Issue 6 - Chasing The Dream! Magazine

MAGAZINE
ISSUE 6
From running a cafe to
selling vacuums and
changing their accountants.
It’s been a busy 10 years for Gary &
Wendy Rea (Godfreys, Warrnambool)
Chasers Getting Results
Program is open for 2022.
Book a free call to find out more
Chris Beks, Founder talks
about the importance
of your business image
and gives you some great
tips on how to get free
publicity for your business
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WHAT’S INSIDE
4
Welcome Message
From Chris Beks
18
Education: How
To Write A Press
Release
CONTENTS
6
Education: Customer
Advisory Board
(CAB): Look At Your
Business With A
Different Set Of Eyes
20
Featured Story:
Gary & Wendy
Rea - Godfreys
Warrnambool
10
Tech
Education:
Maximising No-Cost
Public Relations
Opportunities
24
Time
12
Chasers
Education: When
Was The Last Time
You Took A Picture Of
Your Business?
26
Chuckles
14
Education: What
28
Does Your Website
Ceebeks
Have To Say About
Your Image?
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W
lcome to the second edition of the
New Financial Year, the 6th edition
of our quarterly publication that was
first released in 2020 and the last one for 2021.
For those of you new to Ceebeks Business Solutions
or to our Chasing the Dream business community,
‘Chasing the Dream! - The Magazine’ was released as
a celebration of our 30th Anniversary of chasing our
dreams and helping business owners achieve theirs in
which we promote ideas, share what we’re up to, and
highlight and focus on successful ‘Chasers’ who have
been part of our journey together.
Photographs can also give us a frozen
moment in time that will bring back memories
and feelings every time you see it - in much
the same way a positive or negative image
of a business will stay with a consumer long
after they’ve had the experience.
WELCOME MESSAGE
From Chris Beks
This magazine is a National Award winner too,
collecting ‘The Marketing Program of the Year’ award
at the 2021 Australian Accounting Awards in Sydney
in June 2021. It was recognised for its innovative use
of technology as the first digital magazine in the South
West to be viewed on any mobile device in the same
way other content is viewed by scrolling or swiping.
As business starts to emerge from the restraints of
lockdown and move to more freedom within which
to operate, now is a good time to have a look at our
business image and the way our customers view and
perceive us before we get too busy!
An image can tell you a story in
an instant and can leave a lasting
impression. In photographs, for
example, you can tell someone’s
emotional state, or if a place is as
beautiful as you’ve heard it is.
In this edition, we discuss some of the
powerful tools you can use to analyse and
build your company’s image. This includes
using a S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats) analysis to get an
internal image of your business and sharpen
your focus, conducting a Customer Advisory
Board (CAB) to examine your image from your
customers’ point of view, using the media to
build your image (including how to write an
effective press release), and using the power
of the web to promote your image.
Our new business space, christened ‘The
Chasers Hub’ at the Fletcher Jones Business
Centre is now open and will allow us to run our
workshops for the Chasers Getting Results
Program, our future Chasers Mastermind and
re-invent/renew the Chasers Meet Up - our
social get together where we network with
each, hear from a guest speaker and share
ideas & experiences about our businesses
whilst raising funds for Warrnambool &
District Food Share and B1G1.
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To find out more, our Business Program can
accelerate achieving your dreams, so click on the
link https://www.ceebeks.com/cgr/ or contact
the Team today on 55612643!
The Ceebeks Team and I look forward to helping
you on your financial journey of life and
reach the dreams that you are chasing.
If you need to run a training meeting, hire a ‘hot desk’
or host a virtual presentation then contact Shannae
Hewett and she will discuss your requirements and
arrange your booking.
Please enjoy our 6th Edition…
… to chasing our dreams, together!
Since our last edition of the magazine, the size of
our Team has grown with the addition of our newest
Team Member, Brianna Harrison, who will be assisting
Angela with the Financial Planning services. Make sure
you say hello and make yourself known to Brianna
when you next call into our office!
