About
Small Business Owner is MYOB’s flagship blog about the very special experiences of owning and running your own business.
Featuring business copywriter Paul Hassing, Small Business Owner takes an honest, warts-and-all look at the lives and times of Aussie small business owners. Paul’s candid confessions shine a humorous light on small business ownership and gives you the chance to discuss what’s on your mind with Paul and other business owners.
Along the way, Paul and others share their triumphs, challenges and frustrations and the lessons, tips and tricks they’ve learned over the years that might just make your life easier (or at the very least, funnier).
We reckon you’re going to have lots of those ‘oh yeah, that happened to me too,’ moments.
Don’t be shy to share your thoughts, we’re all very friendly!
Who is this Paul guy?
Paul Hassing owns his own business The Feisty Empire and has been in the copywriting game for more than 20 years. He regularly contributes to myBRC through his Copywriter Confessions series and step-by-step guide on How to write perfect job ads and we thought he’d be perfect to share the trials and tribulations of small business ownership – all with a smile.
That’s all we’re going to tell you about Paul – you’ll get to know him more by reading his blog!
Malcolm Owens
Malcolm Owens is CEO of Sampford IXL, a major Australian maker and importer of premium home appliances whose brands include Gaggenau, Neff, La Germania, Cannon and IXL. When circumstances permit he plans to one day speak, write and teach on corporate strategy, wealth creation and personal success.
Malcolm is a father of three, passionate surfer, published author and member of the National Speakers Association of Australia.
He has a black belt in tae kwon do, collection of self-restored classic cars and multi-property investment portfolio. Malcolm is also a voracious reader, fitness enthusiast and regular goal setter who plays hard, works harder, loves life and doesn’t waste a moment.
Joanna Maxwell
Joanna is the owner of WorkInColour, which runs creative thinking and related workshops for business, as well as programs for people looking for a whole new career, or for ways to make their current career more satisfying. Her mantra is that everyone should have the tools to work in colour and not in black in white.
Joanna believes in the power of creativity to enable individuals and businesses to flourish. (She also believes that Star Trek is the best TV show ever made, but don’t tell anyone…)
Sonia Cuff
Sonia has extensive corporate IT experience in the banking, health and government sectors. Always a Kiwi at heart, she moved to sunny Queensland in 2004 and still supports the All Blacks. Now a member of the world’s largest IT franchise, Sonia is passionate about helping small business owners around the world with the right technology advice and support.
Angie Porter
Originally hailing from Melbourne, Angie Porter is the director of Searchlab, a UK-based training and research company for Google AdWords and search marketing. Angie has been working in internet marketing since 1996 and has spent the last two years specialising in AdWords.
A regular contributor to myBRC on the topic of internet marketing, Angie is a self-confessed Collingwood supporter – but we do ask you not to hold that against her J
Kate Bezar
Kate is the Sydney-based founder, publisher, editor and dreamer of Dumbo feather, a half magazine, half book she describes as a ‘mook’. Published quarterly, Dumbo feather speaks with five remarkable individuals in each edition and explores their creativity and passion. In their own words, they tell you how they discovered their passion, what inspires them, the lows as well as the highs on the journey and ultimately why they do what they do.
Ben Angel
Ben is an author, business and lifestyle columnist, personal stylist, marketing specialist on personal branding and founder of Nationwide Networking. As a professional speaker he has delivered presentations for Toyota, Australia Post, Australian Institute of Company Directors, Action International and Energise Enterprise Business Festival.
Judy Oldmeadow
Judy is a baby boomer grandma who owns and runs Samaria Creek Morgan Farm. There she breeds some of the world’s finest family-friendly Morgan horses.
With over 20 years’ equine industry experience, Judy is a master at interpreting horse body language.
Having also worked in Human Services as a Family Support Worker, she’s adept at facilitating perfect partnerships between horses and humans (be it for an hour, a day or a lifetime).
Many clients attest to Judy’s ability to create life-changing experiences. Her straight-shooting blog is called Good Morgans.
Adam Finlay
Adam L. Finlay has a Masters in Communications and edits research papers, major projects and course materials for a major university. He’s also an Associate Writer with The Feisty Empire. He excels at creating logic out of disorder and has an infinite creative capacity for headlines, taglines and branding statements.
Adam Lachlan is his artistic left brain (or is it right brain?) alter ego, an awarded songwriter/singer and burgeoning cartoon impresario who plays djembe (African drum) in the Barwon Heads Ukelele Band. Learn more at Life on Earth Cartoons.
Stephen Hamilton
Bambi Gordon
Graeme Bowman
James Mason
James is the Managing Director of Mindshop. Mindshop is a provider of support services to fast track the success of Business Leaders and Advisors around the world. In his role James gets to work with some of the world’s leading developers and implementers of strategy across their growing 600+ membership base. This provides him the unique opportunity to observe within hundreds of business’ each year what’s working and what’s not by way of new trends, business tools, technology and strategic thinking.
