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Sydney Success – Why More Entrepreneurs Are Choosing Coworking In Sydney

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Business, like the economy in general, is a dynamic process. Things are changing all the time and to be successful one must keep a close eye on trends and changes in market conditions. Responding to new developments and adapting to circumstances is key in order to perceive opportunities for cost-minimisation and profit-maximisation.

With the changing nature of the Australian working world, new tools and technologies are popping up to benefit businesses in a variety of industries. Opportunities for coworking in Sydney on Miller Street are one such option. Exploring and leveraging shared office spaces like these for your own company can allow you to gain a leg up on your competition in many ways.

Let’s look at some specific reasons why more entrepreneurs are choosing coworking in Sydney.

Cut Back On Fixed Costs

Coworking represents a significant change for workers coming from a more traditional office environment. In the past, businesses had their own buildings or office floors and some still do today, but the trend now is towards shared office environments. These traditional offices came with a large price tag that was often unnecessary. Much of the space in such a building often sits underused or wasted entirely.

Coworking can allow your business to cut back dramatically on these fixed costs. For a fraction of the price of renting out an entire office complex, you and your team can enjoy space in a shared office environment instead.

Find New Factors Of Production

You might be thinking that even if the above point were true, traditional office environments offered easy access to necessary factors of production such as basic office infrastructure. If this is a concern for you, then know that finding a high-quality provider of coworking space will give you access to facilities for printing, scanning, and copying, as well as a high-speed internet connection, included in your monthly rate. Avoid the hassle of having to deal with separate utility providers each month.

Eliminate Invisible Barriers To Entry

One of the invisible barriers to entry in today’s business world is gaining recognition in your industry in order to achieve success. In the past, proving yourself by building momentum and convincing investors took time. Now, using the prestigious address of a premium coworking space, you can rapidly gain prominence and give a great first impression. Enjoy the ability to use a recognised address on your business materials and become an instant player in your field.

Use The Insights Of Behavioural Economics

Behavioural economics has many useful insights that are readily observed in the laboratory of the coworking space. For one, you will find that your productivity rapidly increases in a shared office environment. The Hawthorne effect shows that workers are more likely to focus on their tasks if they believe that someone is watching them even if someone is not. Let the informal surveillance of your coworking colleagues keep you on task rather than wasting time procrastinating while working from home.

Use Your Comparative Advantage

Coworking also offers many opportunities for you to use your talents and skill set, your comparative advantage, in exchange for the services of others. Taking the time to get to know your colleagues in your coworking space and offering to exchange expertise can lead to interesting collaborations and serious business partnerships.

Get A Monopoly On Momentum

Coworking spaces are ideal for bringing life back into your work and providing it with a sense of meaning. You can reap all the benefits outlined above while improving your motivation and productivity at the same time. Look for a premium provider of coworking space in Sydney and get down to maximising the potential of your business.

The Most Common Financial Mistakes Made By Startups

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As an entrepreneur, your day is full of finding your way, building and refining your services or products, growing your business and achieving your overall goals.

This can make it hard to keep up to date with all of the daily accounting tasks and the bigger picture finances. This is a problem because some important financial decisions and information can fall to the side.

If you are a financial whiz, you might still have a problem creating a financial plan and managing all of the finances. However, this is something that you need to stay on top of because it will affect the stability of the company and your ability to work towards your definition of success.

You will also need the financials to convince and assure your investors of the viability of the business.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of financial mistakes that a startup can make. Fortunately, when you know what these common mistakes are, you can take some steps to avoid them. Many of them are mistakes that you can easily sidestep.

So if you’ve got your financial startup ready to launch, here’s the mistakes you have to avoid.

Mistake #1 – Miscalculating Or Not Calculating Your Cash Burn

Not taking the time to do this will be a major issue. First, you need to know what cash burn is. The burn rate will be the amount of capital your business will go through each month to ensure it operates. If you do not have a clear understanding of this rate, you will have problems achieving your goals before you run out of capital.

