Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

Today we are joined by returning guest Adrienne Donnelly from Seed Virtual Assistants and Organised by Adrienne to discuss the tricky topic of how to choose the right VA for your small business. Knowing you need (or want) a VA is one thing, but selecting the right one is quite another challenge. In this discussion we unpack how to make a great decision on who you engage as a Virtual Assistant for your small business.

Adrienne is an experienced personal virtual assistant and mentor to other established and aspiring VA’s across Australia.

Since the beginning, Adrienne has held a passion (and a knack) for all things organisation and facilitation and has made it her business to ensure all the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted, offering the ultimate peace of mind to the businesses and individuals she supports.

Since launching her business, Adrienne has connected with industry professionals of all kinds. Now, she has a team of specialists that work with her on projects, including other VAs, graphic designers, photographers, videographers, copywriters, website developers and editors.

With ever-growing opportunities in the digital world, and the capacity to work remotely, flexibly and often immediately, Adrienne believes that virtual assistants are becoming increasingly sought-after.

Adrienne is also a co-founder of The Newcastle Virtual Assistants Network, which has fulfilled a need for connection and collaboration in the industry, and has become an incredible opportunity for local business owners since its inception in 2019.

Connect with Adrienne:

https://www.organisedbyadrienne.com.au/

https://www.seedvirtualassistants.com.au/

Connect with Us:

If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

• Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

Today we are talking about something that you might think we would have already covered here on the show – what actually is a ‘small business’. We’re looking at this both in terms of what the definitions various government agencies have, as well as our own perception of what small business means.

The Definitions that Matter The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) defines a small business as one with under $10 million in annual turnover.

The Fair Work Act on the other hand defines a small business as one with fewer than 15 employees.

Then we can look at definitions under Australian consumer law, which has elements of both with under 100 employees and less than $10 million in turnover.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have other definitions and they say a small business has 5-19 employees (less than that is deemed as a Micro Business).

But do these definitions really matter? Or is it how you perceive yourself that mattes more?

The reality is Small Businesses make up over 97% of Australian businesses, and we employ around 5 million people. We contribute over one-third of Australia’s GDP, yet we often sell ourselves short in importance as being small.

Connect with Us: If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

** Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

Today we are talking about the support networks we have around us as small business owners with Dr Leanne Faulkner from Fortitude at Work.

A little about Leanne:

Many people in the business community might know me as “the soap lady” or the “goat lady”. Our youngest son had suffered with eczema from birth and in an effort to ease his discomfort I learned how to make goat’s milk soap as a gentle protective skin care alternative. In 2004, Billie Goat Soap began.

It was a humble affair initially and started in my kitchen. By 2010 we had grown to employ over 20 people and sold the products in over 2000 outlets around the country. Billie Goat Soap was the NSW Business Chamber Business of the Year in 2010 and the Myer Supplier of the Year (general cosmetics) at around the same time. I sold Billie Goat in 2012. The challenges that came with growing a small business came at a cost to my mental health. Needing support, I was shocked to learn that there was nothing available specifically for me – a small business owner. There were resources available for employees and the general public, but nothing for entrepreneurs and business owners. That put me on a path to lobby for change…

Today, I work at the intersection of small business ownership and mental health. It’s quite a unique position. It means I know the realities that come with small business ownership and I am able to link that to our understanding of workplace mental health support strategies. I think it’s fair to say I am obsessed with supporting the mental health and wellbeing of small business owners.

To connect with Leanne you can go to: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leannefaulkner/

Or her website: https://fortitudeatwork.com.au/

Connect with Us: If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

Today we are tackling the challenging topic of mental health and wellness as an Australian Small Business Owner.

Let’s be real – being a small business owner is at times tough, stressful and can feel overwhelming. It’s difficult some days, weeks and months.

October is Mental Health Month here in Australia, so we thought this was the perfect time to have a discussion about this.

Matt and Kristy-Lee share their experiences on the impact running a small business has had on their mental health over the years, and some of the strategies they have put in place to try and protect their mental wellness.

If you need support, there are many options available, including calling Lifeline: 131114

Connect with Us: If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

This week we are having a follow up discussion from last weeks chat with Amey Lee from Heart Content about Authentic Intelligence.

In this episode we discuss how we’re using AI in our businesses, but keeping it real and authentic at the same time.

We discuss the current challenges of using AI, and what we are seeing in the industries we work in, service and support when it comes to using AI really effectively.

How are you using AI? And how are you balancing not using your true voice in the process? We’d love to hear from you.

Connect with Us: If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

Today we are joined by special guest Amey Lee from Heart Content.

With years of experience helping brands bring together story, strategy, and content, Amey shows business owners how to increase their impact, streamline their marketing, amplify their message and attract their tribe by harnessing the power of brand story.

Her career in brand and marketing spans more than 20 years and includes clients such as Fernwood Fitness, Guild Insurance, Atherton and a role at the BBC where she helped deliver a learning campaign and broke a world record in the process.

Amey’s creative brain can turn out winning ideas and brilliant copy, whilst her strategic half is an expert in finding your difference, establishing your value, identifying your audience and translating these ideas into tangible goals that help to grow your business.

In this episode we aren’t talking about Brand Strategy though – we’re talking about the other AI – Authentic Intelligence.

Amey shares her brilliant thoughts on how to integrate your own authentic intelligence into your content and messaging, in a world where we are all using AI every day.

If you’d like to contact Amey you can reach her:

At her website: https://www.heartcontent.com.au/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameylee/

On Instagram: @heartcontentau

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartcontentau

Connect with Us: If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

Today we’re talking about dealing with difficult people – because let’s face it, if you’re in business, you’ll need to deal with difficult people at some point or another. Whether it’s a customer, client, supplier, even the ATO. It’s not a maybe, it’s a guarantee.

As business owners there are different types of difficult people we might encounter.

Customers or clients is one type. This might be the complainers, the slow payers, the ones who “know better” or the boundary breakers.

Then there are suppliers, ones who provide unreliable deliveries, shifting terms, or ghost you when things go wrong.

We also have Referral Partners, perhaps they promise too much and underdeliver, or send you nightmare clients.

Then of course there is staff – but that’s for a whole other episode.

We then share some practical strategies to help you deal with difficult people:

Set Boundaries Early

• Contracts, clear payment terms, upfront expectations.
• Don’t let “just this once” become the norm.

Stay Calm, Stay Professional

• Don’t mirror aggression or emotion — it escalates.
• Script for customers: “I hear your concern. Here’s what we can do.”

Know When to Walk Away

• Fire a client/referral partner if they’re draining your business.
• Red flag: If they cost more than they bring in (time, energy, money).

Document Everything

• Especially with suppliers and regulators. Email > phone call.
• Keeps emotion out, creates a paper trail.

Connect with Us: If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

Today we are talking about surviving your first firing! When you start hiring staff, you don’t exactly think about how you might fire them, but at some point in your small business journey, terminating the employment of one of your team will be a reality, and let’s be honest, it won’t be fun.

In this discussion we look at the emotional toll firing might have on you, and why this causes so many of us to put it off way longer than we should.

Kristy-Lee also shares her expertise in the technical legal and compliance side of terminating staff, both within probation and beyond.

We then look at what to do after the firing, both when it comes to the individual involved and the team.

Connect with Us: If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.