Australia’s leading Skills Recognition and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Specialist, Get Qualified Australia, is pleased to announce its formation with Staffing Solutions Australia – a Global Talent Acquisition Company.

By utilising a relatively new and unknown government initiative, businesses working with Staffing Solutions Australia gain access to recruit from a global pool of talent at cost very close to zero. Furthermore, these staff members stay with businesses for up to two years, helping to ensure staffing consistency and payroll stability.

Get Qualified Australia has already been working in the B2B space by introducing businesses to the concept of training with RPL. This method aims to reduce training costs by ensuring staff are training on areas where they lack skills & knowledge, and not being trained on areas they are already competent in. Thanks to training with RPL, employees realise boosted morale by receiving a Nationally Recognised Qualification, while employers are able to streamline and standardise skills across the organisation.

RPL, introduced by the Australian Government in the late 1990’s, helps to provide Nationally Recognised Qualifications to individuals who maintain solid work experience that can be proved. By providing work evidence, individuals can achieve a qualification through Get Qualified Australia’s Registered Training Organisation (RTO) partners within weeks, and without stepping foot into a classroom.

For more information on RPL, or training with RPL, visit www.gqaustralia.com.au or call 133 775. For more information on Global Talent Acquisition with Staffing Solutions Australia, visit www.staffingsolutionsaustralia.com.auor call 1300 00 45 44.

Being self-employed involves some uncertainty and risk taking. While it can be tempting to ignore the possible downfalls, it is important that you prepare yourself for the potential hardships.  By understanding all the advantages, disadvantages, and potential risks to your business and finding ways to minimise their impacts, you will be giving your business the best chance of success.

Some of the advantages of being self employed include:

• The opportunity to choose your own hours;
• Independence and freedom to try out new ideas;
• Increased job satisfaction.

The disadvantages of being self-employed as a sole trader or through freelance or consultancy work include:

• Pressure from setting up the business and ensuring it succeeds
• Adhering to legal responsibilities such as tax compliance and National Insurance;
• A lack of free time. You may find yourself working every day as you are not only responsible for selling your product or service you are also in charge of all administration tasks too;
• Money worries. You may have to go a few months without having any earnings as you build up your business. This could even result in needing to take on a part-time job to keep up with your living expenses;
• A lack of holidays, sick pay and company benefits. You won't be covered if you take time off work for any reason as you are solely responsible for earning your living and you will need to pay all of your contributions to a private pension.

Here it is evident that the cons for becoming a business owner outweigh the pros. However, there is a way to turn those negatives into positives. If you contact a management company such as Pendragon, you can alleviate some of the responsibilities associated with owning your own business.  You and the management company can negotiate the tasks in which you would like to outsource. Your company can outsource a variety of administration hassles such as; set up of employee contracts, payroll, banking, accounting, accounts receivable and payable, etc. Relieving yourself of these additional responsibilities will free up time and allow you to find more potential clients, expand your business and become more prominent in your field specialty. 

For more information on how Pendragon can assist your business contact us at info@pendragon.net.au or on 02 9407 8700.

Not looking forward to your next car trip with the kids? Fortunately Kluger is the ultimate family SUV and can combat unruly backseat offspring, or as we like to call them, the Agents of Chaos. Here we introduce Techzilla and Hurl Girl.

Techzilla

This Agent of Chaos is calm if they have their favourite electronic devices on hand, but things turn ugly once the batteries run out. 

Kluger Kryptonite
Kluger has three 12V power outlets that keep hand-held devices going plus Techzilla at bay. And if you ever have to wait for recharging, Kluger’s in-car sound system with touch-screen audio is a great distraction.

Hurl Girl
Perhaps the most feared, this Agent of Chaos can strike at anytime. 

Kluger Kryptonite
If Hurl Girl is showing signs of detonation, quickly operate the power windows or perhaps the moon roof to get as much fresh air inside as possible. If evasive action is too late, you’ll be grateful for little mercies such as removable floor mats and an easy-to-clean interior – especially with the leather-accented seats of the GXL and Grande models.

If you recognise any of these traits in your own Agents of Chaos, choose Kluger for your next family SUV. Toyota has thought of everything to make family travel more pleasant and comfortable, and has equipped Kluger with all the tools that every parent needs. 

For more information on the Toyota Kluger, call us on 8884 4888 or visit us at our showroom, 112 Sunnyholt Rd Blacktown.

