In 2014 Panthers launched the Panthers Approved Business program and delight in the continued development of this great initiative.

The program has been designed to assist local businesses to broaden and enhance business awareness, customer reach and drive new business by promoting products and services to Panthers extensive members database.

By becoming a Panthers Approved Business, your company will be marketed to over 105,000 Panthers Group members which includes over 16,000 football members.

The custom built website has been designed for all Panthers Group, Leagues Club and Football Members to support the businesses that support their club.

All Panthers Group members have dedicated access to www.panthersapprovedbusiness.com.au to take advantage of monthly offers, promotions and specials, only obtainable via this site.

All promotions are available only to members however casual visitors to the site are encouraged via some quick and easy prompts to join the club to take advantage of the deals and services offered.

The Panthers Approved Business package also gives the partners the opportunity to entice potential walk up customers into their business with a Panthers Approved Business decal and flag to be displayed in the shopfront of their business, this informs the potential customer that this business is a supporter of community, club and like-minded members.

New Panthers Approved Business Partners are presented with a bonus gift of 2x general admission tickets to all home games at Pepper Stadium in 2015. Partners can choose to enjoy tickets themselves or the ideal customer gift or staff incentive.

For more information regarding Panthers Approved Business call Stephen Brookes on 02 4725 6004.

A NEW business partnership between global recruitment giant Randstad and TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute (TAFE SWSi) will open up new employment pathways for TAFE SWSi students.

Randstad has been working with TAFE SWSi in providing recruitment solutions since 2005 but recently the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to “explore opportunities for further partnership”.

TAFE SWSi Institute Director, Peter Roberts, said there were “so many different synergies” between the two organisations.

“The partnership with Randstad will benefit our job-ready TAFE SWSi students by providing them with employment pathways,” Mr Roberts said. “After all, Randstad is the second largest recruitment provider in the world. 

“Randstad recruits staff for a wide range of industries including health, child and disability care, leisure and fitness, manufacturing and transport and business and finance; and many of these industries need workers with the skills which TAFE SWSi courses can provide them with.

“In some industries, workers may have some on the job experience but not the formal qualifications required when organisations like Randstad are seeking to recruit workers for those particular industries,” Mr Roberts said.

“That’s where TAFE SWSi can step in and provide the training which will give these workers the formal qualifications required.”

Under the terms of the MOU: “Randstad and TAFE SWSi will investigate prospects to promote each other’s services to students, business and the industry. They will “work with TAFE SWSi’s Community, Health, Hospitality and Service Skills (CHHASS) faculty and students to identify career progression and entry into the workforce via Randstad’s services”.

The partners will also “share opportunities to be present at each other’s events; promote services to their respective websites; and work to further TAFE SWSi student recruitment opportunities.

Leading up to the signing of the MOU, TAFE SWSi and Randstad last year combined forces to organise and run the “Reach for the Stars” disability athletics carnival.

Jaclyn Lindsay was one of the TAFE SWSi students who participated in the event as part of her disability course.   

“I had a ball,” Jaclyn said. “I had to help our (disabled) clients in the races, get their lunch trays, etc. and generally make sure that everything ran smoothly for them.”

Jaclyn worked with vision-impaired clients on the day which really opened her eyes to a side of the disabled community that, she said, was “rarely visible” to the general community. 

“It was a real awakening for me,” Jaclyn said. “The Carnival helped break down the pre-conception that all disabled people are in institutions rocking back and forth in their wheelchairs.

“You realise they’re just like anyone else; they’re really happy, funny and they all had a great time.” 

Jaclyn has completed a Cert IV in Mental Health and Cert IV in Disabilities. She is now doing a Diploma in Community Services and Case Management while also working as carer for the disabled.

www.SWSi.edu.au

Improving public transport throughout Western Sydney is the highest priority for regional businesses, according to the recent Making Western Sydney Greater report released by William Buck with WSBC, St. George and UWS.

A webinar on our eBook, Beyond the P&L: increasing profit and value the smart way, was presented by Raelene Berryman, Moore Stephens Business Advisory Services Partner, on 11 February 2015. 

This webinar covered how businesses can go beyond the P&L and look at ways to increase business profit and value.  It included strategies, tips and tools to take the business to the next level of growth.

