Put Personal Health at the Top of Your Business To-Do List

The Sydney Hills Business Chamber’s theme for November is ‘health and well-being’. We think it’s a pretty important topic and both our November events – the Business Breakfast and After 5 Business Networking event – will focus on this theme.

Small business owners are notorious for working long hours. They often ignore the accumulating effects of stress as they wear multiple hats and tackle the many challenges of running a business. But putting your own well-being low down on the priority list isn't good for you or your business – it’s likely to reduce your productivity and creativity, and may well be making it less likely you’ll grow past the current challenges. Here are some new ways to look at your own well-being.

Mind over matter

No, we don’t mean you should think positive thoughts and all your challenges will melt away! But your mental health should be high on your priority list. Constant stress can make thinking and remembering things more difficult, and leave you prone to making mistakes that will cost time or money, and perpetuate the situation. It doesn't do much for your creativity either – and it takes creativity to come up with new ideas and solutions.

No matter how much work you have to get through it’s important to take breaks during the day, and be able to switch off when the working day is done. Not everyone finds this easy. You may need to create some new habits like spending an hour a day reading, gardening, playing with your kids, or engrossed in some other happy activity that isn't work related.

Physical well-being

Would you get more done in your business if you were in top shape physically? Working long hours can lead to all sorts of unhealthy habits that impact on physical well-being. Making poor food choices because you have limited time can lead to an unhealthy heart, obesity, lowered immunity and more. Sitting for hours at the computer day in and day out can affect your posture, muscles, circulation, and overall fitness, and put you at risk of serious health issues.

Putting yourself first could benefit your business

Imagine how much more you could achieve if you felt energetic and mentally fresh every day – if you arrived at work each day with the same enthusiasm you did when you first began! It might be difficult to envision that happening however, if you re-order your priority list and put personal health and well-being at the top, you might be surprised at how quickly your outlook and energy begins to improve. And if you do need a break from the day to day grind, consider coming along to one of our enjoyable business events in November!

Rod Matthews on Problem Solving in Business

Have you ever wondered why solving problems in your business seems to become increasingly difficult as the business grows? Perhaps you’re even wondering if it’s you – that you’re getting older, or that the long hours are taking their toll and reducing your problem solving capabilities. Well, according to Rod Matthews, that might not be the case at all. In fact, Rod points out that palaeontologists, archaeologists and economists all tell us that life moves toward a greater degree of complexity – and he believes the same is true of our path in business.

As the problems we need to solve in the business become more complex, we need to change our thinking to deal with them. Rod has identified three mistakes business owners commonly make during the problem solving process. 

• We look for a solution to the problem instead of thinking about the desired outcome.
• We don’t have enough information about the issues at hand.
• We expect things to go according to plan.

At a recent free introductory seminar Rod neatly demonstrated to attendees, with an exercise involving toothpicks and squares, just how difficult it really is to 'think outside the square' of our existing familiar patterns and perceptions. A few of us who'd previously completed the brain teaser were no better off than those who hadn't - we'd forgotten the solution, despite it seeming so very obvious and logical when we'd previously been shown the possible resolutions!

To find out more about effective problem solving in your business, you might like to read Rod’s interesting article 3Mistakes Business Owners Make When Solving Problems. 

Small Business Summit Wrap Up

Feedback so far suggests the 8 October Small Business Summit was quite an eye opener for many small business owners. Futurist Craig Rispin certainly had the audience’s attention as he demonstrated what business owners can already do with mobile technology – or rather could do, he suggested, if most weren't limiting their use of mobile to updating Facebook and playing Angry Birds!

Next Craig took us into a Star Trek like future where chips and biosensors will make illness diagnosis by mobile phone a reality - a future that may be as little as 3 years away. Many minds were boggled!

All this connection is very disconnecting

One very interesting concept that Craig discussed was the social fallout from the abundance of mobile technology. The more ‘connected’ we become in regard to technology, the less connected we can become with people, physically and emotionally. Many businesses now operate online, with communication largely limited to websites and email. Parents and kids that once discussed the day’s events at home in the evening are no longer quite so focussed on each other - parents are taking mobile calls and kids are playing games and checking out social media on their own devices.