Land a better deal at Lander Toyota!

www.landertoyota.com.au

Whether it is a milestone birthday celebration, anniversary or a special event, Novotel Sydney Norwest has a range of rooms available to suit any occasion and budget.

Together with our highly skilled culinary team, we can create specifically tailored function and event packages to suit any request.

Take the stress out of planning when you choose Novotel Sydney Norwest as the perfect venue for your special event. Whatever your vision may be, the dedicated team is on hand throughout the entire journey to ensure your event is one to remember.

CHAMPIONS of the West rewards ordinary people doing extraordinary things in Western Sydney to the tune of $10,000 grants in multiple categories.

The 2015 grants program is expanded this year to acknowledge the achievements of Western Sydney innovators and those making a difference in their community and respective fields.

This year’s categories include small business, education, sport, and the arts.

The Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Telegraph and NewsLocal— together with corporate partnersNAB, NRMA, Crown, UWS, Origin Energy, Harvey Norman, and TAFE WSi — will reward those excelling in their fields.

Are you a Champion of the West? Nominate using the entry form for your chance to win $10,000 for your business, initiative or innovation.

THE CATEGORIES ARE:

Ready to enter? Please have a read of the Terms and Conditions (PDF) and then use the form

Last year’s inaugural winners have each put their grants to great use. It was a five minute meeting with Premier Mike Baird at last year’s award ceremony that turned the Peppertree Cafe and Training’s $10,000 grant into $60,000.

“It has been such a life changer,” program manager Mary Malak said.

“We met the Premier at the awards night and he gave us $50,000 towards our service”.

The cafe offers young unemployed people in the Bankstown area with free training on how to run their own cafe and then the chance of paid employment.

The cafe took out the Employment category with the money used towards opening two new coffee windows allowing for more young people to be trained.

For Liverpool’s Youth Space the win was the kickstart Patricia Hall needed to turn her grant into $150,000 — and counting.

“Not only do we now have enough money to build our basketball court — we are now costing a recreational area and looking at other programs such as tuition and uniforms for the kids,” Ms Hall said.

The Creative Fringe owner Debbie O’Connor just has to literally look around to see where her $10,000 win for Small Business went — into a renovated warehouses and 16 new “hot desks”.

The Creative Fringe offers those who work from home or are faced with a long commute to the office a space from which to work — and not feel so isolated.

With the money, Ms O’Connor said they were able to renovated an existing warehouse to create more work space and increase the number of “hot desks” from five to 16.

John Warby Primary School School principal Ann Kitchin used their $10,000 win to renew the lease on a school bus crucial to ensuring students attend school.

For Natasha Lay and the Friend-2-Friend Youth Mental Health Project she works on, the $10,000 win couldn’t have been put to better use with the money going to essential training of young people.

It has been a massive year for Buffy McDonald and John Eastwood and their team at the Young Adults Disabled Association Inc (YADA).

“We have gone from being in debt for the last four years and finally being in the ‘black’ a little this financial year,” Ms McDonald said.

The organisation won the Environment category for their Liftin’ The Load initiative and thanks to the generosity of businessman Kerry Stokes and Coates Hire they also received a new forklift.

For nurse Naomi Travers her win in the Innovation category means it has helped turn their idea “into a tangible, working prototype — which is a huge milestone”.

Ms Travers through her company Alembra Diagnostics designed a urine collection device to assist with obtaining samples from mentally impaired or aged care patients.

“Now I have something to show nurses, doctors and patients so they can visualise a device that is very different from those currently used for diagnosing urinary tract infections. This is the first of many steps needed to bring a product to market and make a difference in the status quo”.

For youngest winner — martial arts prodigy Ben Camua — life has been one competition to the other. The 12-year-old Young Achiever used his prize money to fund his trip to the World Championships in Azerbaijan and late last year won the Australian Open championships for his age category.

“Our next goal is to get to the Commonwealth Championships in Scotland,” Ben’s mother Janice said.

St.George Bank and BCSG launch MyBusinessConnect  

St.George Bank has today launched MyBusinessConnect, a platform of innovative cloud-based applications handpicked by experts to help small businesses and start-ups run their business more easily and effectively.

MyBusinessConnect is an Australian-first service provided by BCSG, a cloud solutions provider which supports small business clients around the world with expert knowledge and distinctive, beneficial services through a cloud-based platform.

St.George has collaborated with BCSG experts to select four packages of cloud-based applications for its small business and start-up customers. The applications are packed with a wide range of features including time saving tools for managing cash flow, website design options, and protection tools to stay legally complaint and safeguard lost computer files.

