Young Entrepreneurs Blog by The FRANK Team

2009-10-28T10:19:00.000+11:00

You’re Invited - Young Entrepreneurs Evening 4th November

Wanna hang out with other young entrepreneurs just like you?
Wanna hear from awesome speakers who will inspire you and give you tips that will impact your business positively straight away?
Wanna hear about future young entrepreneurs programs that you can get involved in?

Whether you have already started your own business, or want to, our Young Entrepreneurs Evening is a must for you.

It's happening next week on Wednesday in Sydney and YOU ARE INVITED (oooh plus any of your friends who are also interested in all things business and entrepreneurship!). Check out http://www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au/young-entrepreneurs-evening.html for details.

We have an awesome guest speaker Joseph Renzi of Our Wishing Well, who is a passionate young entrepreneur himself. We also have a panel of successful entrepreneurs; you will get to pick their brains in an intimate Q&A session. The voice of young entrepreneurs will be strong when we hear from some young biz owners who are sharing their tips on how to grow your business, and other young entrepreneurs who are in the process of systemising their businesses and how they are managing that.

RSVP with anna@frankteam.com.au to reserve your spot (limited seats available).

Date: Wednesday 4th November
Time: 6pm-9:30pm.
Place: bioFirst Seminar Room
Ground Floor, Australian Innovation Centre
Australian Technology Park
4 Cornwalis St, Eveleigh (near Redfern) NSW
Plenty of parking on site.
Investment: $25 per person (Free entry for YESUP alumni)

Will you join us? RSVP with anna@frankteam.com.au so you don’t miss out.

Get more info and pay online with Paypal @ http://www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au/young-entrepreneurs-evening.html

Please help us forward this invitation far and wide – post it on Facebook, on twitter and email it out to your friends and colleagues! Tell ‘em to visit http://www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au/young-entrepreneurs-evening.html

Look forward to seeing you there next Wednesday :)

Tell the World Your Story

2009-07-09T15:23:00.003+10:00

Want to get featured in the media, gain attention for your business and you?

Come along to The Frank Team's Workshop on Tuesday 14th July in Sydney and learn all of the PR & Media secrets to get yourself in the media.

Our workshop "PR Secrets" is the perfect place to learn how to do your own PR (public relations), how to deal with the media yourself and put together press releases that will get you and your business coverage.

Book your spot now http://www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au/prworkshop.html so you don't miss out on this opportunity.
See you there

If you can't make it to the workshop it will be filmed and available for purchase afterwards.

Opportunities for Young Entrepreneurs

2009-06-29T13:15:00.002+10:00

Hey Young Entrepreneurs

Here are the latest and greatest opportunities just for you!

Workshop: PR Secrets for Beginners

Would you love to get some coverage in the media to grow your business but don’t know where to start? Effective PR is important to any business because it raises your profile to your audience, positions you as an expert in your field, helps to build your database and most importantly INCREASES SALES! Next in our SHOW ME HOW Workshop series is PR Secrets for Beginners led by Jonica Bray from Publicity Insider. Come and learn the tricks and tips to use yourself! Book Now http://www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au/prworkshop.html Recording of the workshop will be available.

Young Entrepreneurs Evening – SYDNEY

Come and hang out with other young entrepreneurs just like you who are running their business or just getting started! Learn and be inspired by our awesome speakers who are successful entrepreneurs; young and old! You will get tips and strategies that impact your business positively straight away and feel at home as you network with others just like you!

Join Us on 8^th July. More info and registration http://www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au/young-entrepreneurs-evening.html

Business Icon Comp – WA & VIC

A great competition that tests your entrepreneurial talent with some great prizes up for grabs. Applications are now open. The 6 day intense event will be held in August, and will take competitors through four carefully designed business and social challenges. Entry is open to anyone aged 18-25. Meet great people, network, build your profile & test your skills. More info http://www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au/opportunities29june.html

Young Innovators & Scientist Awards

The 2009 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is now open for applications. If you're aged between 18 and 35 years and have a great idea that will help boost Australia's agriculture, fisheries or forestry industries, then start working on your application now!. Learn more http://www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au/opportunities29june.html and apply now!

Media Opportunity – Get Exposure

Would you to be featured in Money magazine? If you're interested in getting a financial plan, are comfortable talking about your financial situation and attitudes to money and are happy to be photographed to appear in an upcoming issue then they would like to hear from you. More info http://www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au/opportunities29june.html

Get Credit for Your Copyright

Learn more about copyright and how to get credit (& payment) for your work if it is used by anyone else by checking out CAL. If you produce written content of any kind, that you think others may want to use then you can register with CAL to ensure you get credit for your work, and sometimes payment!. More info http://www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au/opportunities29june.html

Got an opportunity you want to share with others? Let us know and we will spread the word!

Cheers,

Jessica Schebesta (Kiely)

5 Common PR Mistakes

2009-06-16T15:25:00.002+10:00

The thought of contacting a journalist and media agency can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be! We’ve been around the PR block and learnt a thing or two about what NOT to do when trying to gain media exposure for you and your business.

