I’ll admit, it’s been an extraordinary couple of weeks. My life is not usually like this. If it was, I think I’d have cardiac arrest from sensory overload.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network Conference in Istanbul, Turkey. Amazing. More on that in a future post!

It was wonderful to connect with female entrepreneurs from around the globe – including our wonderful homegrown ones as well. Here I am with Cathie Reid (APHS Packaging), Tina Tower (Begin Bright) and Catriona Pollard (CP Communications and also presenter of the seminar “PR and Media Releases that Get Results” at the Australian Writers’ Centre.)

L-R: Valerie Khoo, Cathie Reid, Tina Tower, Catriona Pollard at cocktails at the Esma Sultan Mansion

I had never been to Istanbul before so it was wonderful to discover a new city.

An oasis in the middle of the Bosphorus, Istanbul

A visit to Turkey is not complete with some whirling dervishes

I discovered these gorgeous kittens in a fishing village and had to resist the temptation to bring then home!

Baby kittens in a fishing village near Istanbul

Then a few days in Rome with my fabulous friend Nicole, where we visited what seemed to be every ancient monument in existence, ate ridiculous amount of pasta and then shopped, shopped and shopped.

With my gorgeous friend Nicole. That’s the Colosseum in the background.

Now THAT’S a gelato!

Gotta love the Italians for appreciating my baby kitty Rexy.

The Italians worship Rexy too. They’ve immortalised him on umbrellas.

I discovered this (I think it’s a cleaning product). I think it could become the new logo for our Smac Talk podcast (which I do with Kerri Sackville and Allison Tait.)

Still not entirely sure what this is for.

They park them in tight in Rome.

God knows how this car got out.

And when in Rome …

Living la dolce vita (albeit briefly)

Now I’m back home. But even though I only lived la dolce vita for a few days, I really do feel like I’ve had a break. More news soon!

The post My life in a minute: Istanbul, amazing women, and la dolce vita in Rome appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

Conferences are funny things. You get 200 or so people stuck in a room, often with no windows; and they’re all watching a bunch of other people on stage talk about their areas of expertise. These conferences can be life changing, inspirational events – or they can be the most boring two days of your life.

The trouble is that when you sign up, you’re never quite sure which one you’re going to get.

Last week I attended the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network Conference in Istanbul, Turkey. And I’ll admit, the event itself was overwhelming. It was full of successful female entrepreneurs from around the world, the agenda was laden with interesting sessions; and it was peppered with impressive experiences such as cocktails and dinner in the Esma Sultan Mansion on the banks of the beautiful Bosphorus.

A conference like this has a jam-packed schedule. There were workshops, networking opportunities and the organisers even scheduled early morning Pilates sessions in case you were inclined to give your abs a workout before getting into the conference for the day (I didn’t feel the need to disturb my abs for this purpose).

Unsurprisingly, it’s taken me a few days to absorb everything that happened and process the experience. And I can safely say that this conference fell into the life changing category.

This was the fourth annual Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network Conference. The first was held in Shanghai (2010) and I’ve been fortunate to attend the ones in Rio de Janeiro (2011), New Delhi (2012) and now Istanbul (2013).

So why was it life changing?

Because it made me realise that it’s time for me to play a bigger game. Not just for my business, but also for myself.

I’ve always understood the concept of “playing a bigger game”. After all, it’s a phrase that’s bandied about by business coaches, internet marketers and motivational speakers all over the world.

And it’s true that, over the past few years, my business has grown, many of my dreams have been fulfilled and my goals have been ticked off. But, for me, the process of playing a bigger game has always involved adding more (A LOT more) to my “to do” list – and then working like crazy to get it all done.

Don’t get me wrong, This way works. But you end up running around like a headless chook to make it happen. I’ve done it for years. And now I’m drawing a line in the sand.

Those who know me well will probably pooh-pooh this declaration. Many of my friends think I’m a compulsive workaholic who wouldn’t know how to relax unless there was a certificate of achievement or KPI involved. Even then, I wouldn’t see it as a goal worth pursuing.

However, my recent trip to Istanbul and Rome has changed all that.

As I cruised on the Bosphorus with an amazing coterie of women, looking at Europe on one side of the boat and Asia on the other, I realised how little I knew about the country I was in. As I sat in a piazza in Rome, sipping pinot grigio and sampling the world’s best gelati, I realised how infrequently I took time to smell the roses, drink in life, and appreciate the amazing world around me.

That doesn’t mean I want to be idle. As I mentioned, I want to play an bigger game – in business and in life – more than ever before. But I’m not going to succumb to my natural tendency, which is to add a raft of items to my “to do” list in order to make this happen. That’s a recipe for burnout. And it will guarantee that I’ll never have time to smell the roses.

In fact, I’ve realised that I have to do the opposite. Sitting in that piazza in Rome, I realised that I need to let go of many things I’ve been holding on to. Because I need to make space in my life for something bigger.

Some things are easy to let go of. Like the gym membership I never use. Rather than kid myself into thinking I’ll become a regular, it’s time to give it the chop.

Others are harder to part with. Such as longstanding associations and projects that have become such a part of my life that I no longer question why I do them. This kind of activity-on-autopilot may provide a sense of familiarity, comfort (and, in some cases, steady income) but I think it’s time to step out of this comfort zone.

I’m making some big changes in the coming months. I’m letting go. And, yes, that is a little bit scary. But I just KNOW that this is what needs to happen in order to play a bigger game. There’s no space for me to invite anything new into my life when it’s already so jam packed.

If this sounds a bit vague, that’s because I’m not exactly sure what the future looks like. But I’m keen to find out. And no doubt I’ll be writing about it here on this blog.

My tour guide in Rome said there’s practically an entire city buried underneath the modern day version of Rome. Historians and archaeologists have a goldmine they can explore, although that would mean digging up existing buildings in order to get to what’s underneath. But while it’s important to preserve and analyse the past, it’s also vital to move forward. The past will always be there. However, sometimes you need to close the door on it before you can build an exciting future and truly live la dolce vita.

The post Can a conference REALLY change your life? appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

Tax. The very word can send shivers down a business owner’s spine. And when it’s tax time, you can hear entrepreneurs – and accountants – all over the country curse, grump and throw their general ledgers out of the window. But I have to say, I understand the need for tax.

Roads, infrastructure, public spaces, education … I get it. They’re not going to happen without taxes being levied. So, in many ways, it can be a good thing.

When it comes to personal income tax, we all complain about how much we pay – but it makes sense. Ditto for company tax. They’re both tied to your level of income or profit. Broadly speaking, these taxes are only going to be levied if you actually generate the income needed to pay them.

But without a doubt, the stupidest tax in the history of mankind has to be payroll tax. Even when I first learnt about it in Year 8 in Miss Aurisch’s Commerce class at school, I thought to myself: “A moron invented this tax.” I may have been a mere 13 years old, but nothing about it made sense to me.

In case you’re not familiar with payroll tax in Australia, it’s a tax levied by state governments on businesses. You get the privilege of paying payroll tax when the amount of wages you pay to employees exceeds a certain amount. In order words, as you employ more people, you get whacked with a tax that effectively penalises you for providing more jobs to people.

It’s. Freaking. Insane.

