I recently attended the Business Women Australia Impact Education Success Circle “Team Engagement for Greater Growth” presented by Suzzanne Laidlaw in Perth.  I returned to my office with some great ideas on how to engage with my team to provide a fun and enjoyable working environment for the team which will encourage them to assist in growing our business.  A very pleasant way to spend a lunch time meeting with interesting business women in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Janie Quinn – Thornton Business Advisors

 

Business Women Australia was a wonderful network of support when I sought to grow my publishing company in 2015.

I approached Jennifer Bryant, new to Perth, and she immediately introduced me to businesswomen seeking my skills. Fast forward two and a half years, and it has been an incredible journey of working with talented, energetic and passionate women.

BWA is about what you can give, building a spirited community of business people who connect at a level that continues to inspire.

Clare McAlaney
Creatavision

 

BWA caught up with premium member, Colleen Maguire who has been one of ENJO’s top performing sales managers since starting with the company in 1999.  We asked Colleen about the importance of trust, her passion for work, and approach to generating sales.

 

BWA: How important is gaining TRUST in business?

Colleen: Having spent nearly two decades in sales and studying personalities, I have developed an uncanny ability to morph into customers’ lives and gain a deep understanding of THEIR needs.  I have found that by listening and solving their problems, without judging, is the best way to gain trust.  I regard it as a privilege to be invited into people’s homes, meeting their family, friends, acquaintances – hearing about how they live and what is important to them.  When you are asked into a home, you are in a special, private space.  Being trusted in this way is a real honour and you need to protect and build on this trust.

 

BWA: What problems do your clients want help with? 

Colleen:  My clients come to me for the knowledge I have gained over my ENJO career regarding the health impacts that cleaning chemicals have on people and the environment they live and work in.  I am inspired every day to make a difference and help improve people’s wellbeing. Everyone wants to know how to have a clean and healthy home, free of toxic chemicals.  Our awareness of these issues has grown a lot in the last 10 years.

 

BWA: What are some of the situations you have come across in your work?

Colleen:  I have seen it all and like to advise my clients how to prevent unsafe environments.  For example, there have been instances where children have sprayed their siblings with cleaning chemicals left in the bathroom, damaging their eyes. It is not just humans that deserve a toxic free environment either. Pets often having allergic reactions from what is used to clean the floors. I have seen pet fish dying due to benches being sprayed with cleaners too.

New homes can be a problem. There are common occurrences of having chemical damage within a short space of time so I like to provide advice on how to avoid this.

It’s important to avoid the harsh products that are often used in homes. One client I had damaged her lungs by using bleach-based caustic products to clean the shower, while she was showering. This happens more often than you’d expect and can be easily avoided by using beautiful, non-toxic ENJO cleaning products.

 

BWA:  Do you reckon it is the combination of passion and trust building that’s the formula for being good at sales?

Colleen: I expect that is key. Understand you are a problem solver first. I am driven by the fact that most people do things for the right reason however it is not always the right thing to do.  It is important to gain the trust of a potential customer by listening and providing advice, long before trying to sell them a product. Remember that not everyone is an “Instant Convincer.” Most people take 2-4 times of hearing information before they try a new approach or test out a different product. But, people do listen and they do remember what you say!

 

BWA:  You are a real advocate for direct selling and love representing ENJO.

Colleen:  I sure am. I am very passionate about “Sharing the Business”.  Direct Selling is a great vehicle for anyone who wants to work their own hours and set their own income.  It gives you the opportunity to be your own boss and suits those who want freedom and flexibility. If you are consistent, have the discipline to stay focused and can build the trust, you will do well!

 

ABOUT COLLEEN MAGUIRE

Colleen is a premium member of Business Women Australia and has represented ENJO since 1999. Her impressive experience in the role saw her building a team and receiving multiple awards including ‘Outstanding Customer Care,’ ‘Top Recruiter in Australia’ and ‘ENJOpreneur in Australia”, Top Team in Australia, Top Team Manager in Australia, Top Senior Manager in Australia and Manager with the highest percentage of members qualifying for a Summit in Singapore. At the height of her career, Colleen’s team of 65 averaged $1,000,000 pa turnover for 5 years.  That’s remarkable!  More about Colleen HERE.

 

JOIN US AT THE AUGUST BUNBURY SUCCESS CIRCLE

Join the conversation on the “Business of Trust – Building Valuable Relationships” and hear the insights and advice from our panel at the Business Women Australia Bunbury Circle with Nichola Caddy (BCA Debt), Colleen Maguire (ENJO) and Tracey Loubser (The Queen of Cashflow).  At Mojo’s  on 24th August 2017 @ 9:15 AM – 11:30 AM.  Tickets HERE.

 

In the lead up to the August Leederville Circle where the Queen of Cashflow will be sharing her business tips, we caught up with Tracey Loubser to get an insight into her background and what’s in store for her presentation …

 

Nearly 10 years ago, after a 5-year stint with Deloitte’s, and a brief stint in corporate, Tracey Loubser made the conscious decision to NOT be a normal “grey-suit” accountant, who rambles on about boring tax stuff.  Instead she made the leap to follow her passion and became a “let’s-get-this-business-achieving-its-potential-and-make-more-profit” accountant.  After achieving great results for many SME’s, she is now known as The Queen of Cash Flow!