Here is your 5 COMMON PR MISTAKES TO AVOID download. Get a peak at what to avoid with DIY publicity.

Want to learn more?

If you want to learn more about how to be a self-sufficent PR gun, hurry and book now for our ‘PR Secrets for Beginners’ workshop which is running July 14th, Syd with young PR and publicity extraordinaire Jonica Bray.

As busy people it can be tricky to keep a finger on the pulse in all areas of your business or organisation. So knowing how to continually promote you and your organisation through media channels can be daunting…unless you have the know-how.

Effective PR is important to any organisation for a number of reasons. Mainly because it raises your profile to your audience, positions you as an expert in your field, helps to build your database and most importantly INCREASES SALES and exposure for what you do!

Book Now to come to our engaging and highly effective workshop so you learn the Tips from Jonica who has worked on the inside of media for many years.
And of course like all Frank Team programs it will not only be HIGHLY useful but also VERY fun too with networking galour!

Look forward to seeing you there.
FT

This Saturday - Young Entrepreneurs Workshop

2009-06-11T14:18:00.004+10:00

A reminder that our Young Entrepreneurs Workshop is happening this Saturday at the SSHED, Loftus NSW.

Details below, get in touch if you'd like to RSVP for this FREE event!

The Frank Team are excited to announce our next Young Entrepreneurs Workshop - check out this FREE event!

The SSHED - Sutherland Shire Economic Hub for Development is a world class business incubator helping out biz's in the Sutherland area and they're hosting another Young Entrepreneurs Workshop on the 13th June from 10am-2pm. We have young entrepreneurs from near and far travel to participate in this event each year.

This is a great opportunity for skills training, facilitated networking, and self promotion! It’s run by young people, for young people.

We have a great line up of speakers and guests at this year’s workshop, with Mark McCowan, Director of Synchro Marketing as our key note speaker.

And throughout the day you will also hear from:
Melissa Abu-Gazaleh - Best Catch
Stella Katsaros - Little Miss Stella
Joseph Renzi - Our Wishing Well
Alex Vaughan - Alex Vaughan Photography
Jessica Schebesta (Kiely) – The Frank Team

Plus you attend two skills workshops:
- Effective & fun biz planning for those just starting out
- Website know-how: simple & effective tips for building your website

Getting involved again fifth time round are Sutherland Shire Council, the SSHED, GROW Sydney, University of Wollongong and the workshop is being run by The Frank Team.

Download the Workshop Flyer at: www.frankteam.com.au/downloads/SSHED flyer09.pdf

If you would like more info about the event, or you'd like to register your attendance please email me @ anna@frankteam.com.au or call 02 9518 6244.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers
Anna

Young Entrepreneurs Workshop Sutherland

2009-05-22T12:20:00.002+10:00

We are excited to announce our next Young Entrepreneurs Workshop
- check out this FREE event!

The SSHED - Sutherland Shire Economic Hub for Development is a world class business incubator helping out biz's in the Sutherland area and they're hosting another Young Entrepreneurs Workshop on the 13th June from 10am-2pm. We have young entrepreneurs from near and far travel to participate in this event each year.

This is a great opportunity for skills training, facilitated networking, and self promotion! It’s run by young people, for young people.

We have a great line up of speakers and guests at this year’s workshop, with Mark McCowan, Director of Synchro Marketing as our key note speaker.

And throughout the day you will also hear from:
Melissa Abu-Gazaleh - Best Catch
Stella Katsaros - Little Miss Stella
Joseph Renzi - Our Wishing Well
Alex Vaughan - Alex Vaughan Photography
Jessica Schebesta (Kiely) – The Frank Team

Plus you attend two skills workshops:
- Effective & fun biz planning for those just starting out
- Website know-how: simple & effective tips for building your website

Getting involved again fifth time round are Sutherland Shire Council, the SSHED, GROW Sydney, University of Wollongong and the workshop is being run by The Frank Team.

Download the Workshop Flyer here

If you would like more info about the event, or you'd like to register your attendance please email me @ anna@frankteam.com.au or call 02 9518 6244.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers
Anna

Five Ways to Promote Yourself Powerfully

2009-05-13T15:42:00.002+10:00

Promote Yourself Powerfully

Our First Five Methods you can use to Promote Yourself Powerfully and Create Opportunities for Your Career

Jessica Kiely-Schebesta

The modern marketplace is very competitive and we are required to sell ourselves every day, whether it is to ensure you are chosen for a new project at work, to win a new client or get a new job.

As the CEO of your Me Incorporated (Me INC) you need to be promoting yourself in that marketplace. Here are our first five strategies that you can use to promote yourself powerfully and create opportunities for your career. Stay tuned for our next 5 coming out soon!

First Impressions

It is vital that you get the basics right first when it comes to first impressions. You have 5 to 15 seconds to impress someone and create a powerful impression, and you are the one that has a large say in what they think of you, so use that power.

