Management Blog

Most Aussies businesses haven't planned for the worst: study

A recent Telstra-funded study has found 52 per cent of Australian businesses haven't considered the development of a disaster plan, The Age reports.

No business owner or manager wants to spend their time thinking about an impending disaster, but the article makes a good case for taking time out to plan ahead for worst-case scenarios.

And with a multitude of natural disasters from fires to floods hitting the country SME owners are reminded they often have more to lose from the unexpected than larger, multi-site organisations.

Hitachi Data Systems chief technologist Simon Elisha says the first step towards creating a disaster plan is to look at ways to ensure the longevity of the company; from this point it’s suggested businesses focus on a highly organised approach to backing-up data.

A smart tip that can help your business avoid a post-disaster nightmare is to test information that has been backed-up to ensure the system is working and that information can be fully restored.

Universal mobile phone charger unveiled

Having to wander desperately around the office to find someone with a charger that fits your mobile phone could soon be a distant memory with the impending introduction of a universal charger.

According to The Australian, the world’s largest phone manufacturers have agreed to develop a charger that will work on millions of different handsets.

Apple, Motorola and Samsung are some of the 10 companies involved in the project, which will see single chargers unveiled next year.

According to telecommunications analyst Ernest Doku, the manufacturers’ decision is a small move that will have a big benefit for mobile phone users.

But the universal charger won’t just deliver on convenience; it also has the potential to have a positive impact on the environment.

Networking tips for shy professionals

Are some people born networkers?

A recent New York Times article answers this question by suggesting everyone has the potential to master the art of networking, even the shyest of professionals.

To help bring out your inner networker the following tips are provided:

1. Chill out – don’t feel that networking has to be all about approaching strangers, start off by seeking out familiar faces and kick-start the process by building relationships with acquaintances
2. Think about strategy – have a plan that takes into account what you want to achieve from your networking pursuits and who you ideally want to meet
3. Avoid the hard sell – remember that networking is not about pitching a product or service, it’s about getting to know people
4. Be prepared – before a face-to-face event prepare a list of questions for people you are likely to encounter; relevant questions are always a good ice-breaker
5. Evaluate yourself – after a networking experience think about your performance analytically to determine what is working for you and what isn’t

Introducing pay-what-you-want advertising

An American advertising agency is offering clients the opportunity to ‘pay what they want’ for creative services, Springwise reports.

According to the article, Agency Nil is in a position to make this happen by employing recent graduates and advertising professionals who are in-between jobs.

Clients submit a work request to Agency Nil and in return receive creative by deadline. The big difference is that it’s up to the client to decide what the work is worth.

The only fees agreed upon up-front are travel, proprietary research tools and production costs.

To date the people behind Agency Nil say they haven’t had a client that has decided to pay nothing, and if one did it is unlikely they would do work for them again.

You’ve got to give it to Agency Nil for wanting to break the mould. Could this be end of advertising fees as the business world knows them or is the innovation an unsustainable recession gimmick?

Hard work can make for a happy marriage: survey

New research suggests men who work long hours are no more likely to divorce than those who stick to the nine-to-five regime, The Australian reports.

In fact, the Melbourne Institute survey found the optimal working arrangement is one in which the man works between 41 and 49 hours a week. 

Researchers believe one possible explanation is that the extra money brought into the relationship thanks to working longer hours has the potential to keep couples together. 

In addition to its marital status findings, the report suggests there was an impressive increase in household wealth creation in Australia between 2002 and 2006.

It’s claimed domestic income rose by 35 per cent over this ‘golden period’.

Older workers 'envy' Gen-Y: study

Members of Generation Y are no more demanding than previous generations and could be missing out on jobs as a result of generational envy, a new study has found.

Research by the UK's Ashridge Business School argues Generation Y members have been the victims of largely media-driven claims that they are difficult, management-issues reports.

It's suggested envy might be behind this image problem, with older generations projecting a degree of jealously over how the youth of today acts and what they are permitted to get away with.

Contrary to popular belief, the study claims Generation Y members are hard working, ambitious and motivated.

Researchers also suggest the demographic grouping has a strong desire to learn, preferably through digital channels.

Has Generation Y been hardly done by? Are you secretly jealous?

How Twitter is changing business

Hillary Clinton might not know or care about the difference between Twitter and a tweeter, but the rest of the world appears to be increasingly curious about microblogging.

But while it's easy to see how people might enjoy sharing tidbits about their personal lives, just how does this fervor for social media messaging translate to the business world?

In a recent investigation into the topic Time magazine says Twitter is set to change American business in 10 ways. In summary, here are a few of the identified game-changers:

• Hyper-local marketing - an inexpensive way for small businesses to connect with customers and communicate new products, offers and discounts
• Market research - keeping an eye on what consumers say about your product or service via microblogging takes the time and expense out of the feedback process
• Twit-pay - systems that connect Twitter to bank accounts are being developed to facilitate a quick means of paying for goods and services
• Turning old into new - rather than competing with old media, it's claimed Twitter is providing broadcasters and newspapers with an vital new content channel

Trend watch: Random acts of kindness

The Hyatt hotel chain in the US has launched a new benefit for members of its Gold Passport loyalty program - the provision of random acts of kindness, Springwise reports.

The idea is to spoil hotel guests with pleasant surprises during their stay with gestures such as paying for bar tabs, complementary messages or breakfast treats.

Turkish credit card company Wings has also launched a plan to add a little kindness to its offering. It has partnered with restaurants in Istanbul to foot the bill for random diners who use their Wings card.   

Springwise says the giveaway movement is indicative of a corporate generosity trend that's emerging to win back the patronage of disillusioned consumers.

The trend also reflects the 'freeconomics' paradigm, but is random generosity here to stay or just a recession gimmick?

CSR via mobile phone

The Canadian not-for-profit Mobile Movement is taking the process of community program mentoring for developing countries to a whole new level of accessibility.

According to Springwise, the organisation has recently been established to connect entrepreneurs in the developing world with mentors in the wealthy countries via mobile phone.

The mobile phone channel was adopted to communicate with young social entrepreneurs who may not have readily available access to a computer.

The approach offers, for example, farmers the opportunity to text message or email their mentors for advice at any time of day, or craft-markers the ability to send photos to designers for guidance.

Mobile Movement's first project is taking place in Kenya with 15 youth groups from impoverished areas working on schooling and agricultural programs with guidance from mentors in North America.

Ignore everybody and get creative

Creativity isn't a gift some of us have and other don't.

It's a talent that everyone has to some degree, and one that can be nurtured to flourish and grow, according to the new book Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod.

A glowing 800ceoread review says the book offers a number of insights into how new ideas emerge and how to make a living as a creative worker.

A couple of the noteworthy tips showcased in the review include:

• "Selling out is harder than it looks. Diluting your product to make it more commercial will just make people like it less."
• "If your plan depends on you suddenly being a discovered by some big shot, your plan will probably fail. Nobody suddenly discovers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain."
• "The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours. The sovereignty you have over your work will inspire far more people than the actual content ever will."

Potential readers are warned the book might not be for everyone with some pages featuring cartoons that are more blunt and profane than they are warm and fuzzy.

For a taste of MacLeod's vision, check out gapingvoid.