Every state’s payroll tax threshold is different. From 2012-2013 in NSW, it’s $689,000. In other words, if you pay more than $689,000 each year in wages, you get slugged with this additional tax.

In Victoria, it’s $550,000. In Queensland, it’s $1.1 million.

To add insult to injury, this amount includes superannuation. So as the Federal Government increases the compulsory employers’ superannuation contribution, you get closer to the threshold. Or, if you’re already over the threshold, you get to pay even more payroll tax!

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t begrudge the employers’ compulsory superannuation contribution at all. I have no problem contributing to the future welfare of my staff. But to effectively penalise business owners for contributing to the retirement savings of their employees is BEYOND belief.

Earlier this week the NSW government announced that it would increase the threshold from $689,000 to $750,000.

Thanks heavens for small mercies. But while this is a small step towards sanity, it doesn’t change the fact that payroll tax is fundamentally flawed.

The reality is that payroll tax, hereafter known as The Stupidest Tax in the World:
* is debilitating for small businesses
* acts as a disincentive for small businesses to hire more staff
* can be a catalyst that pushes you to let go of employees if cash-flow is tight
* is a huge obstacle for small businesses at a critical time of their growth.

Fundamentally, it’s a punishment to business owners who have the foresight and courage to provide more jobs for more people.

Before you think that this is a tax that is only slugged to profitable multinationals run by fat cats on big corporate salaries, think again. $689,000 is not that much. A small business employing a mere 10 people can easily reach this threshold. And when your business is that small, chances are that you’re still in a precarious phase of growth. You’re not swanning around in a LearJet. You’re likely to be conservative in your spending because you’re at a “make or break” stage in development.

The problem is that payroll tax has been going on forever. Well, since 1941 anyway, when the federal government introduced it to finance a national scheme for child endowment. (Payroll tax become the responsibility of state governments in 1971.)

And since the state governments now rely heavily on it – it accounts for between 24 and 36 per cent of each state’s total revenue – they’re not going to give it up any time soon. (Source: Federal Treasury)

That doesn’t change the fact that it’s The Stupidest Tax in the World. And just because something exists doesn’t make it right.

Without a doubt, small businesses are the engine room of the Australian economy. The Stupidest Tax in the World makes no sense, was conceived by morons and will only serve to burden small businesses who are trying to grow and create more job opportunities for people.

The post The stupidest tax in the world appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

Breaking up is hard to do. But sometimes you need to take a deep breath, realise when something’s not working – and have the guts to make a clean break.

Anyone who’s initiated a break up will know that it’s tough thing to do. Sometimes, it can take years before you have the guts to separate. And, in the meantime, you live a life that can range from mild dissatisfaction to sheer misery. But sometimes, we crave familiarity and comfort more than the potentially liberating feeling of uncertainty and adventure.

The things we associate ourselves with – partners, associations, jobs, friends – often define us. But when we finally take the plunge to make the chop, we often wonder why we didn’t do it earlier.

I recently wrote about my realisation that I need to let go of many things in my life. And over the past couple of weeks, that’s what I’ve been doing.

1. It’s just not working for me anymore
I started with baby steps: unsubscribing from newsletters and online groups that I no longer get value from.

2. It’s not you, it’s me
I’ve cancelled my subscription to the gym I never go to!

3. We need some new rules
I’ve become more ruthless with my time. We now have stricter policies in place for who and when I’m going to allocate time to.

4. We’ve grown apart, we’ve got different paths
One of the biggest changes I’ve made has been to say goodbye to my Enterprise column for Fairfax. I’ve loved writing this column since 2007 and it’s given me the opportunity to meet some amazing people.

However, today I wrote my last ever post. It’s been such a privilege to write this column but with the Australian Writers’ Centre expanding nationally, it’s time for me to focus on that.

Having a weekly commitment to a column syndicated across six Fairfax news sites can take up a lot of brain space. And ever since I made the decision, I’ve found that I’ve already been able to achieve so much more in my business. Even though it’s only been a couple of weeks since I made the decision – while sitting in Piazza del Popolo on my recent trip to Rome – I’ve already been able to bring some innovative ideas to market.

I knew that freeing up this “space” in my life would be useful. But I had no idea just how big a difference it would make.

It’s almost made the activity of breaking up quite addictive!

When you end a relationship, habit, or long-standing association, it’s natural to feel anxious about whether you’re making the right decision. But the end of an era also signals the beginning of a new one. And the start of a whole new exciting adventure.

Here’s to your own breakups! May they close the doors on what’s not working for you, and open ones that make you smile.

The post Breaking up is hard to do … but I’ve been doing it anyway appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

(image courtesy Warner Bros)

We all have heroes. Role models. Or simply inspirational people who we learn from and look up to. But what happens when your heroes disappoint you so profoundly that it rocks you to your very core?

That happened to me recently. For some years I gained inspiration from the teaching, lifestyle and philosophy of a certain individual. We’ll call him Mike.

Mike is an entrepreneur, author, high achiever and considered by many to be a role model. I’ve admired him for years. We’ve met on several occasions and in those brief interactions he’s been courteous, warm and friendly.

Even as his star continued to rise on an international scale, we would exchange occasional emails and refer to each other as friends. I was not only inspired by his success, I was proud of the way he approached life with integrity.

He was what we Aussies would simply call “a top bloke”.

Until he wasn’t.

Some years after first getting to know him, I witnessed behaviour that made me question everything I thought was admirable about him. I won’t go into details here but, frankly, it traumatised me.

At first, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. After all, everyone can have a bad day. And when we’re under stress, we can all behave in ways that we regret. However, as his actions continued, they got worse, they were personal and there was no remorse.

This guy had been such a role model to me that this experience was like finding out the Dalai Lama is actually a heroin dealer who is cruel to cute animals in his spare time. (Okay, maybe not quite but you get the idea).

Before I go on, I’ll say from the outset that I’m not going to name this person. And if you’re thinking of emailing me about this, don’t bother. I’m not going to answer!

That’s because there are legions of people out there who still consider him to be a hero or role model. And while I’ve witnessed a side of him I wish I hadn’t, his carefully crafted public persona has actually helped people. I can’t argue with that.

Since it happened, I haven’t spoken about it to anyone. It was stressful, disappointing and caused me more than a few sleepless nights.

But you know what? Your heroes can fail you – in big ways and small.

So be careful of the pedestal on which you place them.

The higher it is, the harder they fall. But that’s not actually their fault. It’s yours.

Just like it was mine when I let this man’s behaviour affect me so much. Yes, he disappointed me. Yes, he showed a lack of integrity. But, more importantly, when you place someone on a pedestal, you automatically place yourself at a level far lower than you deserve.

You’re more worthwhile than that.

Your heroes are human. They make mistakes, sometimes they make big ones. Sometimes they learn from them; sometimes they continue being a**holes.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big believer in learning from others. Be inspired by what they do. Admire their success.

But live your own life.

And be your own hero.

The post When your heroes fail you appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

Earlier this week, I couldn’t get to sleep. At all.

I had a productive day in the office brainstorming a tonne of ideas and, by the time I left, we had bedded down some pretty exciting plans, timelines and new projects.