A recent survey of new business owners has should that around one-third of them have underestimated their monthly expenses. Almost 20% of those surveyed also realized that they did not have enough financing for their business. It is very easy to miscalculate your costs and this results in your assumptions for initial capital being off. A good step to take will be to keep track of all the expenses you have.

To calculate your burn rate, you need to create a bottom-up projection that uses real-world variables. If you try top-down forecasting, you could be overly optimistic in your sales predictions and this will lead to an unrealistic expectation of revenue. Bottom-up projections are considered more realistic and will show you how much money you need to keep your business going month after month.

Reforecasting is also important and you need to do this. You will have to take into account variable and fixed costs to continually determine the real state of your business. If you are new to burn rates, it is recommended that more research be done on this topic.

Mistake #2 – Not Understanding Your Marketplace Completely

When you do not completely understand your marketplace, you are more likely to misprice your services and products. You should not calculate your costs and then add the margin that you would like to make. You have to consider your market position as well as the value of what you offer. It is better to start with price and work backwards.

When you calculate this, you need to come back to the marketplace and how it affects the price. You need to know who your clients are, what needs your offering fulfils and what you have to offer. Take a look at your competition and what differentiates you as well as the trends which affect your market. All of this will need to be combined to understand your market and how it affects your business.

Mistake #3 – Hiring And Expanding Too Quickly

The people in a company are one of the largest expenses they have. If you want to keep your costs low, your staff expenses should be the first place you look. A mistake that a lot of startups make is hiring too many people too quickly. Too many employees will drain your funds and affect your ability to keep the doors open.

It is not only the recruitment and salary costs that you need to consider. Max Funding’s business loan team explain, “you also need to consider whether you need a larger office with more equipment and supplies for the new staff. There are also some psychological costs that you need to consider such as what will happen to these new people if your business does not grow as it should and you have to let them go. How your investors will take you needing to disassemble your team will also need to be considered. To overcome all of these issues, you need to hire slow.”

Mistake #4 – Hiring The Wrong People

Finance startup Credit Capital state, “a way to save on staffing costs is to hire for potential and not experience. You should not waste your money hiring experience for the sake of having experience. When possible, you should outsource your non-core tasks such as marketing, accounting and development”.

Mistake #5 – Handling Your Finances Yourself

If you have ended the seed round of funding, have many expenses or are earning real revenue, you need someone to manage your finances on a strategic level. A CFO will generally be the best person for this job. If you do not have much financial activity, a CFO might not be the best solution, but you will still need some help with the daily bookkeeping and accounting.

According to Robinson Accounting’s experts, “while you might have the accounting skills needed for block and tackle accounting, it will not be the best use of your time. It is better to hire a professional to help with this so you can focus on the core business. Administrative tasks can take your focus from where it really needs to be. So it’s vital to weigh up whether you’re actually getting value from saving money but losing time trying to do everything yourself.”

This does not mean that you need to hire a full-time accountant or CFO. If your startup is still small, you should outsource these functions and get the support you need on an as-needed basis.

Do you know of any startup mistakes we missed?

Let us know in the comments!

6 Tips for Selecting Folding Arm Awnings for Your Store

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As a store owner, you need to care for your customers all the time. This doesn’t mean offering quality products only but also protecting them from harsh environmental conditions such as sun and rain. Folding arm outdoor awnings are a great way to protect your customers by bringing temperatures down and covering them from rain.

Apart from regulating the temperatures, an awning will also be a great way to market your brand. All you need is to get the one that is customized according to your brand. There are different types of folding arm awnings in Melbourne, and when choosing one for your store, you need to be careful. This article will give you six tips to select folding arm awnings for your store.

1. Comply with the law

The first step before choosing an outdoor canopy is to check the council requirements in your locality. Different states will have different rules, thus checking with authorities in your area is essential. Make sure the design you choose and the message you display on your awning is not against the law. If there is any fee to be paid, ensure you pay before installing the awning.