Make sure the way you are dressed is right for the environment and occasion. Do your research before hand to find out what this is, especially if you are in a different country and culture. Always look smart and well presented, as this proves that you care and have taken the time to present yourself well, which says a lot about how you approach work as well.

Make sure there is a smile on your face. This makes you approachable and can give you confidence. Keep your energy levels high, without bouncing off the walls! Someone who is energetic, interested and enthusiastic always stands out.

If you need to wear a name tag make sure it is easy to read and see, so wearing it on your waist is not appropriate.

Starting with a firm handshake can also work wonders. No one likes to shake hands and get a wet fish on the other end. Practice your handshake with someone and ask for feedback. Again you want it to show your confidence.

Have open and positive body language in the way you hold yourself and walk into a room. The ‘ole shoulders back, head high and eyes up is very true, and will make you feel more confident. Sitting up in your chair and forward as you speak also shows interest and creates a great impression.

And of course, choose your words wisely. Positive language, well thought out responses and a confident introduction of yourself are a great starter. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right straight away, learn from each experience and do it better next time.

Follow Up

Basically, in my experience 90% of people are lazy and never follow up and just sit and wait for people to get back to them. Be a part of the 10% and really stand out and be remembered by following up. It seems basic, but most people just can’t be bothered, and so miss out on the true opportunities.

You can follow up with a speaker you heard at an event and were really impressed with, after a job interview, after sending your resume, after a meeting with a manager or supervisor, after a seminar you attended, after a networking event with the people that you met, after the first meeting with a new project team, after a teleconference......it just goes on.

Your follow up obviously needs to suit the occasion and situation, so choose wisely, but ALWAYS follow up.

You can:

Send an email
Make a quick phone call
Send a letter, card or postcard
Write up a testimonial or recommendation for them
Ask for a testimonial or feedback from them
Post them a small gift
Link with them on LinkedIn or Facebook etc

Professional Online Profiles

You probably already have a Facebook or MySpace set up that keeps you in contact with your social circle, and perhaps even some in your professional network on there as well. However, there are lots of places where you can now have your professional online profile set up and link with others, and it can all just be about your professional side of life.

The one that we use and highly recommend is LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). You set up your profile and outline all of your past jobs, achievements, education and interests; almost like an online resume. Then you get to search for people you know and have worked with professionally and link with them. Once they have accepted you, you are able to see their network and who they know. It is very powerful.

To make the most of it make sure you have a fully updated profile, a picture of yourself that is professional, get people in your network to write recommendations for you (and of course you will need to do it for them first), and keep your status updated with what you are currently working on or achievements that you want others to know about.

LinkedIn is becoming a market place. Jobs are advertised and people ask for referrals, you can join professional groups and associations and get updates about opportunities, people ask questions and seek feedback and tips are provided by the network.

The most powerful thing I have found with LinkedIn is the ability to search for someone you really want to talk with or have a chance to meet, and you can then see how many degrees of separation between you and them, and then just work your way through getting introductions to others to then eventually get a personal introduction to the person you wanted to chat with. Very powerful stuff! So get cracking and get your LinkedIn profile up and search for me Jessica Kiely-Schebesta!

Online Reputation Management (ORM)

To ensure that you and your brand are protected and working for you positively you need to be monitoring what is online about you. 80% of employers and others will Google you before meeting you or even considering you for a position professionally, and sometimes those Google results (word and image) are the difference between whether you get an opportunity or not.

Regularly check through Google, MSN and Yahoo what comes up with your name. Ensure that anything unprofessional is removed, if possible – like those Facebook pics from last weeks party! Facebook and other sites all have ways to keep certain parts of your profile private and only viewable by those who you want seeing it, so utilise those locking tools.

You can even set up a Google Alert with your name and any other identifiers, so that on a weekly basis you get sent anything that has come up online and being indexed by Google with your name. That way you can monitor it yourself and then manage it regularly.

Also start looking for as many ways to be known online for good stuff eg; articles being published, awards being won etc. We will look at these in more detail in our next edition of Ways to Powerfully Promote Yourself, so stay tuned.

Face to Face Networking

Yes, it is an oldie but a goodie. Actually meeting new people in person in a professional environment is very important to build your network but also to promote yourself. You are never too young to start networking, so “being a student” is no excuse and you can get out there and start meeting new people right now.

Making sure you get out to 1 or 2 networking events a month is a good goal to aim for. There are heaps of different opportunities and events out there to choose from, and not all of them cost money; get searching! The Frank Team run regular networking events for young entrepreneurs so ask us about the next one coming up near you.

Network not only within your industry but also venture out to other industries and extend your network and professional development.

There are a heap of great articles you can find online that give you tips and strategies on how to network effectively, so do some prep before and read up. But keep in mind:

Always have business cards with you. Even if you are a student or between jobs, you can get a set of business cards done up pretty easily for not much cost with your basic contact details.
Arrive early and find other people who are alone and looking to chat.
Research the speaker before and then introduce yourself to them at the event.
When you meet new people ask lots of interesting questions that help you learn more about them, then customise your 30 sec pitch about “what do you do” to them and their needs.
Add the new people that you meet to your contacts database afterwards, or find them on LinkedIn and connect.
Always follow up with new people and old acquaintances that you met.
Note down each time what you learnt; tips, strategies etc and then post that on your blog or someone else’s to help other people learn.