Book A Free Call
I have been kept busy with lots of education and
learning, including completing a direct share trading
program with Terry Tran from The Freedom Trader
which focuses on using company fundamental
analysis to buy and sell shares using research skills
and software. I also attended my monthly Coaching
Mastermind, attended another 4-day On-line
Conference to keep up-to-date with new business tech,
get some inspiration and motivation that I will share
with you all in future blog posts, heard from amazing
global experts and caught up with my tribe who hold
me accountable for pushing our business forward.
2022 will be here in no time and planning for a
successful year begins before you close for the
Christmas break, so if you want to really set up the new
year as your most successful year yet, then having
well-crafted plans - business & marketing - are now
more critical than ever, given how COVID has forever
changed the way we will do business in the future!
calendly.com/ceebeks-chris/
chasers-getting-results-program
Office - 25 Banyan Street,
Warrnambool, 3280
Ph: (03) 5561 2643
chris@ceebeks.com
ceebeks.com
ceebeks
ceebeks
@chasingthedream
ceebeks
ceebeks-business-solutions
chrisbeksaccountant
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Even if they aren’t talking about you to other
consumers, your Customers are evaluating your
business every time they deal with you - on the
phone, through the mail, on the premises.
An important thing to remember is that it’s the
non-technical aspects of what you do that
are noticed most by Customers. Customers will
choose to purchase from your competitors not
because of the quality of the product or service,
but because of the way they were treated.
CUSTOMER ADVISORY
BOARD (CAB): LOOK AT
YOUR BUSINESS WITH A
DIFFERENT SET OF EYES
It comes down to the issue of perceived
indifference - the little things that communicate to
the Customer that they aren’t as important to you
as they think they should be.
Do you know what your
business’ areas of perceived
indifference are?
In the eyes of your Customer, they are the little
things that can cause issues for them, such as:
Your phone procedures
Your billing procedures
Your customer service
Your accessibility
Your timeliness
And the best way to do that is
through a Customer Advisory Board (CAB).
A CAB is a meeting where 6-10 of your customers
are invited to give honest, constructive feedback on
one or more areas of your business’ performance,
and brainstorm innovative ways that you can make
improvements.
The meeting should be facilitated by a neutral party*, and
it should be recorded for you to review later.
Customers who participate in the CAB need
to feel that it will be valuable and that their
time is appreciated. You need to let them
know that you really need and want their
help and that you will make a commitment to
implement and test their suggestions.
In addition to a personal thank you note or gift following
the meeting, you also need to make sure you follow up
with action (e.g., a list of issues raised, action steps to
address them, names of Team Members who will be
responsible, and deadlines). Implement some of the
simple, workable suggestions right away.
Imagine one of your customers is sitting around a table with several other consumers, and they are
discussing the very product or service that your business offers. What will your customer say about
the performance of your business? Will it be positive? Negative? Or worse yet, will it be nothing at
all? Will your customer, instead, be silent, listening carefully to what is being said by others while
internally running down a list of comparisons between your business and your competitors’?
Your location and convenience, etc.
You owe it to yourself and your Team Members to
find out what those areas are and fix them - NOW!
It’s a great way to show Customers that you’re committed
to change - and it works wonders for your business!
*Our Business Development Specialists at Ceebeks
have experience in facilitating CABs.
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Public relations is the term used to describe your
When you call editors and/or send press
business’ interactions with the public through
releases with news about your business, always
media such as:
remember to keep the “so what!” factor in mind
(i.e. why would people be interested in
Local papers
knowing/hearing this news?).
Here are some idea starters for you to get “free
Trade publications
ink” and exposure:
Radio and television stations
Social media
Sponsor a special event in your
local community (i.e., school or
charity event)*
Sponsorships or special events
Public relations activities keep you in the public
Have your team do volunteer work
in your local community
eye so your business can build brand awareness
and gain visibility.
Host a special event on your
business premises*
MAXIMISING
NO-COST
PUBLIC
RELATIONS
OPPORTUNITIES
How is your relationship with the
public?