2. Consider size

The point here is to choose an awning that is proportional to your storefront. This will not only give your shop an excellent look but also save you on the cost. There is no need of getting an oversize awning that will cost you extra dollars and add no value. Size doesn’t matter when it comes to branding.

3. Store design

Awnings have different designs and colours, giving you a wide range to choose from. When you need to get one for your store, picking the one that will match with your store’s design and the colour is very important. By considering design and colour, the two will easily blend and avoid the hustle of repainting your shop. If your store has a protruding roof, don’t forget to consider it.

4. Consider your brand or logo

Store design and colour only are not enough to determine the colour you will choose for your awning. The brand you are trying to display is also a key factor to check on when selecting your awning. The canopy should have the same colour as your brand or logo, and if possible, you can have your brand logo printed on the awning. There are ready-made awnings and custom ones, making it possible for you to get anything you want. Imagine having a green canopy while your brand colour is yellow. It makes no sense!

5. Automatic or manual

Folding arm awnings come in two main types, that is manual and automatic ones. Automated awnings are operated using a remote, and they are easier to retract or wind out. They also have motion sensors which they use to sense excess wind and retract automatically. On the other hand, manual awnings are operated using the crank, and they are more challenging when it comes to withdrawing or winding out. Also, they require more attention as they don’t have motion sensors to sense strong winds.

6. Consider quality

Quality is always essential no matter what you are buying. Melbourne market is flooded with low-quality awnings that are sold at a lower price than the usual one. When shopping doesn’t go for cheaper awnings as they may break down after a few months after installation, costing you more than you would spend if you got good quality. It’s also a good idea to go for customized awnings although they may cost you more.

Summary

There are different types of outdoor awnings in the market, and when choosing one, you should be extra careful. Get your awnings from a reputable seller to get good quality that will last.

Tips to Grow Your Kitchen and Bathroom Design Business

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Starting a kitchen and bathroom design business is no rocket science as there are so many who have made out there. If you are an enthusiast for interior design, it is never too late to start and become a huge brand. Here are tips on how to grow your business as a kitchen and bathroom designer.

Focus on Marketing

You might have all the right skills to deliver impeccable designs and remodelling, but you have no one to deliver to. A lot of craft persons rely on referrals to reach as many people as possible, but this does not always work since not everybody likes you and will put good work out there for you.

On the contrary, recommendations are not harmful at all but will not get you where you want to go. Start by coming up with a brand name and a simple, attractive logo that represents you. Punch in a slogan cannot hurt too. With these in place, start small according to your financial ability.

You can start with social media pages, podcasts, and blogs and grow to more prominent marketing platforms as you gain more customers and make more money. While still at marketing, move with the trend and consider setting up a website where clients can quickly look through your services and products, including making orders and giving feedback for the services received.

Increase Your Staff

As you look to grow in terms of impact in the market and amount of returns you make, consider starting the growth from the inside.

Marketing might work incredibly well for you depending on how good your strategy is but if you do not have an adequate workforce to deliver to the many clients that you got yourself, they will leave and look for a designer who delivers.

Become selfless for the greater good by spending more of the profit to add a few more skilled employees with the potential to grow too in your payroll to increase productivity and improve on service delivery. Eventually, this investment that seems to be dragging your income at the moment will pay off.

Find a Reliable Supplier

Like all other businesses, you will need people to supply to you certain products that you need to make every design you come up with a masterpiece. As part of starting the business, you will need a list of the basic things required to deliver to clients, and with these, you can start looking for the right people to do kitchen and bathroom supplies for you in Australia.

Go for someone whose competency is at the same level as yours or even higher to avoid last minute rush or delays in delivering to clients’ expectation. The ideal choice here is Argent which is a renowned brand throughout Australia and globally for stocking top-tier products at significantly reduced prices.