That night, as I lay in bed, even more ideas swirled around my brain. It was as if someone has turned on an idea hose and I had no idea how to turn it off.

On one hand, I was so excited by this that I just wanted the calendar to fast forward so I could work on them all! On the other, I was annoyed they didn’t wait till a more reasonable hour to invade my mind.

Needless to say, I couldn’t sleep. This is an anathema to me because I’m the sort of person who can usually go to sleep the minute my head hits the pillow. I can sleep on planes, trains, automobiles, even at the opera while the soprano is hitting a high C. I am what you would call a Very Good Sleeper.

So being unable to doze off is a very frustrating experience. I tossed. I turned. 1am. 2am. 3am. I counted sheep. I tried to block the ideas from my mind. All to no avail.

I realised that I could stay in bed wide awake, totally restless. Or I could … get up and watch Downton Abbey Season 3.

I came to my senses and told myself: “Watching the shenanigans of the Crowley family and their servants isn’t going to help you get to sleep. You’re only going to have half a chance if you’re horizontal.”

By 3.30am, I gave in. But I resisted the temptation of putting the DVD into the player. I know what happened to me during the DVDs of Season 1 and 2. That show is like crack. Once you start, you just cannot stop. And I figured that starting an entire season at that hour of the morning wasn’t the smartest idea. Especially as I had to go to work the next day.

Apparently, stroking your pets is supposed to relax you. That’s good because I have five to choose from (Rex, Rocky, Rambo, Dougal and Groucho for the uninitiated). I found Rocky (cat) in the loungeroom, grabbed the cat brush and started to brush his hair, which he loves. I was hoping that his purrs would lead me into some kind of meditative state. But alas, by 4.30am, I still wasn’t remotely sleepy. However, I did have a perfectly groomed cat.

By then, I was going a bit nuts. I was transitioning from the frustration of not being able to get to sleep to the anxiety of knowing I’d only get a couple of hours rest before having to start a new day.

Getting desperate, I figured it was time for other measures. My friend Sue had previously suggested that I download an app called Smiling Mind. It guides you through short meditations with the aim of trying to help you relax. I found my iPhone and completed a session. Still awake.

It was time for some herbal help. (No not THAT kind of herbal help). I wandered into the kitchen and found the new herbal tea I bought last weekend. It’s called “Relax”. Methinks my subconscious knew I would need it.

I unwrapped the brand new pretty teapot I purchased at the same time and decided that this was as good a time as any for its maiden brew.

Ok, here’s the thing about me and tea. I’ve never made tea in a teapot before. True story.

I’ve always made tea in teabags. But the fancy teas with the fancy names never come in freaking tea bags. And I figured it was probably high time I owned a fancy teapot (hence the tea shopping excursion last weekend).

I suppose that it wasn’t the smartest thing in the world to attempt to figure out the teapot at 5am after a night of no sleep. But I was getting desperate here and I really wanted what that tea was promising. To “relax”.

I realise that many of you might wonder what there is to figure out when it comes to a teapot. Well, let me tell you: where to put the tea of course! The helpful lady in the store had clearly sensed my virgin status (possibly because I said to her: “I know this is a dumb question but … where do you actually put the tea?”) and she sold me a little mesh ball thing. “You just put the loose leaves in there dear,” she said, patting my hand reassuringly.

So I started to do just that. But then I was faced with another dilemma: How MUCH tea are you supposed to squash in that little mesh thing?

Turns out, not much. And, as found out much later when I called the store for advice, you’re not meant to squash it in at all. But I didn’t know this at the time. Keen to “relax”, I figured I needed a bigger “dose”. So I compacted as many leaves into that mesh ball as I could. I soon discovered that this was not a good idea.

The result? I felt like I was drinking mulch from the garden. Not relaxing. (But do you like my new teapot?)

By 5.30am, I had to make the decision about whether to persist in my vain attempts to get to sleep, or just stay awake and start the new day.

Stuff it. Who needs sleep? I whacked Downton Abbey Season 3 into the player. While listening to the music of the familiar opening credits, I grabbed my notepad and pen to jot down a few of the ideas that had been swirling around my brain.

They poured onto the page, falling out of my brain with relief. Clearly, this was something I should have done hours ago.

Of course, by the time I had bullet pointed my ideas, the first scene in that great manor house was  underway. And guess what? … I was sleepy.

But by then, it was too late. That show. It’s like crack. I couldn’t stop.

The post So I couldn’t get to sleep … appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

My friend David insisted that I read Playboy. Apparently, it has good articles. Specifically, he was referring to the recent Playboy interview with Tony Robbins. It’s definitely worth a read so if you have a chance, head on over to the site and check it out. Just be prepared for a few pictures of pneumatic blondes to flank the text.

One thing Tony mentions struck a chord with me. Tony is often pegged as a motivational speaker, but in the interview he says: “I’m a strategist, not a motivator. I’m obsessed with finding strategies that create real results in the shortest period of time.”

That’s something we all need to remember.

It lies at the heart of why we don’t take action.

You might have a great idea for a business. You talk to your mates about it over Friday night drinks. They love it too. But one year later you’re still talking about it. You haven’t taken any action.

Or perhaps you know you need to go to the next level in your business. But it’s such an overwhelming concept that you just don’t know where to start.

We all love motivational quotes. You see them shared on Twitter all the time. Pinterest is full of them. But do those quotes really do anything?

Sure, they might bring a smile to your face – and that’s important too – but they’re not enough.

And that’s the fundamental factor that most of us miss when we are faced with a huge task or goal. We might have all the motivation in the world. But that won’t matter if we don’t have a strategy to get where we want to go.

Whether it’s to double the size of your business, lose 10 kilos, or create an online store, you need a clear path. Or you simply won’t start.

So how do you create the right strategy? Obviously this depends on the task at hand but, at a basic level, consider this:

1. Accept that it feels overwhelming. It’s a big goal. But remind yourself that it’s not impossible and that all major projects feel overwhelming at the start.

2. Break it down into actionable chunks. If you don’t know where to start, mindmap it. Think of every possible thing you need to do and write it on a whiteboard. Then group the actions you need to take into logical chunks. One the biggest obstacles to getting over feeling overwhelmed is that we don’t WRITE DOWN what’s ahead of us. Instead, we let it swirl around our brains and cause us sleepless nights. Invariably, when you identify and write down what you need to do, it’s never as scary as you think. This is one of the best approaches I’ve found to getting things done.

3. Determine if you need support. Do you need to engage a graphic designer? Or an admin assistant? Or a temporary sales person. Figure out what you need to do yourself, and what you can outsource or delegate. This is where I see many business owners fall down. They think they are crucial to many steps in the process when they actually need to get out of their own way. Get your ego out of it. Embrace the fact that someone else might actually do a better than you – and let go!

4. Timeline it. Plot out what needs to be done when. This gives you structure and a deadline. If you leave it open-ended, you risk never getting it done. I’m a big fan of creating timelines and sticking to them. If I’m launching a new product, I may even publicly commit to a date the product will be available, well before the product it finished. This forces me to ensure it gets developed and done within a specific time frame. Alternatively, create an arbitrary deadline and celebrate with rewarding yourself. I’ve used holidays, designer handbags and outings to fancy restaurants as rewards!