Stay tuned for our next 5 WAYS TO PROMOTE YOURSELF POWERFULLY; Mentors, Work Experience, Volunteering, Speaking Opportunities & Twitter

The Frank Team have a 1 hour, 3 hour and Full Day workshop on POWERFUL SELF PROMOTION – The Why and How. To learn more and get a session outline contact jessica@frankteam.com.au or (02) 95186244. We present these all over Australia and travel to you.

The Frank Team specialise in career, entrepreneurship & youth development programs across Australia. Our experienced and professional youth presenters, coupled with our selection of set or customised programs deliver high impact presentations, workshops and ongoing programs for young people, young professionals & young entrepreneurs. Through our 8 years we have worked with schools, local councils, universities, government departments of all levels, corporate, community groups and training organisations across Australia and internationally.

We truly care about assisting and empowering young Australians to take their ideas and make them a reality in their careers, their communities and in their own business. And always doing this in a fun, innovative and authentic way.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you motivate, inspire & empower the young people that you work with.

www.frankteam.com.au and www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au
Ph: (02) 95186244 E: jessica@frankteam.com.au

Opportunities for Young Entrepreneurs

2009-04-03T12:35:00.002+11:00

Latest Opportunities for young entrepreneurs

Our latest dose of opportunities for young entrepreneurs is OUT....get your fix here at our new Young Entreprenuers site.

There are free tickets to be won to business seminars, promotional opportunities, inspirational global business ideas to start yourself and so much more!
Subscribe here.

Enjoy

Generation Gap - Workshop

2009-03-24T10:21:00.005+11:00

BRIDGING THE GENERATION DIVIDE - Workshop by NSW Department of State & Regional Development for Young Entrepreneurs.

Two workshops dealing with how different generations view business are being held in Sydney and Newcastle very soon.

The aim of the workshops is to develop the business knowledge and skills of up-and-coming entrepreneurs in a changing business environment.

The bulk of business leaders come from an ageing generation, with emerging leaders coming from the much younger Generation Y.

This means generational differences need to be properly understood by both sides of the divide.

There are thousands of business operators aged under 30 in NSW, and its vital young business people gain traction in a competitive business environment.

It is not enough for employers to have a cursory understanding and nominal engagement with a new generation of employees.

Up-and-coming entrepreneurs need to know the attitudes and expectations of older workers and customers.

Social researcher and best selling author Michael McQueen discusses the impacts of an ageing population at a workshop at the Hunter Business Centre,
265 King Street Newcastle West on 30 March. He explains how young business people can bridge the gap between generations to help create new business opportunities.

Social researcher and demographer Mark McCrindle describes the demographic trends of an ageing society, and the potential impact on business owners of the future at a workshop in the MLC Centre in Sydney on 2 April.

Both workshops can help today’s emerging leaders see the viewpoint of other generations so that each can work effectively, communicate productively and develop leadership skills.

For further information or to register contact Bryan Pirie on 9338 6616 or email: bryan.pirie@business.nsw.gov.au More information can also be found on the NSW DSRD's website.

Last Chance to Build Your Business for only $200!

2009-02-24T11:59:00.001+11:00

Where can you get 10 hours of workshops, 8 hours of personal one-on-one mentoring and networking opportunities to grow your business for only $200 right now?

Right here in The Frank Team’s Young Entrepreneurs Stepping UP Program.

Now is the time to invest in your business and grow your skills.

For an investment of only $200 (+GST) you get:
- 10 hours (over 3 sessions) of Frank Team workshop time on Setting up Your Marketing Systems in your business
- 8 hours of personal mentoring with a highly experienced mentor matched to you and your key needs
- Networking with other young entrepreneurs over the course of the entire program
- A legal workshop from ENYA that will have all of your legal questions answered
- A self coaching session from Live Your Potential to keep you self motivated and on track with your goals

Only 16 young entrepreneurs do the program at one time, and we have only 3 SPOTS AVAILABLE in our Sydney city program starting very soon.

You must be 18 – 35 years old and have been in business for 1 year and live in NSW!

Amazing value. Get your application in now. Applications available online NOW.

Frank Team on www.news.com.au

2009-02-24T11:35:00.002+11:00

Recently The Frank Team helped www.news.com.au to find a group of teen entrepreneurs for a feature piece on their site.

It is now out and you can read it - Young Entrepreneurs Toughen Up

A great piece to profile some dynamic young entrepreneurs.

To make sure you are included next time, send us info about you, your business and when you got started!!!

Media Promo Opportunity - Contact Us NOW

2009-01-30T11:54:00.003+11:00

Calling all under 20 Young Entrepreneurs

The Frank Team has been contacted by a mainstream media contact and they are interested in doing a story on some young (under 20) entrepreneurs out there right now running their businesses. Yey for young entrepreneurs!