Don’t be bitten! The Shark Tank and IP

If you’re looking for investment in an idea or business, securing ownership of your intellectual property (IP) rights can make or break the project.  This has never been more evident than in recent episodes of the TV series: The Shark Tank (Network Ten).

Entrepreneurs and inventors often need assistance to get things off the ground, but an investor may need some evidence that you value your ideas, before they do.  

The Shark Tank

The Shark Tank is a reality television show that sees aspiring entrepreneur-contestants pitch business ideas to a panel of "shark" investors.

In a number of pitches, several “sharks” have made a point of asking about IP protection, indicating that a strong, or weak, IP position can play a significant role in the decision to invest.

Patents – owning the rights

A key concern for any investor is whether competitors can be prevented from entering the market.  This makes owning the legal rights to an invention critical to its commercial potential.  

An innovation patent might be the best option to start out, providing quick protection while other business considerations are put in place. However, applying for a standard patent might be the best strategy depending on your circumstances.  Professional advice from a patent attorney can help you with this decision.

Either way, owning a patent can play a significant part in convincing potential investors to back your project. From the investor’s perspective having a patent will serve to protect the market from competition and reduce the risk involved in the investment.

Business name Vs trade mark protection

Another key issue has centred around trade marks. In one instance, a contestant thought that a registered business name would provide trade mark protection.

Unfortunately, this is an all too common misconception. Registered business names and domain names do not provide any trade mark protection, leaving a brand open to copycats. 

Businesses rely on their mark or brand to distinguish themselves from competitors and build a trusted reputation with customers and clients. A registered trade mark should not be overlooked as it provides you with an exclusive right to use the mark for your goods and services.

Don’t forget that it is also key that you are not infringing the rights of another trade mark owner!  Imagine you’ve put everything into building up the business for years, and suddenly you receive a nasty legal letter alleging infringement, effectively forcing you to stop trading under that logo or mark.  It is not uncommon.

Before spending money on any marketing, brochures, or packaging, at the very least you should have a trade mark clearance search done by a professional.  

Take away points for entrepreneurs and inventors

• Investors will scrutinise the presence or absence of any IP when deciding to invest in a business.
  
• It is important to secure your IP protection prior to disclosing your ideas! If you’re unsure about it, get in touch with your local DCC office – your initial consultation is always free.
  
• A valuable tool to use as a starting point is the IP checklist – it’s a quick, easy to use guide to remind business owners of the steps needed to identify and secure various IP rights.
  
• Before dealing with the Sharks, avoid being bitten by ignoring your intellectual property. With proactive steps, a business can significantly increase its potential value for an investor.
  

Davies Collison Cave can help with all your IP needs, in a friendly, no jargon way.  We regularly provide expert advice to first time entrepreneurs and inventors, as well as some of the largest corporations in the world.  

By Simon Reynolds and Anthony Cowle

Click here for more IP News.....

Manufacturing business leaders will gather at a University of Western Sydney forum to collaborate and develop strategies to secure the industry's future. 

The UWS Ideas Lab: Organisational Capability in Advanced Manufacturing is being held in partnership with Bankstown City Council and Western Sydney Future Advanced Manufacturing, a WSBC and UWS initiative, at the Bankstown City Library on March 24.

The UWS Ideas Lab series is designed to bridge the gap between university, community, industry and government by bringing major stakeholders together in a forum to genuinely discuss topical issues, to forge a way forward.

Western Sydney is the third largest economic region in Australia behind Sydney and Melbourne, and produces 38% of the Sydney's GRP annually.  Yet recent UWS research highlighted the contrasting outlooks of the regions' 8,500 manufacturing businesses.

The Making Western Sydney Greater report, conducted by UWS with William Buck, St George and Western Sydney Business Connection, found Small and Medium Enterprise manufacturing businesses are the engine room of growth in Greater Western Sydney, with expectations for revenue and profit 6% ahead of budget. In comparison, the GWS region's manufacturing businesses have 0.0% anticipated growth for full time employment, with Large Businesses anticipating a reduction in full time employment of 1.7%.

In order to help grow the advanced manufacturing industry and drive a renewed focus on the business skillset of  advanced manufacturing management – such as marketing and promotion – the Ideas Lab will discuss new business models adopted by similar high cost environments, including the UK and the USA.

According to Professor Scott Holmes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President (Research and Development), changing the profile of manufacturing is crucial to Western Sydney, and UWS is committed to helping the industry grow.

