OTSPC Newsletter #1 - End of Financial Year, Values and What’s On
Hi everyone,
I sincerely hope this email finds you enjoying the slightly cooler NT weather. In the Top End the dragonflies told us it was coming and now it is finally here.
Welcome to the first of what I hope will be a regular newsletter series bringing you up-to-date with the latest news at On the Same Page Consulting, and sharing some thoughts about current business and communications trends. I’ll also give you the skinny on upcoming networking events, grants opportunities and business development opportunities.
I want to make these newsletters worth your time to read, so let me know if you think this was useful or not.
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If you’ve connected with me on LinkedIn, you might have seen the video I posted recently about #valuesbasedbusiness. I did it on a bit of a whim because I had been working on an event where I became overwhelmed by the kindness that people who were in extreme pain and mourning showed to others, and how they demonstrated compassion despite their pain. Read more about my thoughts on values here.
Their positivity and kindness in the face of personal trauma made me realise there are so many wonderful people in business who are giving their time, skills and money, collaborating with others, mentoring, donating and openly sharing their knowledge and experience.
On my way home from that event I decided that I want me and my business to reflect those same ethics and approach to business. For me, this starts with attracting clients, collaborators and people who speak and act with integrity and who are aligned with our values of Empathy, Integrity, Reliability, Independence and Creativity.
I don’t know of many businesses who use their values to sell their services, but I think they should be the foundation of all business relationships. If you’re on the same page, I'd love to talk about how we can work together.
Food for thought and action…
So, what are your business values? How do your values guide your business? Have you written your business values on paper or put them up on a wall to remind everyone? Do your clients know what they are and do you use them in your communications?
When was the last time you talked to your team about your business values and what that means for themselves and the business? If it’s been a while, or maybe even never, maybe schedule a session at the next team get together to talk about what values you think are important for your business.
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SIMPLIFYING THAT TIME OF YEAR!
Can you believe we are less than two months from the end of the financial year? Argh! Tax time and for some, Annual Report time!
Some of you have already booked in your Annual Report writing. That’s what I call super organised!
I love writing Annual Reports because as leaders, it gives us the chance to reflect on how much we have done, how much we have grown and the obstacles and challenges we have overcome. Many people, though, view it as an annual chore and I know it can be hard work.
It doesn’t have to be such a hard grind, though. In my piece about making Annual Report Writing easier, I share some quick tips about how you can make it easier on yourself while still ticking all the required boxes.
AND WHAT ABOUT NEXT YEAR?
The end of the financial year is also a great time to look ahead. How’s your business plan going? Do you need to update it? What are you going to do to support your business priorities in the year/s to come?
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WE ARE GROWING!
The team at On The Same Page Consulting has grown a bit this year. We have some new writers, editors and proof-readers who bring a range of skills and experience to the team. Get to know the Team more.
This means there are even more ways we can help you, like:
- writing submissions for tenders, grants and awards (including all the pesky attachments)
- writing policies, procedures, plans and reports (like annual reports)
- writing other corporate documents
- reviewing and editing your preparation of the above or any other documents – large or small (a lower cost option than writing from scratch)
Check our full range of services we offer, and our pricing.
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If cost is an issue for you, you might qualify assistance under the NT Business Growth Program. The program helps businesses access professional services to improve their performance, sustainability and profitability. It also provides mentoring and coaching support.
On the Same Page Consulting is now a registered provider, so you might be able to get a subsidy for our work. Find out more about how the Business Growth Program could help you.
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CONNI IN ALICE
For my Mparntwe (Alice Springs) clients, colleagues and collaborators, I will be visiting the Red Centre for the NT Writer’s Festival from 30 May till 5 June. I would love to catch up with you. Head to our events page to book in a catch up.
View all upcoming events here. -
WANT TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS?
There are quite a few tender and grant opportunities around now, along with some business networking activity. Maybe one of these below would work for you.
Tenders
Local Buy has opened 45 tender opportunities this month. They close on 31 May. There isn’t a whole lot of information on the site, but they are effectively a panel contract for Local Government, so there might be something there for your business. These opportunities come up every three months so keep an eye out for the next round if there’s nothing for you this time.
Grants
There are a few less-well-known grants open for applications at the moment, and might be worth checking out.
Aboriginal Workforce Grants – funding for businesses to support projects that support Aboriginal people.
Biz Secure NT – funding for businesses to improve their security. (Up to 75% funding for small security projects.)
Contemporary Music Touring Program – this one is for the musos out there… and doesn’t close until mid September so get that project plan going now.
Growing Regions Program – Funding for capital works projects in the regions. (Not yet open, time to prepare)
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Interested in Defence work?
I was having a chat recently with Aaron McMahon at the Office of Defence Industry Support (ODIS) about how local businesses can get involved in Defence work. Aaron sends out a regular email about upcoming opportunities, and if you would like to get on his email list and find out what is coming up send him an email at: aaron.mcmahon1@defence.gov.au.
NT Indigenous Business Network Workshop
Over the past few months I have been privileged to get to know some of the leadership team members at the Indigenous Business Network, which is working to create more opportunities for Indigenous businesses in the NT. Over the past 10 years they have built a great network with lots of benefits for their members. if you are an Indigenous business and you are NOT a member – why not?
One of the benefits is workshops like the one I’ll be giving at the end of the month. On May 26, I’ll be presenting a Tender Basics workshops to NT IBN members. I have some interesting tips about how to write a winning tender, and would love to see you there.
Check out our events page for other workshops that might be coming up soon.
That’s all for this edition. Thanks for taking the time to read it. If there's anything you'd like to know more about, let's chat.