Make Quality a Priority

The growing might seem easy, but maintaining the trend is not guaranteed, primarily if you are known to play around with the quality of service you deliver. Everybody wants value for their money, and that is why you need not compromise with the quality of service you deliver to clients to keep them satisfied and recommend your services to others.

Connect with Colleagues

As they say, no man is an island, and when starting a kitchen and bathroom design business, you need to learn from others. It is crucial to add on some creativity in your interactions as well and give much thought into hanging out with other designers in the business.

Best way to do this is to attend exhibitions and visit any kitchen and bath showroom in town where your peers are and wear your ‘people’s person’ hat. You will be stunned by how much extra you get to learn by interacting with your competitors and confrères.

Offer other Services

Do not stick to doing new bathroom and kitchen design for clients but consider adding extra services that will allow you to reach out to more clients and get to grow your business.

Remodelling, consultation, and maintenance are some of the additional services you can bring in rather than only working with clients doing completely new projects.

With the right skill set, planning, and the spirit to learn from others and a handy guide like this, there is no reason why you should not grow to a prominent brand recognized and respected globally.

4 Ways to Increase Leads from Your Wedding Directory Listing

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Imagine a bride-to-be who’s planning her wedding. Where does she go to find the suppliers she needs? Online.

But, with so many pages filled with vendors and reviews, she’s eager to find everything in one place. So, an organized, top-quality and trustworthy business web directory listing is the perfect solution.

Now, if you own a business which offers wedding related products or services, you can attract prospects by using online web directories. So, if you’re wondering how to increase leads, here are 4 ways suggested by Brides Central to improve your lead generation results.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is important to help your prospects easily find you online. The keywords which you use should reflect your business’ main activity, the region you cater to and the style of wedding which you can provide. For example, when online users search for best wedding venues in Australia, by using these keywords, you’ll attract leads.

So, including keywords in your wedding directory listing, especially in the title will increase your business’ chances of being found by your target market.

Examine the Directory’s Market

Any directory has an established target market. And, wedding directories have specific couples which they’re trying to attract, depending on location, budget, or style. So, when you create the content for your business’ directory listing consider your wedding target market.

If you want to attract high-end brides, offer luxurious services and products. Also, in case you can upload images consider high-quality and relevant photos for a luxurious wedding. Videos of previous weddings which your business has organized are great testimonials to showcase the quality of your services.

Choosing a Premium or Free Listing

Although web directories offer a premium listing including various benefits compared to the free version, it doesn’t guarantee real results.

Some of the benefits which you’re promised to receive include an ad on the homepage of the web directory, a feature on the directory’s blog or referrals on the directory’s Instagram or Facebook pages.

But, if your business is mentioned on the directory’s blog which is cluttered by ads about your competition, you won’t enjoy any benefits from lead generation. So, before choosing to pay for the premium package ask for the directory’s statistics.

Choosing the Proper Category

Wedding directories include various categories for suppliers. Usually, it depends on the type of service and location. And, you’re often restricted to list your business only under a single category. So, it comes down to making the right choice.

However, what if you offer services nationwide? Or, what if you can offer your services in two separate regions? Or, what should you choose when you offer both catering and flowers for weddings?

In this case, you should focus on creating a high-quality listing depending on your business’ strongest service and you can re-direct clients towards the additional services which you offer. It’s a matter of wedding marketing.

Final Thoughts

Wedding directories are highly useful to improve your business’ online presence and increase your business’ leads.

However, before you list your business you should analyze the online web directory’s target market, choose the right category for your business and include the right keywords throughout your content, and make sure that the Premium package is worth being paid for.

After taking these steps, you’ll enjoy a significant increase in your leads from your wedding directory listing.

4 Awesome Activities To Overcome The Boredom At Work

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A good bit of your workday is spent finding things to do. No, don’t jump to your own defence here – everyone knows it’s true, and it’s fine! The standard workday is a product of the industrial era, and work hours never changed the order to meet the rising efficiency from automated systems. Unfortunately, that means human workers have to sit around and find a way to look productive during their downtime. Even worse, most workplaces tend to frown on you when you catch up on your shows on your favourite streaming service or engage in a long-distance chat with distant relatives. You’re going to look for things to do when you’re bored, then, you’ll need to be discrete.