If you (or anyone you know of) meet these criteria please contact me ASAP – I will get your direct contact details and then pass them onto the journalist.

Criteria:
- Under 20
- Currently running your own business (part time or full time) of any type (business, social, environmental etc)
- From any state in Australia
- Teenage entrepreneurs in particular are encouraged to put their hand up!

Please get in contact with us ASAP with your direct phone number (mobile, land line), your age and your business name. You can also call me with any questions: (02) 95186244

Unfortunately I miss out - being 32 - even though I started my first business at 19!!!

Forward this on to any other young entrepreneurs you know and get them to contact us too.

Look forward to hearing from you very soon.
Jessica
Director - The Frank Team

What can teenagers do to start their entrepreneurial journey?

2009-01-07T15:55:00.007+11:00

Recently we had a post on our blog that was asking all about how teens who already know they wanna be their own boss can get started. The blog query was:

“I am a 40 year old trade educated entrepreneur employing 13 people. I started my business at 30 so fit your figures perfectly. My 15 year old wants to be an entrepreneur but I find it hard to put him on the right track. I have my trade and sales background and contacts gained in my 20's. How does a 15 year old get the experience and contacts required to make it? Where does he start? School pushes the kids to trades or uni and he doesn’t want that.

Anon on our BLOG 2008”

Awesome question, and we know there is a heap of things they can be doing. So for all of you teenpreneurs out there, get started with these ideas......

Use The Frank Team

- The Frank Team has a heap of resources and opportunities for young entrepreneurs of all ages including teenagers.

o Our Young Entrepreneurs Membership program is perfect for teenagers just starting out. Regular newsletters, events & workshops to attend are all part of the program. Join our Young Entrepreneur Network today.

o The Break it Down cards are Frank Team’s business planning tools specific for young entrepreneurs. We have been using them for years in our workshops with young people around Australia and you can have your own set. Get your set of Business Planning cards today.

o Our library of business start-up Articles is a great starting point to start building your knowledge. We also have a great article full of tips for starting up that we have just added - you will love it.

o Sign up to our Events list to be kept up to date with our events for young entrepreneurs that we run regularly. This will give you a chance to meet other young people just like yourself. You will learn from others and get inspired.

o Sign up for IGNITE, our monthly newsletter, that is packed with up to date information about programs and opportunities for young entrepreneurs. Everything from award programs, to training & volunteering opportunities.

Entrepreneurial Work experience & Internships

- Identify some awesome entrepreneurs that you would love to learn from (young and old) near you through some online searching, or by contacting us here at The Frank Team .

- Contact these entrepreneurs directly and ask to do some work experience with them. Offer yourself for free for 1 – 4 weeks, or for a few days a week over 6 months. Get the opportunity to hang around the entrepreneurs and learn from them. They will be impressed with your initiative and will love having you.

Young Achievers Australia Programs

- Find out if your school, college or university is running the Young Achievers program. This is a course that puts young people together in teams who have to set up & run a business. It gives you amazing experience and exposure to entrepreneurial issues that are real!

- www.yaa.org.au

Networking

- Start going to networking events that are close to you. Networking will mean that you start meeting people and creating contacts, you will learn heaps from how professional people conduct themselves at these events, and get to hear from some great speakers.

- Age doesn’t matter at these events! Yea you may stand out as the youngest person there, but that is great as you will have people naturally coming up to you!

- The Frank Team has ongoing networking events for young entrepreneurs in NSW.

- Check out your local Business Enterprise Centre and also through your state government’s business portal for upcoming events. For NSW it is www.business.nsw.gov.au

Read biographies/autobiographies of entrepreneurs

- There are many highly successful entrepreneurs who have been there and done that and then written all about it! Get your hands on some biographies and autobiographies of entrepreneurs and soak up the learning. You will learn all about the highs and lows of making it on an entrepreneurial journey.

- And if you are not a book reader then just start searching online. There are a heap of stories about successful entrepreneurs online, some of them even have interviews with them. This will provide knowledge and inspiration. Just think of a company that you admire, then look for the story of the peeps who started that company – you will be amazed and surprised. The google story, ebay, Apple, Harvey Norman, The Body Shop, Sass & Bide.......the list goes on and on!

- A personal favourite of mine is “Loosing My Virginity” by Richard Branson.

Formal Learning

- Doing some formal learning is advisable, but not necessarily university. A business start up course, a marketing & sales program, online learning in search engine optimisation or a TAFE course in financial management are all a great start and heaps quicker than uni! Plus you can do them at the same time as starting and running your own business. Uni courses may be required if technical skills are needed for the business you want to be in.

- Go with topics you are interested in and you enjoy.

Volunteering

- Experience working in any type of team environment and for all sorts of organisations is highly valuable. And you can get this experience for free, while working on real stuff; you do this through volunteering. You can do anything from project management, to marketing to finance & treasury for organisations that need the help and do some awesome stuff in the world. I learnt heaps as a volunteer on my local councils youth committee where we organised all sorts of events with budgets of $20,000, it was awesome.