How do they see you, and how do
you want them to see you?
Public Relations doesn’t have to
cost you a thing!
Sometimes it’s called
“free ink” because it
results in exposure
for your business that
doesn’t have to cost you
anything. But to do that
you have to make the
right contacts, and give
them good reasons to
feature your business.
Launch a new product or service
(including the benefits this will
offer)
Launch a new website or an update
Announce and celebrate your
business’ birthday
Form a partnership or host
relationship and announce the
benefits to the public
*May involve some expenditure
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The S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats) analysis takes a
quick picture of your business so you can learn
from your past and map your future.
Strengths and
Weaknesses
are internal business factors or issues.
The good news is you and your Team Members
have control over them.For example, a strength
may be your experienced Team Members, and a
weakness could be poor recordkeeping.
WHEN WAS THE
LAST TIME YOU TOOK
A PICTURE OF YOUR
BUSINESS?
What if you had a photograph that could tell you in an instant what’s going on with your business?
Suddenly you’d be able to reflect on what your current business means to you, what you’d like to see
happen and where to go from there.
are external to your business. They are issues
that need addressing from sources outside your
business. They may be issues over which you
have no control—such as new markets opening
up for you (e.g., you build swimming pools, and
a property developer is creating a new suburb
of 5,000 new homes), or new legislation (e.g.,
government COVID regulations will now put
stringent requirements upon your industry).
Remember too, that often in the shadow
of opportunities lie threats - in the form of
competitors.
Opportunities
and Threats
Once you’ve completed a S.W.O.T. analysis,
strategies or ideas can then be developed to build
on your strengths and maximise your opportunities.
Additional strategies can be implemented to correct
weaknesses and minimise the effects of threats.
To complete your S.W.O.T. analysis, meet with your
team and agree on exactly what you will measure
against the question:
“Is this a strength, weakness, opportunity or threat?”
Give each a rating on a scale of 1 to 10. Is it a high
strength? A high weakness? And so on.
Then focus on the items with the highest ratings as
a starting point, and brainstorm what your business
could do to address these issues.
Now, create an action plan and assign tasks to get
those ideas implemented. Repeat this process every
quarter to make sure you always have an accurate
picture of where you are, and where you want to be.
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WHAT
DOES YOUR
WEBSITE
HAVE TO
SAY ABOUT
YOUR
IMAGE?
Web sites are still one the most powerful, and most
widespread, ways to promote your image.
Here are some ideas on how to add muscle to your
services by pumping up the content on
your website.
Content is what your website has to say.
What information does it communicate?
What does each page say to the visitor?
Visitors are browsing the internet from one
page to another, looking for information. That
information comes primarily in written format
(and in pictures, graphics and other images).
So what and how you write is critical.
When you surf the web you’ll notice content
on websites fall into two basic categories:
Basic
Some websites are pretty much business
cards online. A step up from that are online
brochures. On these sites, you’ll find that
most of the content will be similar to what
you’d find in the company’s brochure.
Value-Added
Sites that are deeper and more responsive
- they have more information, sections and
pages - will offer content that adds value. Not
only will they have the elements that make up
an online brochure, but they will also offer tips
and hints on how to do whatever it is their
customers are looking for.
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e.g. How to improve ‘x,’ or how to make the most
of ‘y,’ rather than just purely sales information,
adds value to a site e.g. current blog articles or
checklists.
Sites with extra value offer information their
customers can use whether or not the customer
makes a purchase from them. And better yet,
these sites are usually updated regularly. This
encourages visitors to return repeatedly to get
valuable information. The more often they visit,
the more likely they are to buy.
Another way to make
sure that visitors
return is to have some
interactive areas on
your site - chat rooms
or discussion forums
for example. These
help people build a
sense of community
through your business.
What better way to tie
them to you?
When you are considering all of these issues think about
your own experience of browsing the net.
Which websites do you like to use?
What is it about them that makes you like them and
want to come back?
Usually, it will be a combination of how easy it was to
get the information you needed and the value of that
information.