Boredom at work can also be a side effect of stress. The modern workplace is one that is full of stressors, and those who find themselves with too little to do might be wondering what that means for their future. Working people are seeking out for mental health support nowadays. If you want more out of your career, you’ve got to learn how to deal with the stress your job brings you. For many, that means taking the time to figure out activities that let you do the most with your downtime. Some of these activities may be fully productive, while others might exist just to allow you to relax. No matter the case, you deserve to find ways to relieve stress at work without getting in trouble.

Create New Procedures

The best way to kill time at work and reduce your stress is to create better methods of time management. Most boredom at work doesn’t just come from sitting around – it comes from poor time management. Take some time to create a realistic to-do list for yourself at work, giving yourself a reasonable amount of time for each task. You can update this list as you rotate through different activities and bring down your work time on each item. Not only will this help to cure boredom, but providing yourself with structure is one of the best ways to relieve stress.

Clean Your Space

If you’ve ever worked a retail job, you’ve heard the old adage about how those with time to lean have time to clean. While you might not be working retail any longer, this is actually a valuable piece of advice. A clean workspace is a safer workspace and one that is more efficient. Reducing your clutter can also help you to reduce your stress, providing you with a better base from which to improve yourself. Even if you only clean out of boredom, you’ll probably still get bonus points from the boss for having an organized space.

Solve The Puzzle

Have you ever heard of wooden puzzles? Do you know the popular snake cube puzzle? Even if you haven’t, you’ve probably seen it. It’s a simple wooden puzzle made of conjoined blocks, which can be assembled into the shape of a cube. Figuring out the puzzle is devilishly difficult, but it’s a great way to kill time at the office. If you can’t figure out how to solve the snake cube puzzle quickly, it’s fine – you can always claim that the exercise is meant to help you brainstorm new ideas and improve your problem-solving skills. This is one office activity that makes you look smarter even if you’re doing it to kill a few minutes at the end of your shift.

Seek Out New Goals

If you remember high school, you might remember that certain kids would get unruly during the day. Some of the kids acted out not because they didn’t respect the class, but because they were simply not challenged enough. If you find yourself bored at work, you might need to take on existing challenges. If you are stressed out by the lack of forwarding momentum at your job, go to your boss and ask for more responsibilities. Whether you are leading a new team or simply taking charge of the break room, having new goals can re-energize you and provide you with a path forward.

There will always be times when you get bored at work, and there will always be times when you get stressed out. The only way to fight these issues is to provide yourself with alternatives to stewing over your own lack of productivity. Whether you play a brain-building game, seek out more work or just take charge of your own schedule, you have the choice to make your own day better. Don’t give into boredom – use your extra time to make progress in your job.

About The Author:

Caroline Bird is a creative writer and digital marketer. She loves sharing her perspective, tips and how-tos related to home improvement, productivity, business, technology, and SEO through her writing. Connect with Caroline via @bCarolinebird12

Tips For Managing Your Business’s Scrap Metal Disposal Needs

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If you are running a business that produces waste scrap metals, then you understand that disposing of the waste is quite a challenge. Poorly disposed metal scraps pose a danger to both human health and the environment; this is why there is a need to properly dispose of the waste metal scraps. To effectively manage the waste scrap metals, you need to train your workers on the safety measures to take during the waste scrap metal collection process. They need to understand that no waste metals should be left lying about as this could cause physical injuries. Instead, they should collect all the waste scrap metals and put them in one place for disposal.

The disposal process should be done by professionals who will pick up the waste scrap metals and safely dispose of it. Besides the environmental benefits of managing waste scrap metals, there are some economic benefits to be gained too. The scrap waste can serve as a raw material when properly recycled.