We all have dreams. We all have big goals. And sometimes we wonder if we’ll ever reach them. Just remember, you can read as many motivational quotes on Pinterest as you want. But while it will give you a temporary “warm and fuzzy”, it won’t necessarily make a difference.

You need to be practical, you need to create a realistic strategy – and you need to follow it. Make it happen.

The post Why you need strategy – not motivation appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

So you’ve been inspired by someone you admire. Maybe you want to achieve what they’ve done in their life or business. Perhaps you simply think they’re awesome.

You would love to connect with them. You dream of them endorsing your book, blog or business. Or you would give your right arm for the opportunity to pick their brains for 15 minutes. But you have no idea how to make this happen.

Linda Coles is the author of Start With Hello. She says her book reveals how you can master the skills of talking to strangers. I don’t mean about chatting to the cute guy on the bus in the hope you exchange phone numbers. Linda means engaging with strangers to turn them into valuable professional clients or contacts.

I specifically wanted to get Linda’s advice on how to approach your heroes. Maybe you’ve always want to reach out to Seth Godin, Sheryl Sandberg, or Richard Branson. How do you make this happen? Here’s Linda’s advice.

Hello. You are my hero, let’s connect!
Have you ever thought about reaching out to someone who is high profile but have never taken it any further because you don’t know the best way to approach them?
People of all walks of life are closer to you now more than ever. That’s because the internet brings everyone that bit closer. You can Tweet your heroes directly. You can comment on their Facebook pages. And so on. That, in itself, can be a problem in that everyone can reach out, which means that you have to cut through far more noise in order to reach your potential high profile connection. That means you have to do it right, first time.

Many high profile people are approached with comments like:
1. How can I meet you, you are my hero?
2. How can I get access to your business network?
3. How can I get you to invest in my company?

The first thing you have to ask yourself is: “Why would they?”

Here is the criteria you need to consider when you’re reaching out:

1. Apply some etiquette
Starting off a request on Twitter with: “What’s your email address, I want to ask you something” is not going to get you very far. Would you say that to their face if you met them in the street without any preamble first? No you wouldn’t, so why do it online?

2. Be truthful
Only last week I received a request from someone that told me how much my book “Start with Hello” had changed their life. That’s great to hear, but the book wasn’t out for another month.

3. Make them smile
It’s hard to resist doing something for someone when they have made you smile, particularly if they have made you laugh out loud. This week, a chap made me smile in his email because he put at the bottom that “as he had friends in New Zealand, we were practically related”. It made me smile.

4. Who do you know in common?
There is nothing wrong with leveraging from a joint connections’ name and making it into a warmer request if you know them well enough.

5. Add some personality
Write like you speak, not like something you have cut and pasted from your website. Show a flavour of who you are.

6. Get to the point
Can you do everything above and ask your specific question in 100 words or under? These are very busy people you are reaching out to, so keep it short.

7. Say thanks when they respond
It’s appreciated.

Of course, you could try the really “old fashioned” but highly personal handwritten letter in the mail; it’s still an intrigue to get one of these and you will stand out because so few people are prepared to put the effort in.

When my first book was still in the making, I contacted Guy Kawasaki via his Facebook page and asked him if he would mind giving me his feedback, which he did. When his book Enchantment came out some months later, I posted a comment along with many people about how much I had enjoyed it and he replied “I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed yours”!

Since then, I have periodically commented or dropped him an inmail via LinkedIn to commend him on something, and so when Start with Hello first became a real entity, he contacted me to get a review copy sent to Peg, his social media top gun!
Slowly slowly catch the monkey. Building a relationship over time works wonders.

Good luck!

You can buy Start with Hello by Linda Coles from all good bookstores or online from Booktopia here.

The post How to connect with your heroes appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

You want to be productive. You want to get more done. But you seem to be falling into a never-ending spiral of tasks, emails, projects and so on. You don’t feel like you’re ever going to get on top of everything you need to do. Obviously, this causes stress. And one of the main drivers of stress is the feeling of overwhelm, that you’re drowning in a sea of tasks that never seem to stop flowing.

So you work like crazy but feel like a hamster running on a treadmill that just seems to get faster and faster. And your only option is to keep going because, if you take a break, you’re only going to have an even longer “to do” list when you get back.

I get it. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re never going to get on top of things.

You end up compromising. After all, you’ve actually been told NOT to strive for perfection, otherwise you’ll never complete any tasks. You’ve learnt that you just need to get your projects to “good enough” because that’s better than not getting them done it all.

But each little compromise is like a little paper cut. No one can see it – but you know it’s there. You can feel it. And as you continue to compromise on various aspects of your life, all of those little paper cuts can become excruciating. You end up in a world of pain.

I know, because that’s been me.

Then I got sick to death of the paper cuts, tired of feeling overwhelmed all the time, and I simply wanted a better … life.

I was constantly under pressure (although I was the only person to blame for this), I looked tired, and rarely had enough time to nurture my creative side. Not ideal.

So what did I do about it?

I realised that I had to do two things:

1. Work smarter – that is, use my time more effectively, become more productive and streamline the way I worked. When you’re pulled in so many directions it’s easy to become reactionary. And while stuff does get done, it’s rarely done in the most effective or efficient way.

2. Prioritise my to-do list – that includes striking off certain tasks and projects. This was a tough one for me because I always espoused that you can do anything – and achieve anything – if you put your mind to it. I still believe that from the bottom of my heart. However, I’ve now realised that you can achieve anything in the world but sometimes this comes at a cost. That cost is different for everyone. For some it’s your health, for others it’s relationships, and yet others will let their mental health suffer.

So while I truly believe that you can achieve anything you want, I’ve also realised that you don’t have to achieve everything. Because, quite simply, some things are just not worth the return on investment. And it’s important to prioritise and delete certain tasks and projects in order to maintain your sanity, health and/or relationships.

While there are numerous work hacks I can share with you about productivity, I now work with two underlying philosophies …

The big rocks
You’ve probably heard of Steven Covey’s “Big Rocks” story:

One of our associates shared this experience.

I attended a seminar once where the instructor was lecturing on time. At one point, he said, “Okay, it’s time for a quiz.” He reached under the table and pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar. He set it on the table next to a platter with some fist-sized rocks on it. “How many of these rocks do you think we can get in the jar?” he asked.

After we made our guess, he said, “Okay. Let’s find out.” He set one rock in the jar . . . then another . . . then another. I don’t remember how many he got in, but he got the jar full. Then he asked, “Is that jar full?”

Everybody looked at the rocks and said, “Yes.”

Then he said, “Ahhh.” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar and the gravel went in all the little spaces left by the big rocks. Then he grinned and said once more, “Is the jar full?”

By this time we were on to him. “Probably not,” we said.

“Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went in all the little spaces left by the rocks and the gravel. Once more he looked at us and said,”Is the jar full?”

“No!” we all roared.

He said, “Good!” and he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in. He got something like a quart of water in that jar. Then he said, “Well, what’s the point?”

Somebody said, “Well, there are gaps, and if you really work at it, you can always fit more into your life.”

“No,” he said, “that’s not the point. The point is this: if you hadn’t put these big rocks in first, would you ever have gotten any of them in?”