How can you improve your website using these
concepts?
If you are considering building or refreshing your website
and want to build a dynamic one that has complete
synergy and generates leads whilst you are asleep, then
Kody Thompson, (our Coaching Program affiliate) from
LightningSites is the best person to speak to.
Check out the link here:
www.lightningsites.com/ceebeks
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HOW
TO WRITE
A PRESS
RELEASE
A press release is simply a brief article about
something new or interesting about your business,
written in the third person and released to the
press - both print and broadcast Media.
Because editors must read thousands of releases
every day, and usually only have about 5 seconds
to review each one, strong snappy headlines, leadins
that get right to the point, and text of 400 words
or less describing why the information is important
are ways to get your press release noticed.
You should include the date the release is valid,
where the release originated, and a contact name
for getting more information. Prominent display
of your company logo on standard corporate
stationery is also important.
Editors you have already established a relationship
with will instantly pick up your release, and read it,
if they see your logo.
A useable quotation from a key contact is also
helpful to editors who often don’t then have time to
chase down that information.
When you send out the release, it is usually via
email, so make sure to keep an updated listing
of editors and their contact information on hand.
Calling editors periodically to check in will not only
help you get this information but will also add to
building a relationship.
Now that you’ve got the picture in the appropriate
format for a release, brainstorm with your team on
what some viable topics may be. Think about what
you could do or announce that would be suitable for
a press release and get it out there.
Don’t be discouraged if at first, you don’t succeed.
Try again, always making sure your releases focus
on the “what that means is…” and not just the
self-promotion.
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We both just laughed at him and said we don’t
know anything about Vacuums. He convinced
us to look over the figures and check out the
business. Our accountant at the time told us to
leave it alone but after looking over things we
could see the potential.
It then took us 10 months to raise the finance
after quite a few knockbacks but we persisted and
kept coming back to the table with whatever the
banks asked for. Eventually, the Bank of Melbourne
backed us and here we are 10 years later.
We knew nothing about the business when we
took it over and Godfreys itself was going through
a bit of a rocky time with CEOs coming and going
and new owners taking them over.
It went from family-owned to a corporation back
to the original family. There was no guidance from
Godfreys at the time so we did find it hard to start
with trying to find our feet.
GARY &
WENDY REA
- Godfreys Warrnambool
We didn’t even get a store visit from head office for
the first 3 years we were in business!
We really focused (and still do) on
customer service and going the
extra mile when needed and we have
found that approach really helped
us grow. We moved our shop from
the small little space in Lava St to
the Harvey Norman Centre 5 years
ago which gave us the opportunity
to grow our Commercial side of the
business.
We have learnt a lot in the last 10 years and are still
learning something new everyday. This business
is nothing like we expected when we first looked
at buying it and as it grows we are growing with it.
There is still a lot of work to be done to get it to its full
potential and we look forward to the next 10 years to
see where we can take it.
We have been with the same accounting firm for over
20 years and just didn’t feel that we were getting the
individual attention that we sometimes needed.
We had just sold our café just over 10 years ago through Daniel Roberts Real Estate and asked
him to keep an eye out for another business for us and the next day he came in and put the
figures for Godfreys franchise on the counter.
We have effectively increased our
shop and storage space 10 fold
compared to our humble beginnings.
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One reason we came your way was that we could
see the good that you are doing for the greater
community and we like your beliefs. Another
reason was as a result of attending The Chasers
Meet Up and hearing about your work ethic etc.
We probably would have just kept putting up with
poor service if we didn’t move.
Our initial concern about coming over to Ceebeks
was the cost, as we weren’t really sure what the
change over would cost us and whether we would
be better off changing accountants.
We didn’t get a lot of attention from our previous
accountant and only visited him once a year after
the end of the financial year so not a lot of input
from him. Because of that, we were probably
hesitant in changing over as we felt like we would
be giving up control of the day to day.
We have gained so much for coming on over. Tax
planning is a big thing that we haven’t had before
that has paid off for us tenfold. Also, everyone is so
approachable, we can pick up the phone and know
that someone will help us with whatever we need.