Managing Scrap Metal Disposal

Provide Storage Bins

One way of preventing the inappropriate disposal of scrap metals is to ensure that there are enough storage bins at every point in your business. Putting up bins at designated areas within the business encourages the employees to properly dispose of any metal scraps that they might not need. If your business needs on-site collection bins for metal scrap, make sure you choose the best service in your area.

Provide Adequate Protective Gear

Personal protective gear is important during scrap metal collection. Workers who are moving the waste metals to the collection point may need to have protective gear that will prevent sharp edges of the scrap metals from hurting them. Some of the common protective clothing that should be provided includes thick gloves, safety boots and heavy material aprons that cannot easily be torn by metal.

Erect Adequate Signage

Ensure that there are adequate signs that direct employees and other visitors in your business premise on the right place to dispose of any scrap metal they might be having. You might consider using bright colours, engaging imagery and flashy signs in directing the workers towards the proper point of disposal.

Engage Services of Scrap Recyclers

Recycling is the best manner of getting rid of waste scrap metals on your business premises. Recycling is more beneficial even to the environment because the re-use of a scrap metal prevents any form of environmental hazard that arises from carelessly disposed of scrap metals. When selecting the scrap recyclers, ensure that you chose the best in the market based on factors such as the facilities they have, the reliability and professionalism, and the concern of recyclers to the environment.

Partnering with a Scrap Yard

Partnering with a scrap yard can also aid in managing the scrap metal in your business. You can get into a contract of supplying the scrap yards within your region with the scrap metals that they need to conduct their business. Such a partnership can fetch you some money. Scrap yards use the waste scrap metals as a raw material to create metal items. The partnership with scrap yards will not only get you cash for scrap, but you will also be taking care of the environment; through the management of waste scrap metals.

Educate your Employees

Training your employees can be a means of sensitizing them of the importance of proper metal scrap disposal. You can engage your employees in seminars that may equip them with the knowledge necessary for proper disposal of metal scrap.

Featured Photo © Pixabay

About The Author:

Caroline Bird is a creative writer and digital marketer. She loves sharing her perspective, tips and how-tos related to home improvement, productivity, business, technology, and SEO through her writing. Connect with Caroline via @bCarolinebird12

Digital Marketing: A New Way of Marketing

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Digital Marketing is any marketing that makes use of electronic devices such as mobile phones. Digital marketing has gained unprecedented importance in today’s times as a considerable part of the waking hours are spent on electronic devices. The Americans expend more than 11 hours each day on their electronic devices and the situation is much the same elsewhere, as per reports.

Types of Digital Marketing

There are various kinds of digital marketing such as Search Engine Optimization, social media marketing and affiliate marketing; it’s all about what works best for a particular industry and audience.

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of growing the online visibility in search engine results. The users search for a given set of keywords by using Google and other search engines and receive individualized results based on location, keyword and browsing history. The organic search results are ranked with the use of search engine algorithms. SEO agencies such as Impressive Digital help in generating high levels of online visibility and traffic.

Search Engine Marketing

Search Engine Marketing covers the ground ignored by SEO. Google AdWords is the most common paid search platform. It charges a predetermined amount to display an advertisement in a number of places on the basis of criteria such as keywords and phrases. Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) is a digital marketing method whereby search engines charge a company for each click of the advertisement.

Social Media Marketing

Social media is pivotal to any marketing strategy. Social media marketing provides exposure and facilitates intimate connections with the consumers. The by-product of such interactions is feedback that is valuable for enhancing customer services.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is the practice of delivering quality content to the users to generate sales and leads. It is comprised of tweets, YouTube videos and blogs. Content Marketing works well as it jells with other types of digital marketing such as SEO and Social Media Marketing.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is the practice of updating the company’s customers at regular intervals through the medium of email. This fosters deep trust between the company and its customers, and provides value to the end users, thereby building brand trust and brand loyalty. People who opt for email subscriptions generally convert into active consumers.

Why Digital Marketing?

