MENTORED BLOG

Time is what we crave, it's our most valuable resource, but we inevitably waste it. When it comes to improving your time management, a key step is auditing yourself to find out how you really spend your day. The first step is to keep track of a full week of work, either manually by making diary entries or using apps like 'Rescue Time' or 'Toggl'. These are great tools to help you keep a register of every step of your day, compiling your week [...]

The Mentor Mark Bouris is getting to know hard working Australian business owners, by going in and finding out what it is really like to be in business. On this episode, Mark meets Jane from Floreat, who's been running her floral business for over seven years. Jane battled with cancer this past year, she continued to run her business, training her loyal staff to be able to fill in the gaps when Jane couldn't be there. This is a truly inspiring story. [...]

Late payment of invoices can have devastating impacts on small businesses and can dramatically impact on the growth of the local business community. A report  by accounting software company Xero revealed that in 2019, an estimated $115 billion in payments from large businesses to SMBs were paid late. Over 10 million invoices were used to analyse payment patterns, revealing that between July 2017 to July 2018, small businesses had to chase nearly 53% of invoices due to be paid by large businesses. On [...]

Have you ever held a hackathon with everyone in your business? Hackathons provide an amazing opportunity for businesses to innovate, create and strategise. Finding a date and time for creative problem solving and innovation is such a powerful tool under utilised by SMEs. As a business owner, set half a day to a day, where you allow a group of people in your business to come up with new ideas that could benefit your business in the long run. Try not to [...]

People often compare starting up a small business to taking a leap into the unknown – or diving off a high platform without learning to swim – but realistically, if you look at the statistics, it’s more like running flat out into a brick wall. Failure isn’t guaranteed, of course, because if it was the world of business and entrepreneurship really would be dead, but it’s pretty bloody likely for a lot of people. Almost 70,000 new businesses and start-ups bounce out of [...]

When it comes to the virtues you need in business, respect is critical, but it can be taken for granted. It's often not until we are disrespected that we recognise the importance of holding it in high regard. Being respectful not just to staff, but to all stakeholders brings out the best in them, so that they can give their best to your business. Listen to Mark Bouris discuss why respect is central to giving your business the edge. Do you want [...]

Mark Bouris chats to local business owners about the hidden impact delivery companies have on small businesses. Many don't realise that delivery services and apps charge a restaurant roughly 30% of the listed price of a product to deliver food. For example, if you sell a Wrap for $10, the delivery company would take $3 as a fee for delivering your food. However, the delivery companies prevent you from increasing your price of the Wrap to "cover" the cost of the delivery [...]

The One Question I Ask of All Interviewees You might think you get to a certain point in your professional life when job interviews somehow cease to matter, but that’s bullshit. Because what is a job interview if not an opportunity to sell yourself? And I can tell you there’s never a moment when you can afford to stop doing that. And it just so happens that I know a thing or two about tough interviews, both giving them and being on the receiving [...]