BLOG
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
A few years back, no one has ever imagined that we would be experiencing this tough global crunch that we have today. Every corner of the world has been affected by the pandemic, affecting many industries and economies. It is undeniable that it has also taken a lot of toll on business owners.
To be a better leader – this is the goal this year of James Murray, Founder and Managing Director of Work Healthy Australia. And for him to drive himself forward in achieving this goal, he recognises the value that the mentorship program is offering entrepreneurs like him, who aims for continuous personal and professional growth.
James is thankful to have Steve Sacks, Chairman of Sonnant, as his mentor because of the value that their relationship has brought to James’ professional development. “My journey for my self this year is to become a better leader, which means to become a better listener. Steve has been very helpful. Even if I've only changed 1% or 2%, I attribute a lot of that to some of my conversations with Steve because he's just such a good listener,” James professed.
As the online space and financial world merge more and more and break boundaries, the interest in cryptocurrency is increasing by the minute. People looked into it as a way of boosting their financial resources. As its popularity rises, cryptocurrency has become an option for entrepreneurs to use in their business. How can it be done?
While many cannot still wrap their heads around this new concept, we tapped into the expertise of EO Melbourne Member and Nugget’s News Executive Director Ben Simpson, who shared with us his thoughts on the subject matter.
Setting targets and goals is an important part of keeping a business running. It provides the team with the direction of where the company is heading and allows them to come up with strategies based on the objective set. Looking ahead may include forecasting, which helps gauge if the target is attainable and feasible within the given timeframe and resources on hand.
Entrepreneurs prepare for the future by looking at trends and coming up with a prognosis of what is to happen. EO Members share how they keep themselves updated on the latest trend in their industry.
When we talk about entrepreneurship, the first thing that comes to mind is starting a company from a garage. However, there are various ways towards a successful business journey, and one of these paths is entrepreneurship by acquisition. Top-level universities and business schools like the Harvard Business School, Columbia University, The University of Chicago, and Duke University, among many others, even offer Entrepreneurship by Acquisition in their curricula.
The year 2020 may be one of the most challenging times that everyone, including entrepreneurs, has experienced. Despite the hardships we experienced due to COVID-19 that has disrupted many lives, the hurdles and struggles have also brought us a lot of lessons and learnings, especially to business owners who have to survive for their teams, families, customers and other stakeholders.
EO Members share the biggest lesson they learned from the previous year, with the hope of taking their learnings with them as they move forward in their entrepreneurial journey.
In retrospect to the year 2020 and how it has become one of the most challenging years in modern times, EO Melbourne Past President Kym Huynh recalls how it has affected the chapter and highlights the lessons that the experience has brought to him.
“Think of that one thing that when you achieve it, will make you want to jump up on the table, pop open a bottle of champagne, and start dancing.” This was the picture that Kym painted when he wanted people to consider what needed to happen for the 2019/2020 year to their best year it. It also coincidently happened to be the EO Melbourne’s 2019/2020 theme.
As we leave 2020 and all its challenges behind, it is but apt to make 2021 a year where we level up our lives and set our minds to accomplish the things we want to achieve. Often, the big question is: where do we start? The “how” can be quite daunting.
To help entrepreneurs achieve their full potential and enable transformational growth in the lives of its members, EO Melbourne recently held the virtual workshop “Level Up Your Life” where OAK Journal Founder and EO Colorado Member Keith Roberts shared the tools, structure and habits
to reach one’s limitless potential through its 90-day structured OAK Journal.
A great way to start the new year is to take inspiration from entrepreneurs who have faced so many challenges and made through them through their passion and determination. Whether it’s a little push to keep you going, a new idea that you can bring to your journey or a thought that will let you take a giant leap, these nuggets of wisdom will help guide you moving forward.
By Tui Cordemans
Instagram posts are full of inspiring optimism for 2021. We just couldn’t wait for 2020 to end and for 2021 to start. It is as if something magical happens when one year turns into another. Hence, we make New Year’s resolutions. But why do we have to wait for a New Year? I don’t know about you, but I have never had a New Year’s resolution come to fruition unless I have worked hard at making it happen. Things do not magically transpire just because one year turns into another.
