentle Samoan giant!) has been at the leading edge of audio and the internet having been a DJ, audio guru and podcast producer for some years. Those who have received the latest Success! with Rob Hartnett CD will have heard and seen his work.

For those who would like a copy of the latest Success! cd please email me at rob@businessperformance.com.au

In the new year we will feature a full article on Podcasting.

Business Performance Sponsor Update
Business Performance is a big believer in people who passionately pursue their personal and business goals. This is a key reason why we sponsor young motocross star Taylor Potter. Taylor an Australian Supercross champion who recently turned 16 competed in the at the World Mini Championships earlier this year and recently raced against the best in the world at the Oceania Championships in New Zealand. Taylor finished a credible 8th overall on his KTM SXF250 including a 4th place in race 2. Taylor told me “the jumps were amazing one being so steep I couldn’t even walk up it!”

Taylor returned for a race day at his local track at Nunawading in Melbourne in November and teamed up with junior rider Ben Hartnett on his KTM SX 65 to come second overall in the senior/junior team race. Ben said riding with Taylor was “awesome and cool”.

Want more information visit http://www.businessperformance.com.au

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