Helen Robinett
Helen Robinett is obsessive about helping people to feel fantastic about themselves. She is experienced in delivering dynamic presentations designed to inspire and enlighten with warmth, humour and impact.
She is one of only six image professionals in Australia to achieve the designation of Certified Image Professional through the Association of Image Consultants International and has recently published a book on Personal Branding, Apprentice to Business Ace. She is also a recent edition in the 2009 Who’s Who of Australian Business Women.
Helen Chairs the board for Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program in Melbourne. She is an avid rose grower, loves red wine from Margaret River in WA and more importantly has perfected the art of slam dunking tim tams into a glass of port!
Leah Klugt
Leah Klugt is the owner of the NSW design firm – The Golden Goose Design Studio. Leah is particularly passionate about businesses; branding them, nurturing them, seeing them grow and maintaining long lasting relationships with them. She loves interacting with interesting people, pursuing her dreams, renovating and discovering bargains. She is also the co-founder of the soloist’s Christmas event – Jolly Solo, run annually in North Sydney.
Leon Noone
Leon Noone helps managers in small-medium business to improve on-job staff performance without training courses. His ideas are quite unconventional. Read his free Special Report “49 Practical Tips for Removing Employee Apathy, Aggravation And Resistance In Your Business”. Simply visit http://managingemployeeperformance.com/ and download your free copy now.
Nina Sunday
Nina Sunday, blogger and Managing Director of Brainpower Training, started her enterprise in 1990 with a vision – to establish an organisation delivering tailored, results-focused training, targeted to clients’ specific outcomes. Brainpower Training is a growing people development company offering a range of soft skills programs in Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Knowledge capture, Productivity and Leadership. Brainpower Training has a BHAG – big, hairy, audacious goal – to make a difference as one of Australia’s top ten training companies.
Nicolas Steenhout
Nic is the guy behind Accessibility NZ. He blogs about disability issues, web accessibility and accessibility in general. Nic has worked in disability awareness and services for many years in Canada, the United States and New Zealand.
In his spare time, Nic shares his passion for food and culinary knowledge on the Wheeling Gourmet.
Ensha Reiya
Ensha is a facilitator and trainer in the field of alternative therapies. Balancing a practical, common sense approach with innovative thinking. Ensha’s highly intuitive capabilities allow her to go beyond the surface level, recognizing what is required for each individual to become unstuck. Her expertise has allowed Ensha to become a requested speaker and presenter on health and lifestyle topics. You can read Ensha’s blog here http://enshareiya.wordpress.com/
Bella Katz
Bella Katz has twelve years international marketing and communications experience with industries including Professional Services, IT&T, Manufacturing, Government, Lifestyle, Travel, Publish and the Arts. She has worked in England, Australia, Japan and New Zealand with some of the world’s leading companies including Sales Strategies International, Optus, Wholesale, Power Lift Nissan, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, Sustainability Victoria, Shell, Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) Worldwide, Toll and Loewy Group. Bella is a brand specialist – she understands how to make brands drive organisational success (and how they can result in failure as well). She is also a prolific brand blogger and freelance writer.
Mike Boyle
Mike’s purpose in life is to ‘create environments of potential’. There is no better setting in which to practice this mission than the world of sales. After starting his career as an eager graphic reproducer in the depths of a pre-press house, Mike quickly found his forte and entered into the world of sales. Moving swiftly, the peak of his learning came from working at Xerox and he brings his years of experience at a myriad of organisations into the practices and beliefs at Banjar Group. Mike’s extensive experience has allowed him to connect with sales people from all industries and walks of life across the globe. The common thread in all these interactions is the universal desire of people to ‘do better’.
Sarah Mitchell
Sarah Mitchell is a Content Marketing Consultant and the owner of Global Copywriting. Located in Fremantle, just outside Perth, Western Australia, she develops original content and content marketing strategies for clients all over the world. Sarah blogs and speaks in public on content marketing and social media. More than anything, she’s interested in helping businesses turn their marketing investments into business assets.
Daniel Smith
Founder of Melbourne based Social Media Marketing Consultancy Propaganda House, Daniel has had a passion for marketing and entrepreneurial pursuits since he was a pimply teenager. After a decade in the game including 3 years running his own business, he gets his kicks from helping businesses thrive with the integration of Social Media into their Marketing mix (and lurking on various Social Media platforms). The following quote describes his ethos toward marketing: “Stop interrupting what people are interested in and become it”.
Sheila Smith
Sheila has worked in the fashion, music, auto, architecture/building, hospitality, and publishing industries in several countries, at most levels including management. She’s been a systems analyst, an editor, and washed cars. Sometimes all in the one job. In 2011, Sheila self-published her first book, The Birthday Dragon.