"Much research into the sustainability of manufacturing favors the adoption of advanced manufacturing models, changing the required skillset of management.  says Professor Holmes.

"By bringing together the region's small, medium and large manufacturers into a collaborative and constructive forum, we can work together to address any gaps in management practice - working together to adopt international best practice strategies to overcome it."

The forum will be chaired by Chair Anthony Moss, CEO of Lead Your Industry Pty Ltd, and will feature:

• Jason Furness, CEO of Manufacturship
• Stuart Ayres MP, Member for Penrith, Minister for Police, Emergency Services & Sport
• Tania Mihailuk, Member for Bankstown, Shadow Minister for Fair Trading
• Sharon Austin, Board member of Southern Strength Agile Manufacturing Network
• Tony Broughton, Managing Director of Supply Chain Squared
• Steve Facer, General Manager of Chess Engineering
• Dr Premaratne Samaranayake, Senior Lecturer UWS School of Business

How much time and money do you spend on marketing to acquire new clients or customers?  Of course, it will depend on your industry and target market.  But do you truly know what the return on your investment is for each activity and whether it is a good return or not?

We would love to share with you the most cost effective and ego boosting marketing tool available to all businesses – the Referral Program!  

Referral Programs are THE most powerful, but underused, tool in marketing.  All you need is an amazing base of raving fans who trust you, an easy way for them to refer which makes them feel and look good, and a clear process on how to take care of those referrals – who then in turn become raving fans – and so the cycle continues!

There is much talk and advice around about creating a Referral Program, but how do you do it?  Firstly, It should be designed to genuinely reward your raving fans, tailored to your market and those referring you.  If done well and with authenticity it can be the most effective qualified lead generation and conversion activity in your marketing strategy.

Trusted raving fans – who are they?

• Your existing clients who receive such great results from working with you through the products and services you deliver they can’t help but share it with people
• Your partners and business associates who value the relationship you have invested in building with them and likely receive a reciprocal benefit through your relationship

How can they refer to you?

You need to make it as simple and enjoyable for them. Some ideas that we know work brilliantly are:

• Provide a complimentary gift voucher that your raving fans can share with their contacts. At Gallop Solutions, all of our clients and partners receive complimentary gift certificates to share with their business contacts, which allows them to attend a Discovery seminar as the guest of the referrer
• Hosting a “bring your friend” showcase event once a quarter or more regularly
• One point of contact in your team who they can always contact to discuss referring their contact

What do you do with the referrals once received?

Your company’s primary contact person needs to be listed on all contact materials as the “go to” person for referrals; then they act as the custodian, first qualifying the referrals and then tailoring the communications with the referred party and keeping the referrer in the loop with progress. Depending on your business, it might take weeks, months or years for that referral to come to fruition, but maintaining  your contact points throughout the process is the key to keeping the ball rolling. Don’t forget to utilise your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool to its fullest potential for this!

How do you recognise their trust in you?

• It might be as simple as an acknowledgement of their trust in you to take care of their contact in an email, card, gift or take them out for lunch. Make sure it’s tailored to them, there is nothing worse than sending wine to someone who doesn’t drink wine!  Perhaps they would appreciate an introduction to one of your own business contacts as a thank you.
• Another great tool is a formal referral recognition program where you track who refers most and it then creates an ongoing and regular incentive. At Gallop we have a monthly prize of a $200 restaurant voucher for the most qualified referrals given by a client
• You might like to consider offering bonuses, discounts or ‘credits’ as incentive for referring. Think big – many successful companies such a Dropbox, PayPal, Eventbrite, Airbnb, Spotify and Uber have enjoyed raging success using these methods!

The Referral Program has certainly been a fantastic tool for Gallop; our entire client base has been built upon referrals! So, THANK YOU! And if you would like any more hints and tips on creating your own program, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will put you in touch with our amazing referral care team!

Every day 46,000 Australian women are homeless.* Parramatta Mission is doing something about this. Join us in building the solution.

It may come as a surprise to learn that 44% of all people experiencing homelessness are female,* also that most homeless services are provided for men and very few for women. Parramatta Mission is working to raise hope for women facing homelessness.

Parramatta Mission’s inaugural Raising Hope Gala was held on 27 June 2014 to launch the project of raising awareness and funds to establish crisis accommodation for women facing homelessness in Western Sydney.