- Some great places to start to find great volunteering experiences:

o IGNITE

o Oaktree Foundation

o Volunteering Australia

o Conservation Volunteers

o Australia & International opportunities

Just Start a Business!

- There is no better way to learn about being entrepreneurial and starting a business than starting a business. Even if it is just small and in your local area, you will learn heaps! Anything from dog walking, tutoring, fixing computer problems, helping with clean ups around houses are all good and easy businesses to start.

- To learn more about Starting Up your own business see our series of business articles. And particularly our TIPS for starting up your own business.

Any other things you think teens could be doing?

Let us know if you are a teen running your own business already & tell us what your advice would be to other teenpreneurs. Email us at info@frankteam.com.au

If you want to learn more about the steps to starting up your own business then The Frank Team has the prefect tools for you. Our Break it Down cards make starting up your business easy, fun and totally practical.

Starting up in business as a young person can be lonely and tough at times. Come and meet other young entrepreneurs just like you and share ideas and stories with the Frank Team’s Young entrepreneurs membership program.

Office Furniture - Perfect for Young Entrepreneurs!

2008-12-17T15:23:00.012+11:00

The Frank Team is moving offices & we have some great office and home furniture available that we no longer need. It is all in very good working condition, ready and looking for a brand new home. Plus, it is all available at very good prices - cheap - perfect for young entrepreneurs!!!

Pick up on Crows Nest, Sydney. Must go BEFORE Xmas.
ALL FURNITURE SOLD THANK YOU

Offers & pick up accepted.

Here is what is available:

- A large black executive office desk (h - 71cm, l - 80cm, w - 182cm) - $90 very good quality. We bought this brand new only 3 years ago. No pic available at the moment.

- computer screen $10

- Scanner $5 SOLD

- files for in the filing cabinet $5

- keyboard & mouse $5

- long meeting table $20 No pic available at the moment.

- microwave $60 SOLD

Plus these items.....

SOLD: A lovely pine cupboard. Behind the doors is hanging space and then the 2 drawers. Perfect storage.
w - 100cm, d - 60cm, h - 186cm

$125

Wood Book shelf

$25 for other short wood bookcase

A really great fridge.
the freezer is down the bottom
w - 60.5cm, d - 61cm, h - 156cm
$120
- Hoover fridge $120 325L Frost Free

SOLD: A microwave that is only about 8 months old
w - 51cm, d - 40cm, h - 30cm
$60

SOLD - These are bedside tables - but we used them under office desks as drawers and they were perfect. nice and deep and sturdy.
w - 59cm, d - 45cm, h - 62cm
$80 for the 2 in the set

SOLD

A tall black pine bookshelf - perfect for office
w - 81cm, d - 24.5cm, h - 180cm
$35

Office Chair - comfy. there are 2 of these.
$5 each

Another great office chair

$5

A great office desk - pine - from Freedom.
w - 131cm, d - 70.5cm, h - 72.5cm
$50

This is a office drawer set - with a filing drawer at the bottom. It goes with office desk above, and can sit directly under it.
w - 48cm, d - 46.5cm, h - 70cm

$15

SOLD - 2 drawer filing cabinet - very sturdy,
w - 45.5cm, d - 63cm, h - 71.5cm

$20

SOLD

SOLD - This is a great sofa bed & goes with the 2 seater below. Very comfy and great for staff areas.
w - 195cm, d - 89cm, h - 79cm
SOLD

SOLD This is the 2 seater that matches the sofa bed above
w - 136cm, d - 89cm, h - 79cm
SOLD

A great wood filing cabinet.
w - 47.5cm, d - 63cm, h - 131cm
$55

Savvy Low-Cost Marketing Moves for Young Entrepreneurs

2008-12-10T09:14:00.004+11:00

Two realities of today for young entrepreneurs:

ONE: You MUST keep marketing your business all of the time

TWO: Cash available for marketing is getting less and less

So what are the savvy marketing moves all young entrepreneurs should be making in their business, on little to no budget, for maximum results?

BLOG IT UP

If you don’t have a blog for you and your business, then start one. If you do, crank it up! Think about what your customers want to know about that you can help them with? What are the key words your customers search for? Combine those two and start creating content. And don’t forget to add an RSS feed for your blog so people can subscribe and be kept updated.

You can check ours at www.frankteam.com.au/blog

Get YOUR Content OUT-THERE

Take your blogging to the next level and create some great articles from your content, then get that content out there to the world to build reputation & focus on you and your business. How-to’s, tips, strategies, interviews, positive stories and lesson’s learnt just to name a few. Your articles can go onto your website, into your newsletters, and then submit them to various media & content websites (eg: PRweb.com, SmartCompany.com.au, FlyingSolo.com.au, WotNews.com.au, ezinearticles.com). Even send them to The Frank Team for upcoming IGNITE editions!