The reality is that you need to prioritise your major projects –  or the most important projects – first. We are often tempted to cross off the easy tasks on our “to do” list first, but then we end up getting distracted by a whole range of errands and administrative tasks. The day ends up going by without us tackling the bigger projects. The very fact that they are big projects makes them seem daunting, and so we procrastinate. We convince ourselves that we’re being productive because were actually crossing other items off our list.

However, it’s important not to confuse activity with achievement. Put your big rocks in first.

The 80/20 rule
You’re probably familiar with the 80/20 rule. Known as Pareto’s principle, it refers to the idea that 20 per cent of your actions is usually responsible for 80 per cent of your results. And that means you need to focus on the 20 per cent that matters.

If you want a printout to remind you of this, download this PDF and stick it on your wall.

So at the start of my week, I schedule in my “big rocks”, but then I assess all of my activities using the 80/20 rule. This helps the eliminate the tasks and projects that I shouldn’t be spending my time on.

Start your week by scheduling your time based on the above principles and you’ll feel more in control. Assess your options using the 80/20 rule and you’ll soon realise that you don’t have to achieve everything on your list in order to make an impact. You just need to know WHICH tasks and projects to focus on.

What has worked for you when it comes to streamlining and prioritising your productivity?

The post Why you should start every week like this appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

I’m on a bit of the productivity roll at the moment. Admittedly, I’m always looking for ways to streamline my workflow  and become more efficient in the way work.

So I really resonated with this productivity chart from Funders and Founders.

You can print out a bigger version here.

It features the 80/20 Rule, of which I’m a big fan. The other strategies I’m particularly fond of include:

* No meetings unless they are decisive
There is nothing more frustrating than talking for hours without achieving a definite outcome. To avoid suffering from “death by meeting”, start each meeting by determining how long it’s going to take and what decisions you want to make by the end of it.

* Start an “Idea Dump” book for genius ideas you can’t work on right now
I love this – and it’s a must. I used to write down all of my ideas, but they were never collated in one spot. So I would have ideas on post-it notes, notebooks, Evernote, on the notes function in my phone – all over the place! I needed a better system because whenever I went to look for the bright idea I had come up with I was constantly searching in multiple places.

Centralise your ideas. After a while, you’ll also see a clear pattern in the kinds of ideas you generate. This is useful because it can be a signal for you on what you should spend your time on.

* If you can’t understand what an email asks, don’t answer
I totally agree with the premise behind this strategy. However, I typically DO answer. I simply state: “I don’t understand what you’re asking from me.”

Too often, people rush off hurried emails without thinking about what they want to achieve. As a result, there is no structure to the email and they’re not clear about what they’re asking for. When I respond in this way it forces the sender to articulate clearly exactly what they want from me. In some cases, it’s obvious that they don’t actually know – and I never get a return email.

* If you have a mind block, make a mind map
I love mind-mapping. It helps me spew out the contents of my brain. It’s like the process of emptying a drawer full of stuff – except that you do it on a whiteboard or on a sheet of paper. The act of mind-mapping means that you draw connections between certain projects and tasks, so it’s like rearranging the contents of that drawer into neat little Kikki-K containers. You always feel more satisfied at the end!

The post How to be productive appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

The one thing that government should change about superannuation.

I’m generally a calm person. But if there is one thing that gets me fired up, it’s insane tax laws and dumb regulations.

One of the dumbest relates to the way we have to treat our superannuation. Don’t get me wrong. I think the concept of super is awesome. But the regulations on how we can invest these funds border on moronic. Superannuation laws are among the smartest and dumbest in Australia…

The post One of the smartest (and dumbest) laws in Australia appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

When it comes to choosing the right role model, I see too many people choosing … the wrong one. It’s a trend that’s been exacerbated by the online world.

That’s because if someone is smart about building an online profile, they get exposure and visibility. However, it’s so important not to confuse “profile” with “success”.

Here’s an example. I was talking to my friend, Alice (not her real name). She talked about how inspired she was about the journey of a famous blogger/startup entrepreneur who has managed to carve out an enviable lifestyle travelling the world and running his business from his laptop. We’ll call him John.

As a result, Alice modelled her blog and her business on John’s. She wrote headlines, just like John’s. She talked about creating products, just like John’s. And I began to notice certain graphics and phrases creep into her blog that looked eerily like those I’d seen on John’s blog.

Alice aspires to have a healthy income well in excess of six figures. (You know, closer to seven figures.) She wants to make enough money to invest in long-term assets, and she has plans to create a mini-empire.

The trouble is that she’s modelling herself after the wrong person. 

It came to a head for Alice one day. Excited to hear that her role model was coming to town to speak at an event, she booked a ticket straight away. With notepad at the ready – and sitting in the front row no less – she was determined to document any pearls of wisdom he might have uttered.

“Then it all came crashing down,” she told me. “He said something that hit me like a tonne of bricks.”

I waited with bated breath.

“He said that he loves his lifestyle because he gets to blog, travel and earn $50,000 a year. I was in shock. There’s nothing wrong with earning $50,000 a year but the impression I had was that he was earning at least over $1,000,000. I already earn more than he does from my blog. Why am I trying to be like him?”

Alice’s illusions were shattered. She had been modelling the monetisation of her blog on someone who was not as financially successful as she was.

Yes, she learnt a travel hack or two from her role model, but ultimately, she realised that his visibility and profile clouded her perception.

She assumed that just because he was high profile – featured in articles, interviewed on podcasts and speaking at events – he must have been successful. Or rather, HER definition of successful.

Alice’s misconception wasn’t this guy’s fault. He just did a great job of building his profile.

It’s easy to blindly admire the entrepreneur du jour, just because everyone else is. Or because they produce slick videos. Or an awesome podcast.

But if you really want an effective role model, make sure that they truly are leaders in the area where you want to be successful. Make sure that you’re modelling yourself – or your business – after a person with substance, someone with real wins. Not just the person who gets the most publicity or who has the biggest social media following.

The post Why your role model might not be right for you appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

Many readers will already know that I’m in love with Evernote. It’s a tool that I use every single to day to take notes, write articles and store information that I need to keep for future reference. However, I now have another love: Penzu.com

It’s ok. I’m not cheating on Evernote. They both now have a firm place in my heart.

Evernote helps me collate and create.
Penzu helps me think and process.

If you’re not familiar with Penzu, it’s an online journal. Its website describes it thus: “Penzu is an online diary and personal journal that is focused on privacy. With a unique and compelling user experience, it makes writing online as easy and intuitive as writing on a pad of paper.”

For fellow Latin geeks, it’s derived from “pensare” which means to ponder, examine or be full of thought.

When do I use Penzu?
You know those days when you have so many things to do, or so many ideas to pursue, that you just don’t know where to start. It’s when you feel so overwhelmed that you just don’t know what to do next. You wonder whether it’s because you need better systems. You wonder if you need to categorise your to-do list. You ponder whether you need to hire an assistant.

The reality is that what you need is clarity. Once you have clarity on what your priorities should be – and a clear understanding of the reasons behind it – the rest falls into place. The trouble is that getting that kind of clarity can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. And it may never emerge regardless of what kind of time management system you embrace. That’s where Penzu comes in.