Chris Screen, Head of SME Banking at St.George said MyBusinessConnect is geared towards helping small businesses and start-ups run their business more effectively so they have more time to focus on the things that matter most.

“St.George is a huge supporter of small businesses. We work with over 300,000 small businesses locally and understand the daily pressures they face. To help our small business customers grow, we’ve teamed up with BCSG to provide the most compelling start-up proposition in the market place.

“Whether business owners need help to manage their finances, execute a marketing campaign, or develop a business plan – MyBusinessConnect is the solution to help businesses get ahead.

“It’s also available anywhere, anytime, from any device and if our customers need any help along the way, there’s instant access to customer support by phone, webchat and e-mail,” Chris said.

Paul Wenck, Managing Director at BCSG in Australia said BCSG is delighted to be working with St.George on this innovative proposition.

“It is an exciting opportunity to be the first to bring online tools to small businesses in this way in Australia. BCSG are passionate about supporting small businesses to be successful and MyBusinessConnect is a great way for them to access services that really help, at a very competitive price,” Paul said.

Plan, manage, protect and grow with MyBusinessConnect applications

MyBusinessConnect is available online from any device with an internet connection. St.George customers can subscribe to the Manage Finances, Grow Online or Business Protection applications at a discounted rate with up to 70 per cent off RRP.

Customers can find out more at http://www.mybusinessconnect.com.au or by visiting their local St.George branch to watch a demonstration or sign up to MyBusinessConnect.

It’s no secret that social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter can be powerful marketing tools for businesses.  For limited expenditure, you can reach a large number of people instantly, and studies have found that 71% of internet users are more likely to purchase from a brand that they are following on social media*.

So what happens when someone posts something about your product or service that you don't agree with?  Is it okay to respond?

The answer is yes, but as swimwear company, Seafolly and competitor, Madden, recently discovered, there are some important things to keep in mind in terms of your own liability.

Stick with the facts

Do your research before making comments about someone else on Facebook, or any other social media site.  When in doubt, keep your response to a factual account and avoid describing what you think your competitor's state of mind was when they posted. If you get it wrong, they can sue you (even though their comments about you were misleading and deceptive).

Let’s take an example. High end clothing boutique, Company A, asks a Chinese woman eating Chinese take away food, dripping with sauce, not to enter until she finishes eating and wipes her hands.  Competitor, Company X, only hears the words “no Chinese” and posts on its Facebook page: "Company A is being racist because it didn't let a Chinese woman into its shop!".

If Company A retaliates with: "Company X has no idea what it’s talking about and is just being malicious to injure us", you may well be liable for misleading and deceptive conduct.  Why?  If Company X genuinely believed that Company A was being racist, it would not be considered malicious.  It’s safer to simply state the facts: "Company X has misstated what occurred. We asked a lady of Chinese descent to finish her Chinese food before coming into our shop because it might have soiled some of our clothes."

Your ‘personal’ comments

Another tricky one is your personal social media page.  If any of your 'friends' or connections on your personal account are in your industry, statements you make about people or companies may be in trade or commerce.  This means that, liability can arise under the Australian Consumer Law for any misleading or deceptive statements that you or they make - even when that statement is “hidden” amongst other accurate statements.

Finally, remember that once a statement is made on social media, it can spread, quickly!  Usually, the more people exposed to a misleading or deceptive statement, the higher the damages will be.  Similarly, the longer those posts are on the site before removal, the higher the damages.  Even if the party about whom the statement was made does not lose any sales as a result of it, they can still claim damages for loss of reputation.

For more on Seafolly & Madden, search ‘Seafolly’ at www.davies.com.au

Author:

Liz Lawson is a Lawyer with IP specialists, Davies Collison Cave. She specialises in litigation, including actions for patent, trade mark, design and copyright infringement, passing off and misleading and deceptive conduct, as well as contractual disputes. She also advises clients in relation to these actions, on strategies to resolve disputes and negotiates settlements.

© 2014 Davies Collison Cave

Lunar New Year Twilight Festival: 4.30pm - 9.30pm, Friday 20 February, Centenary Square, Parramatta

Centenary Square will be transformed into Lunar Square to celebrate the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese Year of the Sheep and Goat at Parramatta City Council’s free Lunar New Year Twilight Festival on Friday 20 February.

The Square is set to dazzle with an eclectic program across two stages showcasing traditional music and dance alongside a host of contemporary performances, workshops and authentic food stalls.

Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Scott Lloyd, said Lunar New Year is a much loved family event and one of the most revered times of the year for people of Asian background.