DATABASE Contact

If you don’t have your past customers & prospects already in a database, spend time doing that & then make it a habit to update it as new contacts are made. If you do already have databases, when was the last time you got in contact with those people? You need to talk to and “touch” your people at least every 6 weeks for them to remember you. Email them, call them, text them, just do something to be sure you are talking to them regularly. But make sure what you have got to say is interesting & helpful, otherwise you are just noise.

Reward REFERRALS

For those wonderful customers who tell others about your great business, make sure you reward them. Anything from a phone call, to movie tickets, to discounts on accounts go a long way to make them feel appreciated. All you have to do is weigh up the cost of acquiring a new customer from scratch vs the cost of the reward to ensure you stay ahead and create goodwill!

Speak UP

Search for the 2009 conferences that are happening in your industry, especially where your customers will be. Create a kick-arse speakers profile all about YOU and your expertise. Then submit your profile with some great ideas for speaking topics you can cover for each of the conferences and secure some face time for yourself in front of your peeps. You can also get help with this through PR consultants, if writing kick-arse speakers profiles is not really your thing!

WEB Wonders

Get clear on the key words that your customers use when searching for you (or possible you’s) and ensure you have those key words wherever possible on your website (or otherwise known as Search Engine Optimisation)

Create a Facebook group account for your business (if your customer audience is young) & then send it out through your networks for members to join. Make sure you keep it updated. Put “The Frank Team” into your search on Facebook, find us & ask to join!

Post videos on YouTube, GoogleVideo and other video sites to bring your content and business alive.

Get your site listed on StumbleUpon, del.icio.us.com, digg.com, Squidoo.com & Yelp.com and any other directories that your customers may use.

Create separate landing pages on your website for different segments of your customer base

Create a professional LinkedIn.com profile for yourself and connect with people you know through the network. Update your profile with recent projects.

Keep the world updated with your latest “what’s on” through updating your Facebook profile regularly OR by creating a Twitter account

Team Up

What other businesses can you team up with that will add value for your customers with complimentary services/products? Personal trainers & healthy catering company, Car wash & xmas present wrapping, GPS & travel companies. Think about who targets the same customers as you do & see how you can team up together.

Old Fashioned Snail...................................................Mail

Yep – consider going back to some personalised letters. All it costs is the paper, printing, envelopes & stamps (which are now 55c each – watch out for that one!) plus of course some creative juices to put together an interesting and engaging letter. Either send it out cold to a new list, or to your past customers to say “hi”. The Frank Team is giving this one a go this week, so we will let you know how it goes (right here - on our blog!). Or chuck it onto the fax & use a fax stream service. The key is to get the message right in the letter; a compelling message that urges action.

Don’t believe us when we say these marketing moves work?

What marketing are young entrepreneurs ACTUALLY doing in their business right now? And is it working?

We asked a bunch of young entrepreneurs for their recent successful & unsuccessful marketing moves!

Michael Lieu – DriveSmart GPS Hire Australia (www.gps-hire.com.au)

SUCCESS- People love a bargain. Posting coupons/vouchers on ozbargain.com.au and eBay created more leads and successful conversions.
SUCCESS - Networking! I treat them as an opportunity to pitch your product/service rather than just gaining new contacts & business cards.
SUCCESS: Blogs - Google loves it when you update your site often, so use a blog which is regularly updated using keywords used by your target market. Here is mine http://www.gps-hire.com.au/blog/
UNSUCCESSFUL: Not so low cost, but Google AdWords - poor conversion rates, very expensive mistake. Focus on SEO work instead.

Emma Isaacs - Business Chicks, Last Thursday Club, Studio Bodyfit (www.businesschicks.com.au)

SUCCESS: Leverage/referrals – leveraging off of our existing customers has always worked well. There’s a lot more power and influence in having someone else talk about you rather than talking about yourself. We run events and activities all around the country so we’ll often ask a company who has multiple offices to refer us to their state counterparts. Given their experience with Business Chicks, they’re always happy to and it works beautifully.

SUCCESS: PR – publicity builds credibility and interest in your brand and if the article is angled correctly, can position you as an expert in your field.

UNSUCCESSFUL: Direct mail – we’ve found that the Business Chicks brand is difficult to understand until you’ve experienced it firsthand. Going in cold with marketing activities such as direct mail pieces have never returned strong results for us.

Mike Jarocki - Credit Card Finder (http://www.creditcardfinder.com.au)

SUCCESS - Article Marketing

Article marketing consists of submitting an article in your business expertise for publication in an internet article directory. It is mutually beneficial - the page where your article will be featured has advertisements where the article directory can gain revenue, and in return, you gain a 'free' link back to your websites, which can bring traffic and a quality link back to your site.

The largest and most successful article marketing campaign to date revolved around building the search engine rankings for the terms 'best credit card' and 'best credit cards'. First, an overseas freelance writer was contacted to write 20 articles on credit cards. Next, these articles were published among various article directories (namely ezinearticles.com and buzzle.com). Each article was specifically modified to promote the phrase 'best credit card(s)', which in turn raised our search engine rankings for the term in Google.