When I feel so overwhelmed that I don’t know what to do next, I turn to journalling.

That’s right. I sit down and simply start typing, pouring out anything that comes out of my brain. Writers, whether they consciously understand it or not, have been doing it for years. Writers know that they need to spew out a lot of unusable words in order for the gems to emerge. You can’t have one without the other. Then they pick out the gems. But you don’t have to be a writer to derive benefits from this process.

Journalling for your business or career works along similar lines. You need to spew out what’s on your mind if you want to give yourself a chance to make sense of it. Otherwise, your thoughts remain swirling around in your brain, potentially causing you to feel anxious or, at the very least, overwhelmed.

I don’t journal every day. I probably end up journalling about three times a week. But I certainly journal whenever I feel overwhelmed. I start writing about whatever is on my mind. Often, I’ll begin pondering the simple question of what project I should tackle next. I end up asking myself questions, pondering why I’m pursuing particular projects, and assessing the motivations, benefits and obligations behind why I’m doing what I do. It doesn’t take long for clarity to emerge.

It’s also important to remember that while you might use this primarily for your business/career, the reality is that your business/career is affected by your life, your family, the people around you, people who may have nothing to do with your business. So don’t be surprised if you end up journalling about factors that are seemingly unrelated to your business. If that’s the case, then chances are they are affecting your business – or the way you think about your business – in some way. Go with it. You may be surprised at what you discover.

The one thing you must do when you journal
In order for this process of journalling to work effectively, you need to be COMPLETELY honest with yourself. That means journalling your deepest hopes, dreams and fears. When you can see the truth in black and white staring back at you on the screen, clarity comes a lot quicker.

If you are used to writing in a diary, this will come easy to you. If not – or if you have been scarred by having a mother who read your diary when you were younger and have been gun-shy about divulging your feelings every since (!) – that’s where Penzu can help.

Why Penzu? Can’t I just write in a Word document or Moleskine?
The key feature of Penzu is privacy. You not only have to log into the application with a password. You can also assign passwords to specific journals (yes you can have multiple journals). It logs out of the application if you leave it for too long. So unless you’re ridiculously careless with your password, your journal is for your eyes only.

Unlike a Word document or Moleskine, which can be opened by anyone, this is secure. And when you know that the only audience for your words and thoughts is you, you don’t care about the quality of your writing, you can express exactly what you think and you are liberated to explore your true feelings … about any topic. So it’s not Penzu itself that is the magic bullet. It’s its privacy features. Like Evernote, it also syncs across your devices so you can access your journals or start penning your thoughts no matter where you are.

Whether or not you use Penzu is up to you. But next time you feel overwhelmed, before you start categorising, systemising and creating a to-do list longer than your arm, take a deep breath. Pause. And write in your journal. You’ll thank me for it.

The post My new fave tool: Penzu.com appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

Celebrating the end of writer’s block on the back deck.

For the last month, I’ve been in a (self-imposed) bubble. No, I didn’t decide to do a digital detox. I didn’t go to New Jersey to marry Jon Bon Jovi. And no one bought my business for a billion dollars so that I could laze on a beach in Bali, sipping cocktails for the rest of my life.

The bubble has been the result of the fact that I’m been immersed in two major projects which have consumed my life. Hence, the infrequent blog posts, the paltry number of Tweets, the intermittent appearances on Facebook and – shame of all shames – the failure to experience Christmas properly (and all the things that go with it – like writing Christmas cards, putting thought into gifts, and so on).

Forgive me, I was on another planet.

While I wish I could have been Superwoman – able to combine overseeing these projects with everything else in life in a single bound – this was simply not going to happen.

And I’m ok with that. Because I’ve realised that trying to be Superwoman is completely unrealistic.

However, it’s not only my Christmas card recipients who suffered. Whenever I sat down to write anything, I drew a blank.

This. Has. Never. Happened. Before.

But it wasn’t really a case of regular writer’s block. It was “OMG-I-really-should-be-spending-my-time-on-Project-X-instead-of-this” writer’s block. My creativity was stuffed because of a combination of guilt, preoccupation, and a severe case of overwhelm. Whenever I sat down to write a blog post … *crickets*. Lots of them.

So what are these major projects that overtook my life for the past four to six weeks? Well, don’t get too excited. I have nothing huge to announce. My fantasies have not come true. The rumours are not true. Jon Bon Jovi and I did not get married. (Although, if you missed it, our announcement about launching the Australian Writers’ Centre in Perth was a big one.)

In fact, one of these projects is unlikely to ever been seen by the public. But it will impact my life significantly.

In summary, we are preparing to launch a new website for the Australian Writers’ Centre. At the same time, we’re implementing a new “back end” which – in layman’s terms – is the software that powers our entire business. It’s the engine that’s supposed to keep my work and business streamlined and running smoothly. Trust me. The project is huge. In fact, for the past month, it’s been all consuming.

Tonight, my wonderful team and I broke the back of it. It’s not finished by any stretch of the imagination. But I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. And what a beautiful sight it is.

Since that happened, I’ve broken out the French champagne to celebrate – and, unsurprisingly, my creative mojo has returned from its mysterious holiday.

Having said that, I don’t regret my single-minded approach to this (long overdue) project. Last last year, I read The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.

I LOVED IT.

The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.

Despite it’s simple premise – although the blanket statement of “focus on one thing at a time” is a bit reductionist – it’s a compelling read. I highly recommend this book. As a result, I multi-task less (although I can’t quite bring myself to go cold turkey on this) and I’m getting significant tasks and proejcts completed, some of which have been hanging around for YEARS.

This laser-like focus has, admittedly, come at a price. But the benefits are worth it. The feeling of liberation and achievement that I feel right now in getting a pretty mammoth project done is … pretty damn fabulous.

In the coming months, I’ll be experimenting to see if I can maintain my creative output while still pursuing major projects. But I suspect that my time focusing on big tasks will need to be interspersed the periods where I can be creative – where I can play, blog and connect.

Who knows? I hope to be able to strike that delicate balance of powerful productivity and rewarding creativity. However, I suspect that, like Superwoman, this could be somewhat of a myth. Having said that, I never believe in the impossible. Which is probably why I live in hope that Jon Bon Jovi really will call one day.

I did manage to get this close to JBJ at his recent concert in Melbourne in December 2013, thanks to the awesome GinaMilicia.com (note: that’s my fuzzy photo, Gina takes much better ones!)

The post The one where I emerge from a bubble – and writer’s block appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

I’m fascinated by the world of blogging. Whether you blog about parenting, life, toy trains or business, the blogosphere is a wonderful way to connect with people in your community and beyond.

Many entrepreneurial bloggers use it as a marketing tool – a way to connect with customers through smart and helpful content marketing. Their posts position them as experts in their field; their articles become must-read content. As a result, they gain a loyal following.

But how much is too much?
Some other entrepreneurs use their blog more as a way to track their entrepreneurial journey. They chronicle the highs, lows and lessons along the way. But how much is too much?

The world of blogging is all about authenticity. And some business bloggers are comfortable about talking about their failures. There is nothing wrong with this at all. However, I have been following a particular founder’s blog for the past year. And, I have to admit, it’s compelling reading. But for all the wrong reasons.