Marketing was once considered as the domain of multinationals and large corporations with deep pockets to mount and sustain an online marketing campaign. Digital Marketing has levelled the playing field, providing small and medium enterprises an opportunity to compete against the big boys. Small businesses can engage effectively with multiple customers worldwide even in the absence of physical stores and branches. Digital Marketing is also more cost-effective than traditional marketing as it delivers cost-effective marketing channels to small businesses with limited resources and capitalization.

To conclude, digital marketing bestows competitive edge to a business in today’s digital arena. The real goal of digital marketing is to boost online visibility, engage with consumers and enhance brand value. Quality marketing practices thereby benefit both the company and target audience.

How to Find a Car Broker to Help You Sell Your Used Car

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There are numerous reasons to sell your car. You probably want to raise money for other expenses, you want to get a better brand, or you want to eliminate the cost of fuel among other reasons. Whichever the reason for your sale, selling a used car can be a daunting process especially if you are not familiar with the car dealer market and are probably looking for the best answer on how to sell a used car.

One of the best options for selling a used car is to hire a broker. This is a person that acts as an intermediary between you and the buyer. The goal is to make the selling process exciting and seamless, both for you and the buyer, which is what you get by involving a broker.

Consider the Cost

How much do car brokers charge? This should be on top of the questions that come to your mind once you decide to hire a broker. This will guide you into choosing one with the most reasonable charges and one that fits in your budget. Ideally, auto brokers charge a flat fee of between $200 and $500 depending on your location and the services you wish to get from them.

Customer Reviews

You can never be wrong about someone or something by listening to what others have to say about them. If you are doing an online search, you will most likely find a review section on their website, and here, you will see what others have to say about the broker or firm. If the negative reviews are more than the positive ones, that should raise a red flag, and you should consider the next one. Repeat the process until you find the most competent.

Go for a Licensed and Certified Broker

While getting a broker is one of the best ways to sell a used car, you might get in trouble if you choose the dealer in a hurry. You do not want to work with an unauthorized dealer as that could lead you on the wrong side of the law and eventually incur losses. You could be working with thieves and have no way of reporting them as you have none of their documentation to prove their existence.

Let them show the license to you first before getting into the deal. Brokers have been in the industry for an extended period, and therefore, understand all the loopholes through the market which assures you of the best deals. Ultimately, the best way to sell your car quickly is to hire a broker.

Conduct Online Checks

It is crucial for you to conduct online checks on what a broker can offer. Some car brokers deal exclusively in luxury or new cars and would thus not be helpful when looking forward to selling your used car. Online checks are also vital in obtaining a broker’s reviews from their past clients in far-flung areas.

Establish How Long They Have Been in the Business

A broker’s years of experience in the sale of motor vehicles is an important consideration since it conveys their level of knowledge, which has a direct impact on your sale. Experienced brokers have wide connections and will take less time before they find a buyer.

Additionally, experienced brokers have a thorough understanding of what buyers consider to be crucial when shopping for a second-hand vehicle including a fresh coat of paint and new tires among others.

Car brokers can save you from the hassle of looking for used car buyers and they can generate you money by finding you the best deals. Do not be afraid of the cost incurred when paying them but instead look at the bigger picture. With the provided tips, you will undoubtedly get the best broker to sell your used car. All the best!

About the Author:

Caroline Bird is a creative writer and digital marketer. She loves sharing her perspective, tips and how-tos related to productivity, business, technology, and SEO through her writing. Connect with Caroline via @bCarolinebird12

Australian Small Business Grants in 2019

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The Australian government is giving small businesses a boost with financial help in the form of payment incentives, tax credits or grants. To qualify for a grant, your business should be a start-up or a small and medium-sized business. The annual turnover of your business may come into play if you want to apply for some of the grants.

We will explore some of the business grants available to your business below.