You’d think this is all a very bad omen for businesses that rely on face to face contact, but Craig Rispin says that’s not necessarily so.  In fact the trend is likely to leave many craving more personal attention. Businesses that provide outstanding personalised customer service are likely to stand out and thrive in a technology obsessed world because the value of personal human to human connection will increase. It stands to reason that personal connections such as those made through business networking, will also increase in value.

Changing infrastructure and trends in Western Sydney

Craig’s keynote speech was followed by two panel discussions that gave some great insights on how growth and development will change the face of Western Sydney in the next few years, and the opportunities and challenges that changing infrastructure, social trends and technology will bring.

Panellists included Small Business Commissioner Robyn Hobbs,  Marketing Angel’s Michelle Gamble, developer Steve Grant from Capital Corporation, Western Sydney icon Lyall Gorman, Danny Rezek of Deloitte, Suzy Jacobs from She Business, UWS Vice Chancellor Barney Glover, Tom Gellibrand from NSW Planning, Michael Wilkins of News Local, and Anthony Moss of Lead Your Industry. 

Red Balloon and the customer experience

For the event finale Naomi Simson, founder of Red Balloon, shared her experience of starting a small business from home and transforming it into a sizeable enterprise. Her focus on providing enjoyable experiences for both customers and Red Balloon employees was inspirational. It was also a great example of a business that is already thriving by providing highly personalised customer experiences and making people feel just a bit more human.

All up it was an information packed morning and it’s likely that everyone present (at least everyone except Craig Rispin) discovered something new and left with an idea or two for their own business.

An Interview with Lyall Gorman

In the lead up to the 8 October Small Business Summit Greater Western Sydney, our Chairman Tony Eades interviewed Lyall Gorman (Western Wanderers) about the future of Western Sydney and the upcoming Summit. You can book tickets to the Summit until Tuesday morning (6 Oct) here.

Great Book Bonus for Summit Attendees!

Going to the Summit? In news announced today keynote speakers will both be giving away books to Small Business Summit attendees. You’ll receive a copy of Naomi’s popular book, The Little Red Book of Happy, and Craig Rispin’s eBook How to Think Like a Futurist. And one lucky attendee will win $6000 worth of mentoring with Craig. 

With tickets only $132 or two for $198, that really is a bonus!

If you haven’t booked yet, do it now – bookings close on Tuesday morning!

Naomi Simson is the closing keynote speaker at the Small Business Summit Greater Western Sydney on the morning of 8 October 2014. Yesterday, Chamber Chairman Tony Eades interviewed Naomi on People Alive 95.9 about business success and attending the Summit. If you've only just heard about the Summit and the great line up of speakers and panellists, all happening right here in Norwest Business Park, check out the Summit details.

Become Part of the Voice for Western Sydney at the Small Business Summit

Haven’t booked your ticket to the Small Business Summit yet? The Summit event offers an unprecedented opportunity to business owners in Western Sydney.  It’s time to come together, discuss what we want and then put OUR collective views to government as to what we think should occur in Western Sydney.

This event is working in conjunction with News and the Fair go For the West Campaign, The Western Sydney Business Connection, all 20 + Greater Western Sydney Business Chambers from Burwood to Katoomba, Camden, the Hawkesbury and the Northwest of Sydney, major network groups like Business Network International, Success Women’s Network, She Business, UWS Small Business Support and of course the BECs.

In addition to this we are working with a number of Local Government areas and have invited representatives from all WSROC Councils, as well as all sitting State & federal MPs from all sides of politics to this year’s Summit to hear what’s on our mind.

Apart from the incredible line up of speakers and panellists including Naomi Simson, Craig Rispin, Lyall Gorman, Michele Gamble, Small Business Commissioner Robyn Hobbs and more, and of course, the great networking opportunity it presents, there are a number of key actions that will flow from the Summit.

Major Announcements at the Summit

• Business, networking & support groups collaborating together with Local Government
• A new Mastermind Group to be unveiled at the event - from Western Sydney for Western Sydney
• Plus two other key announcements - but you have to be at the Summit to hear them!

ONLY 5 BUSINESS DAYS TO GO UNTIL THE SUMMIT

LAST WEEK SPECIAL: If you buy 2 tickets, you'll pay only $198 in total

BOOK NOW VIA EVENTBRITE!