“We are proud to showcase Parramatta’s rich cultural diversity and this is a great way for people to celebrate and share in the traditions and culture of our Asian communities,” Cr Lloyd said. 

“2015 marks the Year of the Sheep which is said to bring a calm atmosphere full of creativity and generosity. These themes will be a focus of this year’s festival as we illuminate Centenary Square in the traditional colours of Lunar New Year.

“The Square will come alive with spectacular Chinese dragon and lion dances, traditional Korean drumming and exciting fire crackers and fireworks all set against a canopy of colourful lanterns.

“Our contemporary music program will get you dancing with live performances by electronic acoustic singer-songwriter Rainbow Chan and Australasian pop group AiAiAi. 

“The highlight of the night will be the spectacular performance Impressions of the Silk Road—Dancing in Chang’an by the Yuhualong Art Troupe and the beautiful Chendu Puppetry and Shadow Play Art Theatre, both coming directly from Xi’an Province, China.

“I encourage everyone to come along and experience this exciting cultural celebration in the heart of our City.”

Lunar New Year Twilight Festival Highlights

• Impressions of the Silk Road—Dancing in Chang’an by the Yuhualong Art Troupe and Chendu Puppetry and Shadow Play Art Theatre,  from Xi’an Province China
• Live Korean drumming and traditional Korean dancers performing the colourful fan dance
• AiAiAi (contemporary band playing the music of Taiwanese artist Bai Ann)
• Rainbow Chan (Chinese Australian electronic acoustic singer-songwriter)
• A myriad of local Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean artists sharing traditional music and dance
• Interactive family workshops including Chinese and Korean calligraphy, lantern making and Asian paper folding
• Roving entertainment including Oriental Masks, the God of Fortune and mesmerising puppets
• Gourmet food stalls with delicious cuisine from China, Vietnam, Korea, Mongolia and more
• Pop-up bar selling a variety of refreshing drinks

People are encouraged to attend the event by public transport. Plan your trip by visiting www.transportnsw.info or by calling Transport Info 131 500.

The closest secure parking is at Wentworth St and Horwood Pl car parks.

Parramatta City Council’s Lunar New Year celebrations are presented with the support of Westpac, Ausfeng Group Pty Ltd and TVB (Australia) Pty Ltd.

For further information about the Lunar New Year Twilight Festival visit www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/lny

Novotel Sydney Parramatta has welcomed in the new year with a fresh new look to their conferencing facilities and a new staff member who will complement this transformation. This exciting new member who is full of fresh ideas is experienced Executive Chef, Kiki Kiki, ready to hit the ground running and revamp the Two Forks restaurant and Conferencing offering.

Kiki joins the team with a wealth of knowledge and experience working in hospitality and for the Accor group for over 11 years. Arriving in Australia from Indonesia in 2004, Kiki quickly worked his way up the ranks of the kitchen, starting his career as a kitchen hand at Pompeii in Bondi and gaining experience from various Executive Chefs and his peers. From there, Kiki went on to work for Nick’s Seafood with his strong background in Italian cuisine followed by the revolving restaurant, Summit in Sydney’s CBD to landing a job as Sous Chef in Accor’s Sydney Olympic Park hotels.

Working for Accor, Kiki recognises the training and support he has been provided prepares him for role as Executive Chef, not to mention the opportunity of working overseas and eventually fulfilling his dream of retiring he and his lovely wife with daughter Zoe in Bali, running a resort and restaurant with a relaxing blend of Asian and Western fusion.

Kiki is a kind hearted and bubbly individual who has quickly become part of the team at Novotel. Kiki states that he is only as good as his team though; describing his kitchen team as his other family and that creating a happy work environment allows them to explore and demonstrate their skills in the kitchen and in return learning from each other to work as one unit. When not working Kiki takes the time to cook and provide food for the homeless at Parramatta Mission. This allows him to do what he does best, providing a nutritional and exciting meal for others. 

Kiki and his marvellous team have put together an exciting new Two Forks restaurant menu that is set to launch beginning of February. The stand out and highly rated dishes are set to be the entrée of baby tuna with a delicate anchovy mayo, baby caper, parsley and grissini followed by a main of beef rib eye with fondant potato, confit of cherry tomato and grilled asparagus. Like every great meal, remember to leave room for dessert, a chocolate fondant with sweet cream, pistachio brittle and vanilla ice cream.

Simply call 02 9630 4999 to book your table in our Novotel’s Two Forks Restaurant.