 

You can tap into Tracey’s expertise at the Leederville Success Circle on 16th August.

 

BWA:  How well are SME’s in Australia tracking?

 

Tracey:  Well my experience is that those who get to know the numbers in the business do a lot better.  Stats tell us that over 76.2% of these business owners feel confident and believe there are opportunities for growth.  Yet, we also know that more than half feel stressed when talking about the numbers and 74% struggle to plan for growth.   In fact, the stats are saying that as many as 77% do not even have a detailed plan for such growth.

 

BWA: What should business owners be doing about improving the money side of their business?

 

Tracey: I believe all business owners need to do to get on top of their planning and work on understanding the numbers so they feel more confident in their decisions.  You need to consider who to include in your team to guarantee more “FUN” money.  I have also found there are common problems that SME businesses make about FINANCE and there are some simple steps they can implement to make a real difference to the bottom line and see growth in profits.  If you are keen to know more, join me at the Leederville Success Circle on 16th August at 9.15am for my business tips on “How to keep and make more money in your business.”

 

BOOK HERE

 

Tracey has been recognised among her community as a leader in her field by Winning the:

2016 Peel Chamber Hall of Fame award (one of only 2 recipients)
2015 Australian Accounting awards – Top 8 Thought Leader
2015 Finalist SBDC WA Regional Small Business Award – Best Home-Based Business
2014 SBDC WA Regional Small Business Award – Best Home-Based Business
2013 & 2014 & 2015 Alcoa Peel Excellence Awards – Home Based Business
2014 RKCC Telstra Regional Business Awards – Owner Operator.

 

Register HERE for the Leederville Success Circle, 16TH August, to hear Tracey’s tips on keeping and making more money in your business.

More about Tracey Loubser HERE

 

 

 

 

If we asked you about money and numbers, what would your natural reaction be?

Yay – love it – ask me some more!!!

Or would we get a lip curl to accompany that eye roll? (And NO, these are NOT beauty treatments ladies, but the almost standard response we get from perfectly intelligent, perfectly serious business owners!)

If you say “I don’t do numbers” or “I don’t like the money side of my business” that’s like not putting oil in your car and expecting 

it to run perfectly.  What if you could unlock your financial potential for life and collaborate with your accountant?

If you are not naturally a numbers person, you have to find an accountant who you can relate to, and who takes an interest in the bigger picture that goes beyond your business – you.

 

You need to find a good accountant who dares to understand that you have a dream, a life and plans that extend beyond your work.

Meet Angela Fritzsch MD at Integra Business Accountants and Premium member of Business Women Australia.  Angela is an accountant who thinks outside the box and takes a real interest in her clients.  She confesses to not always being a numbers girl, so she understands why so many business owners avoid the financials and keep doing what they know best and being busy working in the business.  Ang is known for her delightful sense of humour, generous spirit and ability to make the numbers easy to undersatnd. She is an entertaining presenter and she knows how to kick financial butt.

Angela is happy for you to pick her brains and will help you identify the questions your accountant should be asking you and vice versa.  You will find the contact details for the fabulous Angela Fritzsch on our members Directory.

Having coached many businesses over the past decade, Suzzanne Laidlaw has seen many challenges that small to medium sized businesses face. It is very apparent that without a fully engaged and focussed team, businesses simply cannot thrive.

Focusing solely on the development of an organisation’s leaders is not the key to a winning culture or business success.  Successful organisations have engaged team members who work effectively together which creates happier, more resilient workplaces and in turn leads to increased profits. Without team contribution, overall business goals cannot be reached and the soul of the business is lost.

By focusing more attention on the development of staff, encouraging collaborative sharing and inclusive workplace participation, team members grow together as a united force.  By allowing employees more flexibility to make their own decisions, productivity and loyalty is increased and collective behaviours are changed.  Suzzanne Laidlaw comments, “So often I see business owners, CEO and  Executives running around in circles trying to get their hands on everything. If only they spent more time with their team, building up their trust and knowledge of what potential lies within them all, then they would not need to get involved with every micro detail. The outcome being that everything  runs more smoothly because the team is working at a deeper level in all areas.”

Richard Maloney, specialist engagement expert and author of ‘The Minds of Winning Teams – Creating Team Success Through Engagement & Culture’ demonstrates this method through his ground-breaking Engage & Grow program, which is neurologically proven to transform disengaged employees into fully functional leaders.

Says Richard, “The world is in the midst of an employee engagement crisis, with serious and potentially lasting repercussions for the global economy. In a recent Gallup poll, it was revealed that only 13% of the world’s employees are engaged at work.”

To change these alarming statistics, traditions need to be altered.  Employer and employee fulfilment can be readily achieved through team engagement, allowing exponential growth for true business success.

Suzzanne is presenting on the topic of Team Engagement for Greater Growth at our Perth Success Circle, August 2 2017. BOOK NOW