Since the initial gala, we have taken modest steps towards the development and implementation of accommodation and support for women facing homelessness. A foundation has been established to sustain the project over the long term as we work towards our goal of developing pathways for women to transition out of homelessness.

There are multiple reasons and experiences that can lead to a woman facing homelessness, such as family breakdowns, employment challenges, violence or abuse, and the cost of living. Mental health is another common theme present in women facing homelessness, and when paired with the above factors, mental health symptoms can often be exacerbated.

While social housing is a temporary fix for women with complex needs, for many women it can only be seen as that, a temporary fix. A holistic approach toward meeting women’s individual needs is a necessary requirement in reaching a more permanent solution.

Restrictions around implementing a more complete approach for individual women include limits to funding, affordable housing, access to therapeutic interventions and extensive time delays for professional intervention. These restrictions significantly impact on the healing process that is vital for women to connect with the community and maintain stable tenancies / housing over long periods of time.

Parramatta Mission, with your partnership, is doing something about this. Join us at the 2015 Raising Hope for Women Facing Homelessness Gala. Friday 29 May, 7pm – 11pm. WatervieW in Bicentennial Park.

For ticket enquiries or for more information contact:

Donna Kelly

Phone: 9891 2277

Email donna.kelly@parramattamission.org.au

Lynwood Country Club is very proud to be the official amalgamation partner with Castle Hill RSL Group securing the sustainability of the club and its facilities.

Castle Hill RSL Group has a membership of approximately 47,000 members which has increased by in excess of 27,000 during the past decade. This growth has been achieved as a result of a strategic shift in Board and Management policies and the decision to reinvest back into our venues and significantly expand our community engagement initiatives. During this time we have re-invested approximately $67m in building costs and $34m in plant and equipment. As a result the Group has an extremely solid asset base of $95.5m and is in a very strong financial situation for a hospitality venue and not-for-profit entity.

Castle Hill RSL Group has established itself during the past decade and is now a state of the art modern hospitality and sporting venue and its facilities and amenities are second to none and brand new. However, the true financial benefits of our recent capital expenditure programs will be realised in the years to come with only limited capital expenditure required at the Castle Hill RSL site, thus enabling the Group to concentrate heavily on its Parramatta and hopefully Lynwood sites. 

The Board and management of the Castle Hill RSL Group are excited about the opportunity to further develop a premier nationally recognised Links Golf Course in the Hawkesbury region developing a future strategy for Lynwood Country Club transforming it into the social community hub for the Hawkesbury and Northwest sector through the provision of a Links golf course, accommodation, functions, café, restaurant and sporting infrastructure. 

Castle Hill RSL’s Group General Manager David O’Neil said “The Castle Hill RSL Club Group consists of the parent entity the Castle Hill RSL Club, C2K Fitness and Aquatic Centre and the Parramatta RSL Club. The Group’s mission is to provide facilities, products, services and relationships which add value to our members and communities – we strive to operate a vibrant, exciting, entertainment, hospitality, sporting precincts that are central hub of our communities, relevant to all age and demographics operating in a profitable, efficient and effective manner”.

The Group is passionate and committed to supporting our local communities and recognise that our entities in Castle Hill, Parramatta and hopefully Pitt Town need to have their own identity.  All venues are vastly different and require an individual approach to servicing the needs of the members and their relevant communities.

The Group is extremely active within our local communities and nurtures and supports local projects providing in excess of one million dollars per year in direct and indirect donations and community support programs. Many of these initiatives are directed at youth through Sporting, Education and Leadership programs. 

The Board of Directors and management of Castle Hill RSL Group are supported by Clubs NSW, the staff and members of Lynwood Country Club are building a solid business platform for the future growth and development of the Lynwood Country Club site and the promotion and expansion of golf.  Lynwood has an opportunity to capture the community and provide a unique experience to its local and broader community.  We believe in partnership we can create a successful future for Lynwood Country Club and it’s growing communities.

Currently short and medium plans are under development to ensure that Lynwood Country Club is a vibrant entertainment and sporting precinct relevant to its communities. These plans include refurbishments of the club house, upgrading of the golf course and driving range. We are also committed to developing first class community engagement programs including a Golf Academy and Junior Golf Academy. Some minor works on the golf course have already commenced including repairs, maintenance and resigning.

We are excited to be part of the Pitt Town community and we look forward to sharing our Lynwood vision with you.