She is always tired, always stressed and rarely writes about any good news in her business. Possibly because there isn’t any. Her blog chronicles what seems like a thankless journey where she has no life, works all hours of the day and is constantly in search of new customers and investors.

Some people say that she shouldn’t reveal so much of bad stuff going on in her life and business. Others say that she’s being authentic. Others think it’s great that she’s still pressing on despite her difficulties. And yet others  say they simply come back to her blog again and again because it’s so compelling. A friend of mine said: “It’s like watching a train wreck – and, like a train wreck, you already know what’s going to happen. It’s only a matter of time.”

So should you talk about the challenges in your business?
Well, of course, it’s your blog. You can blog about whatever you want!

But you just need to remember that what you write:
* says something about you
* has an impact on how people perceive you
* is a reflection of your business
* may sway people in making a decisions about whether to do business with you

If you write about how many times you’ve been rejected by investors, that might be sending a message to potential investors about whether they should give you the time of day.

If you write about how you never have a life because you’re working 20 hours a day, that may make some people wonder whether you’re just not efficient.

If you write about how your server couldn’t cope with demand and shut down your back end recently, this may make customers think twice before they pay by credit card on your site.

So, sure, blog. Talk about your challenges. Share all your difficulties and stresses if you want to. But remember that your blog is not your private journal. You have readers. You may not know who they are. And what you share about your life could then have a profound impact on whether they decide to buy from you, work with you – or invest in you.

The post As an entrepreneur, how much should you reveal on your blog? appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

When I was young, I use to go into the local bank and I’d notice that some of the tellers would decorate their work spaces with funny cartoons. Invariably, they were tongue-in-cheek jibes about the nature of work. The characters in the cartoons would complain about their bosses, the hours, and the mere fact that they had to be there.

Even as a child, I was puzzled as to why people would stay in a job where they found more to complain about than to enjoy. I assumed, that these cartoons were a reflection of what these bank tellers thought about their work.

Then, when I entered the workforce for myself, I worked with people who would say things like: “I hope your day is well despite the fact that it’s a Monday” or “It’s Wednesday! More than half the week is gone. Hooray!”

These same people always left work 15 minutes early, never went the extra mile and always gave the impression that they found work to be a chore.

I guess I’m really lucky because I love what I do but I found it confounding that people would stay in a job that they don’t enjoy. I do realise that sometimes jobs change and a role that you once enjoyed may evolve into one that you don’t. Regardless of the situation, I’ve always thought that you either change your job, or change your attitude. In the book “Become a Key Person of Influence” by Daniel Priestley talks about Vital People and Functional People.

He says that Vital People see themselves aligned to the result rather than the process. He writes: “No matter what, they will always be okay to adapt and change dynamically if it gets them towards a better result, or a faster result.”

He continues: “Functional People like to associate with people who reaffirm that life is tough. They like to be reassured that the economy is affecting others too and that times aren’t what they used to be. A Functional Person loves the comfort of their friends, who don’t push them or inspire them to step up to a whole new level.”

This is so true. The reality is that the world is full of Vital People and Functional People – and that’s okay. However, if you’re reading this, I truely hope that you want to be a Vital Person. For the simple fact that life is far more joyous, exciting and rewarding when you are.

When the organisers of the Key Person of Influence series asked me to be one of their main mentors and speakers in this year’s program, I knew it was the right fit. I love working with Vital People. I love working with people who want to make a difference. And I love empowering people to realise their potential. The series rolls out over the next few weeks in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. If you come to the event make sure you come and say hi.

Key Person of Influence dates:
Melbourne: 7 February 2014
Sydney: 13 February 2014
Brisbane: 28 February 2014

Click here for details and discounted tickets.

The post Do you want to be a Key Person of Influence? appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

Yesterday, I was sitting at Sydney Airport, about to catch a plane to Brisbane. A well dressed man and woman sat down opposite me. Dressed in business attire, they looked like colleagues. It was 6pm, at the tail end of the day.

The woman said: “Well it’s been a successful few days Harry.”
The man replied: “Thank you for your involvement. I appreciate it.”
The woman (brushing aside his comment) said: “Oh I felt like a dead weight most of the time.”

I heard this and thought: “WTF?”

Admittedly, I have no idea about the back story on this. I don’t know how much the woman contributed to the “successful few days”. But I did know that the man thanked her for her involvement. And rather than say “You’re welcome” or take it as a compliment, she downplayed her contribution.

I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her.

But it’s a reaction that I see among many people …

“Oh what a delicious cake.”
“Oh no, it’s way too dry.”

“That blog post you published last week was great.”
“Really? I thought it lacked something.”

There is nothing wrong with self-deprecation. But, sometimes, you need to accept credit where credit is due.

And it’s not just women. I spoke at an event recently about how to raise your profile. A man approached me later and told me that he didn’t like talking about his achievements because he felt that his mates would ridicule him.

Quite frankly, he needs to get some new mates.

The tall poppy syndrome certainly exists in Australia. But it’s time we just get over it.

If you’re a genuine person of integrity – and you know that in your heart – then own it, and be the tall poppy. I’m not saying that you should shout about how fantastic you are from every rooftop in your town. But if someone thanks you for your contribution, accept their thanks with grace – and even pride. If you’ve achieved a goal you’ve always dreamt of, don’t be afraid of sharing the news.

Sure, there may be those who will want to cut you down – and that’s probably because they are jealous of your success. Ignore them. But remember that there are always those who want to celebrate your success with you. The least you can do is let them.

The post What’s wrong with down-playing your success? appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

As a journalist, I’m always the ones asking the questions. So it’s quite a change when the tables are turned. Recently, Toby Jenkins from Bluewire Media interviewed me for the podcast he co-hosts with Adam Franklin, “Web Marketing That Works”.

Toby competed in water polo in the 2004 Olympics. While he used to dominate in the pool (that’s him in the picture at the Olympics against Spain), he is now (along with Adam) rocking the world of business with Bluewire Media.

You can find the Bluewire Media podcast here:
http://www.bluewiremedia.com.au/blog/2014/06/wmtw-26-valerie-khoo
Adam and Toby are also former students of the Australian Writers’ Centre. I’ve been thrilled to watch them co-write and release their awesome book “Web Marketing That Works” (published through Wiley).

This book is packed with practical advice. As regular readers will know, I’m a big fan of using the web to connect with my community. If you’re interested in the world of web marketing for your business, this is a wonderful guide on what you need to know.

It’s an honest account of what it takes to succeed in web marketing. And the best part is that Adam and Toby discuss tonnes of real life scenarios, actual tactics and real numbers and stats behind their own web marketing activities. And unlike many web marketing books currently on the market, I love that is truly Australian!

I’m also a big fan of Toby and Adam’s free templates, which you can receive when you sign up to their newsletter. As someone who has been around the traps – and who regularly receives templates, infographics and so-called help guides from all over the web – the templates from Adam and Toby are the ones I always print out, save and stick on my wall.

Sign up or more out more about Adam and Toby here:
http://www.bluewiremedia.com.au/

The post The tables are turned: What happens when a former Olympian interviews me appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

You’ve been there. Your business is growing and you just can’t do everything. It’s time to call in the experts – consultants who can help take you to the next stage of your business.