We feel that we are now getting the individual
support and attention that we need to help grow
our business.
Knowing that the back end of our business is
being taken care of we are very keen to get back to
growing our business.
We would recommend Ceebeks to anybody but
most importantly to anybody in business.
It can be daunting wading through all the
paperwork etc. that comes with opening a
new business and the continuing changing of
circumstances. So anybody that needs good
sound business advice would benefit greatly from
Ceebeks. Just the support and guidance that
Ceebeks offers makes you feel less alone while
trying to run and grow your business!
We have been using Quickbooks
for 20 years and switching to
Xero was another thing holding
us back. It has been a huge job
converting everything over (even
bigger than anticipated) but even
though we are still not used to the
system we can already see the
benefits – and love it!
https://www.godfreys.com.au/
storelocator/godfreys-warrnambool
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This tool is probably ‘God’s Gift’ to non-creatives like
me! Canva is one of, if not, the best Graphic Design
tools and you don’t need a high-performance
computer to use it. Designed for anyone who needs
to create. It’s for anyone with ideas to share.
Canva is the online platform that makes designing
anything easy, for every individual and team. With
thousands of professionally made templates to
get you started, you can create, customise, and
share your designs in a few clicks. From stickers
to professional brochures, stunning videos to
workplace presentations, it’s never been easier to
achieve your design goals.
Canva has solutions for individuals, small
businesses, enterprises, not-for-profit
organisations, teachers and students. This is a
‘must-have tool’ if you are serious about your
marketing material, social media and presentations
looking very professional!
If you use email as part of your marketing
campaign, then this tool should be part of your
arsenal. Mail-tester is a free tool that increases the
probability of your emails getting delivered to your
customers or prospects’ inbox. ... Once the test
email is sent, click on the blue button: Then Check
Your Score.
If you are using video or audio in your marketing
messages and find it extremely frustrating and
time-consuming when you make a mistake and
have to re-record then Descript Overdub is the
answer.
Descript Overdub is a collaborative audio/video
editor that works like a Word doc. It includes
transcription, a screen recorder, publishing, and
some mind-bendingly useful AI tools - Capture.
Screen Recording. Transcription & Remote
Recording.
TECH TIME
To help you keep pace with the tech tools that can help drive efficiencies in your
business, each quarterly edition of Chasing The Dream - The Magazine, we will be
highlighting 5 that we use.
PFPMaker generates awesome professional/creative profile pics from any photo. It
uses background removal AI, beautifies your photo and generates dozens of profile pic
variations automatically. Change colours, reposition photos, add shadows and much
more! And it’s FREE!
With so many business owners having to move to
an online presence due to the lockdowns created
by the COVID experience, this innovative solution
has ‘popped up’ to support those of you that have
a Shopify Store. Storetasker is a hand-selected
community of the industry’s top Shopify developers
and e-commerce experts.
Storetasker has helped over 30,000 Shopify brands
find a trusted and talented developer for projects
big and small. Storetasker has interviewed over
5,000 developers, hand-selected the top 5%, and
streamlined the experience from end to end. A
great solution to getting your store optimised for
maximum results!
It uses a sample file of your voice that you need to
spend a little time to set up but once this is done,
it recreates your tone, speech pattern etc from any
text written and sounds exactly like you!
Quite often when you are looking to brighten up
your text, create an infographic or some other
marketing material you need some inspiration for
clever icons or graphics.
The Noun Project is a website that aggregates and
catalogues symbols that are created and uploaded
by graphic designers around the world and has
been the source for several that I’ve needed for
completing some of our projects.
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CHASERS
CHUCKLES
CREDIT: IRINA BLOK
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Office - 25 Banyan Street,
Warrnambool, 3280
Ph: (03) 5561 2643
chris@ceebeks.com
ceebeks.com
ceebeks
ceebeks
@chasingthedream
ceebeks
ceebeks-business-solutions
chrisbeksaccountant
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