Hobbies can help an individual learn new things, acquire additional knowledge, declutter the mind, bond with people who share the same interest, and warm the heart. Hobbies are beneficial to the physical, mental and emotional well-being of a person, especially to entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Intriguingly, some entrepreneurs have quirky hobbies that show us their fun side that we do not get to see most often. EO Melbourne members share their interests when they’re not on their laptops immersed in their business.
Due to restrictions on physical movements to contain the spread of COVID-19, more and more activities and transactions have moved from the physical space into the virtual space. As online transactions flourish and become more widespread, the threat to cybersecurity and privacy also becomes more prevalent.
Small and medium enterprises are not exempt from such risks and probable attacks. Concerns like these are what Adam Bennett and his team in Red Piranha are trying to address. They are white hat hackers, also known as ethical hackers, who are the good guys that break into computers and devices to test an organisation’s defence against the bad guys.
Being a leader often requires one to wear several hats, portray different roles and attend to so many responsibilities. Having the right skills and qualities can help leaders to lead their team towards their goals. Johann Odou, Founder and Director of Vumero and Executive Director of Sports Tech World Series shares the three most valuable traits he believes are needed in leading people successfully.
Effective business leaders are those who can steer their companies and teams towards the road to success. As the path may often be filled with potholes and uphill climbs, it is advantageous if those who drive their organisations forward possess the right values and characteristics that can help them reach their goals successfully at the least possible time.
Jacob Spencer, Owner and Managing Director of Mobile Skips, cites the various virtues that he finds useful when leading a team. Among them, he names three qualities – persistence, patience and resilience – as the most significant in shaping him to become who he is today. He shared, “There are many, many traits and attributes that have helped me on my journey as a business leader. On reflection, I believe these three have been the most important and have had the biggest impact on me.”
Raising capital for a new venture can be quite daunting at this time when a global crisis has affected many lives, including businesses, markets and economies. The present situation may be quite disheartening for those who want to take their first step into their entrepreneurial journey or those with businesses who want to open a startup.
However, there may be a spark of hope as CloudOlive Co-Founder and Co-CEO Adam Ross shared, through a virtual event with EO Melbourne, his valuable experience and the lessons he learned from launching a Venture Capital-backed startup during a pandemic. Adam is now pitching for round 2 of raising capital, using the lessons he learned from round 1.
“The more I practice, the luckier I get.” – Gary Player
This inspiring quote from golf legend Gary Player has taught Canopy Fitouts Managing Director Karl Simity about the need to work hard to be able to succeed in one’s endeavours. “Creating space that is perfectly fit for the user is what drives me. Sometimes there can be multiple roadblocks to creating a space that suits. However, finding the perfect solution is what I pride myself on,” he declared.
Melbourne has endured one of the strictest and longest lockdowns in the world with stage 4 restrictions imposed since early August. There have been huge impacts on businesses, personal lives, and people’s general mental well-being. As restrictions have started to ease, the chapter turned to experts Joe Pane and Katerina Papamarkou to know how to readjust to life after lockdown.
Ideas are necessary for every business, whether it’s for product development, administrative matters, management or marketing. Having a safe environment and doing healthy exercises can cultivate concepts into creative outputs are significant to a business venture.
Brainstorming is one way to collect, bring together, sift through and improve on all the creative thoughts our team members may have. The question is: how do we do it efficiently? Premier Technology Solutions Pty Ltd CEO Matthew Beesley shares with us his experience and tips on how to conduct brainstorming effectively.
EO Melbourne has been into the topic and some members have shared their thoughts and tips through the article “We asked the question: As an entrepreneur, how do you practice diversity and inclusion in the workplace?” This time, the chapter invited Dr Emma Fulu, Founder and Director of The Equality Institute, and Hannah Kassay, a refugee who came to Australia 17 years ago from Eritrea, to shed more light on this issue as they shared their experiences and thoughts on how we, as a society, can do better.
Entrepreneurial insights flourish from experiences, resources, education and learning events. Yet, some of the lessons that business owners now carry in their entrepreneurial journeys may often be traced from childhood. Some develop their skills and knack for business since their early years, whether it’s through their family or their self-learning.
Founder and Director of Graman Advisory and Executive Director of Clark Rubber Graeme Goldman looks back to his early years and realised the gem of lessons he got during those times.