Australian Government Entrepreneurs Program

To encourage productivity, competitiveness, and commercialization of ideas, the Federal Government is providing this grant to entrepreneurs. To accelerate commercialisation, the grant will give funding of up to $1 million for any process that goes into bringing a new product, service, and process into the market.

small business outlook 2019

Business advisors will be at hand to mentor and help in implementing strategies. They will also help create a business evaluation action plan that will recommend how to grow and improve. 

Your business must have an annual turnover of between $1.5 and $100 million. The company must also be in a particular growth sector like manufacturing, mining technology, medical-technology agribusiness, food, among others.

Start-up and existing incubators will receive up to $500,000 to help them access international markets.

State Government Grants – Victoria

These grants are available for people who live in the Victoria area and are available for anyone in food innovation, Social Enterprise, Defence and Aerospace, exports to Asia and advanced manufacturing.

Anyone who successfully applies will get vouchers that they can use in innovation, market engagement, and business capability.

Winning a state government grant can provide prestige and credibility, with the appearance of a small business critical to help it get off the ground. In addition, the most obvious benefit of this grant is that, unlike a loan, grants do not need to be repaid. This can provide you with a unique advantage over your competition.

According to the short-term finance experts at Maxiron Capital, “The approval of state funding can provide the same boost to a small business or start-up as a small business loan. With no repayments to make there is the opportunity to use short-term financing to scale at speed and drive home the advantage provided through state grants.”


State Government Grants – Queensland

This $50,000 Grant is available for businesses that need to purchase specialised Services or equipment. The grant aims to accelerate the growth of businesses that have high growth and employment aspirations.

According to the Queensland Government, Business Queensland, “Business innovation often requires an up-front investment of resources to develop new ideas, with a view to future profits. For businesses that are unable to fund their own ideas, a range of grants and financial assistance is available to support innovation.”

In order to find the specific grant, you can go over the Grant Directories.

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State Government Grants – New South Wales

The $2000 Grant is for businesses that hire new employees without paying payroll tax. The company will get the grant for every new employee they hire.

There are typically two types of grants for employee hiring, both of which will require you to understand your taxation and legal rights. A Small Business Grant is aimed at small businesses looking to increase their headcount, which means businesses that are paying less than $750,000 a year in wages and therefore falling under the NSW Payroll Tax threshold.

With the ability of grants to transform your business, the legal experts at Southern Coast Lawyers indicate that “you should always be aware of relevant state legislation pertaining to your business. Knowing your legal responsibilities and ensuring you are working within these parameters can ensure you are eligible for business grants when they become available to you.”

Then there is the other typical grant that is the Jobs Action Plan. This is for larger businesses, so it is important to identify which type of grant suits your needs the most.

CSIRO Kick Start Grant

Any Australian SME or start-up can qualify for the $50000 matched funding Grant. 

The fund will aid in research activities done together with CSIRO to grow the business. Your company must have an Australian company number (ACN) have an annual turnover of below $1.5 million, and GST registered.

The research will cover areas such as product development, ideas with commercial potential, and testing of products or materials. It should not be less than a one-year research project.

CSIRO will provide between $10000 and $50000 in matched funding for your research investment.

Certain Inputs to Manufacture (CIM) programme

CIM is a concession which will allow manufacturers in Australia to import specific raw material like chemicals, paper goods, plastic and metal for food packaging, duty-free.

You will only get the grant if you can prove that you cannot get the same quality of the product in the domestic market.

R & D Tax Incentive

The R&D tax incentive will give a company a 43.5% refundable tax, for any costs that arise due to research and development activities.

To be considered for the grant, the company has to be incorporated, and have R&D reductions or costs of $20,000 at the minimum. You must also have an annual turnover of no less than$20 million.

Australian Government Restart Incentive

The Australian Government Restart Incentive is a grant that will go to any business that employs and retains mature employees of age 50 and above.

The company must have a valid ABN, is a member of an unemployment service provider, and should offer the employee a minimum of 20 hours per week. Your company will receive a payment of $10,000 over six months.