This is be hard for control freaks. But if you want your business to grow it’s important to accept that there are only 24 hours in a day and you can’t actually be an expert in SEO, sales, operations, admin, customer service, accounting, strategy and human resources. Well, you can try – but you’ll go crazy!

Handing over the reins to consultants can be both liberating and filled with danger. Some consultants can truly transform your business. Yet some consultants can charge you a tonne of money but you end up with little to show for it.

So how do you determine of a consultant is right for you?

Well, if I had a magic formula that could give us all the answer for this, I would already be retired and sipping pina coladas on a tropical island.

Nevertheless, over the years, I’ve learnt a few things – often, the hard way. So here’s my take on it:

1. Would you have a beer (or bubbles) with this person?
Hey, I’m not saying you need to become BFFs. But you need to click. If conversation isn’t flowing easily then that’s already a red alert. So ask yourself if you’d break out a boutique beer or two with this consultant before you move on.

2. Is your first question about price?
If you’re chatting to different consultants, is one of your first questions about price? If so, ask yourself whether you’re just looking for a bargain as opposed to finding the right consultant. Don’t get me wrong, I love a bargain. And if you’re shopping for widgets or commoditised products, go nuts. But this may not be the right approach when it comes to consultants.

I often mentor small business owners who are experiencing their first stage of growing pains. They typically look for consultants – particular with their website or SEO – and the first question out of their mouths is about price.

While price is obviously important, it’s far more important to see whether the consultant is the right fit for your business, has a passion for what they do, and actually takes the time to understand your business and how they can help you.

If you go straight to a discussion on price, chances are that you’ll end up wasting both their time and yours.

3. A recommendation is worth its weight in gold
It’s always worthwhile to ask your network whether they can recommend a supplier. But remember that you need to compare apples with apples.

Just because your best mate found a graphic designer who did an amazing job on a logo doesn’t mean the same graphic designer is skilled at designing a magazine.

4. Present scenarios to the consultant
It goes without saying that you should do your due diligence before you engage any consultant/supplier. However, make sure you go beyond reading the “About” page on their website.

Talk to them. Present them with scenarios about how you might work with them. I’m not talking about getting free advice on the nuts and bolts of your business. But talk to them about the process of working together; get their suggestions on how this would work. Their answers should give you an insight into how they work and whether this process resonates with you.

For example, “Once the initial designs are done, what’s the best way for me to convey my feedback to you?”
Not: “How would you design my logo?”

5. Determine what the outcomes are going to be from the start
This is all about setting expectations so that no one is disappointed at the end of the project. My most successful professional relationships have had very clear deliverables stated upfront, so it’s clear what the consultant is going to achieve.

One of the biggest disappointments among some of the entrepreneurs I meet is when they invest a significant amount of money in a consultant who delivers a beautifully presented strategy document at the end of the project but has no interest in implementing it. Yet it’s help with the implementation that the entrepreneur needs the most.

There’s obviously been a gap in expectations. And it’s one that can be avoided if the deliverables are agreed on in writing from the outset.

6. Don’t abdicate responsibility
It’s tempting to engage a consultant and hope they will transform your business. But don’t just give them free rein. Too often, I’ve heard small business owners say: “I trusted their decisions. In the end, their strategy didn’t work out and it cost us a lot of money. I never really agreed with their strategy from the start but I thought they were the experts.”

Yes, they are experts but the buck needs to stop with you. If your gut is telling you that a certain approach doesn’t feel right, listen to it. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt over the years it’s that I need to listen to my gut more. I’m open to consultants challenging me, questioning my practices and pushing me out of my comfort zone. And you should be too – because it’s great to be forced to think in a different way.

Ultimately, the buck needs to stop with you. It’s your business. The consultant can walk away at the end of the project. But you’re going to be left picking up the pieces if things don’t go as planned. Embrace the new thinking and ideas that a consultant can bring but be prepared to invest the time and money to truly determine which of those ideas are right for your business.

The post How to find a consultant who will help transform your business appeared first on Valerie Khoo.

I’m aware that I’m possibly the only woman in Australia who doesn’t watch Offspring. When I browse my social media stream while the show is on, I can confirm this to be true. Everyone in the world seems to be getting their Nina Proudman fix.

But that’s ok. There is still time. I can get the DVD. I’m on to it.

So why am I talking about Offspring? Well, one of the show’s characters has been played by muso Clare Bowditch, who is not only a singer and actress. She has also parlayed her talents into speaking about creativity in business. And Clare is just one of the many wonderful speakers at Small Business Festival Victoria.

I wanted to highlight this awesome festival because:
(a) I think it’s fantastic that the State Government in Victoria is behind this event
(b) I want to highlight that the short-sighted New South Wales government has canned its equivalent event, which used to be called Small Business September. The NSW state government scrapped several significant small business programs in 2012 including Small Business September, MicroBiz Week, the Young Entrepreneurs program and the Women in Business mentoring program. In a word: appalling.

Many readers will know that I live in both New South Wales (Sydney) and Victoria (Yarra Valley), and I love aspects of both states.

But this shows the State Government of Victoria has more care for small business owners than its counterpart in New South Wales.

So, if you live in Victoria, don’t miss the diverse range of events available at Small Business Festival Victoria. There are too many to list but you can find them here.

Creativity for Business Success with Clare Bowditch
If you are interested in Offspring and Clare Bowditch, you might enjoy the seminar she is holding on “Creativity in Business”. And I have a double pass to giveaway. Here are the dates:

Bendigo
When – 12 August, 6pm – 9pm
Where – The Foundry Hotel Complex, 366 High Street, Bendigo
Cost – Early Bird $30; Full Price $40 (includes two course dinner)

Pakenham
When -13 August, 6pm – 9pm
Where – Cardinia Cultural Centre, Lakeside Boulevard, Pakenham
Cost – Early Bird $30; Full Price $40 (includes two course dinner)

Sale
When – 14 August, 6pm – 9pm
Where – Laurel’s Function Centre, Sale Turf Club, 1227 Maffra-Sale Road, Sale
Cost – Early Bird $30; Full Price $40 (includes two course dinner)

Ballarat
When – 18 August, 6pm – 9pm
Where – Ballarat Lodge and Convention Centre (Eureka Ballroom), 613 Main Road, Ballarat
Cost – Early Bird $30; Full Price $40 (includes two course dinner)

Wangaratta
When – 25 August, 6pm – 9pm
Where – Quality Hotel, Wangaratta Gateway, 29-37 Ryley Street, Wangaratta
Cost – Early Bird $30; Full Price $40 (includes two course dinner)

Geelong
When – 26 August, 6pm – 9pm
Where – The Pier Geelong, Cunningham Pier, 10 Western Beach Foreshore Road, Geelong
Cost – Early Bird $30; Full Price $40 (includes two course dinner)

Go here to book.

If you want a chance to win a double pass, email me at editorial [at] writerscentre [dot] com [dot] au with the answer to this question: “What area of your business would benefit from more creativity and why?” by 11.30pm Sunday 10 August 2014.

The post If you love Offspring, creativity and entrepreneurship… appeared first on Valerie Khoo.