The total cost for this particular campaign was $200.As a result we are currently first for both of those search terms!

SUCCESS - Split-Testing

When visitors come to websites, the slightest phrase or graphic can have the largest influence whether they will click through to your product, or leave the site. Split-testing involves creating two copies of the same page, with slight variations (for example color, positioning and sentence restructuring). After about 200 visitors have visited your page, you will begin to get an idea of which layout is most successful for sale conversion.

For Credit Card Finder, it was found that the color red for application buttons yielded the highest click through rate, by about 13% over green. The total cost for split-testing is $0. It simply involves a free split testing program (we used Google Website Optimizer) and the time dedicated to creating different copy on your webpage.

UNSUCCESSFUL - Press Releases

While press releases in online marketing history have been known to result in a wave of free and quality coverage, it wasn't the case for Credit Card Finder. A press release was written about our new 'credit card calculator' - but press release coverage was non-existent once sent out. The total cost was about $150.

Faye Maramara – Paro Paru Jewellery - www.paroparu-shells.com.au

Two successful low-cost marketing strategies are:

SUCCESS: Direct marketing- this involves cold calling and making appointments with buyers to view my ranges of jewellery. No cost involved, 80% successful.

SUCCESS: Editorial- This involves meeting stylists and making appointments with glossy magazines when my new ranges of jewellery come out. No cost involved, 90% successful.

UNSUCCESSFUL: Not doing anything. Seriously. 0% successful

Lara Soloman, LaRoo P/L & MOCKS www.MyMocks.com

SUCCESS: We made a Mocks page (Mocki) on facebook then invited everyone from our online newsletter to be friends with us. This doubled the number of friends we had in a week, which has given us more opportunity to reach our target audience with more news and offers and strengthen the brand, and brand awareness.

SUCCESS: Added a link to my email signature to take people straight to the web page to buy my book! One sale so far that I know of.

UNSUCCESSFUL: Putting out flyers on cars promoting my product. We got busted by the local council and threatened with a fine and had to collect them all in again!

Jessica Kiely – The Frank Team (www.frankteam.com.au)

SUCCESS: November IGNITE edition with promo about new Frank Team Break it Down cards resulted in an instant sale!

SUCCESS: Personalised email out to specific database about upcoming program they would be interested in resulted in 3 sign-ups straight away.

SUCCESS: Event that featured past participants of a program & invited new possible participants to learn about that program. This resulted in 2 sign-ups within a week.

UNSUCCESSFUL: Fax stream to cold list with a letter that offered a free Planner for response. We got 8 responses out of about 200 faxes sent, but none of those responses have converted yet. (We are working on it!)

So what savvy marketing moves are you going to make today to move your business forward?

By - Jessica Kiely

The Frank Team – www.frankteam.com.au

Inspiring Young Entrepreneurs

Need cash to get your idea off the ground? ENYA is here to help!

2008-12-09T12:54:00.002+11:00

The Enterprising Network for young Australian’s (ENYA) established the Microenterprise Loan to help young entrepreneurs to get support and financial assistance without asset security or a financial track record. This makes it perfect for young people! Yey!

It is all thanks to the National Australia Bank (NAB) who have partnered with ENYA for this one.

The Microenterprise Loan provides:

A loan between $500 and $20,000 for the purpose of starting or growing a business.
A low interest rate: 9.95% p.a. fixed for the term of the loan.
Access to a wide network of support services.
Access to the Youth & Enterprise Legal Centre, that can help with legal matters associated to starting and running a small business on a reduced-fee basis.
The opportunity to learn and develop skills in relation to the challenges facing young people in small business throughout the life of the loan.

To be eligible to apply for the Microenterprise Loan, each applicant will need to satisfy the following requirements:

Must be between 18 and 29 years of age.
Must be committed to starting or expanding a business.
Must not have had any bankruptcies in the last 7 years.
Must demonstrate sound business planning skills, or the potential to develop these skills.
Be highly motivated and committed to establishing a sustainable business.
Must be willing to work with a mentor for at least 12 months.

More information regarding ENYA’s Microenterprise program can be found at www.enya.org.au or by calling ENYA on 1300 136 921.

Teen-Entrepreneur Jemma Tells Frank How She Started Her Dance Empire at 16!

2008-12-08T18:29:00.005+11:00

Jemma Nicoll, from NSW

Age: 17

How do you describe your business to people who ask what you do?

My business ‘Inspire’ is a local community dance school, however with a slight twist! Inspire’s motto “dance to a different beat” sums it up perfectly. My aim is to provide an uplifting, encouraging and fun atmosphere where kids of all ages can come and just be…kids of all ages. No stress of competition, and certainly no worry from parents about what sort of music, movements and costumes my students will be exposed to. I want to inspire, motivate, and empower my students to grow to love the art of dance as a means of expression and creativity.

What inspired you to take action when you were just getting started?

I attended a dance conference run by Project Dance, a New York Company who shares similar visions and values as I do. I found it so different to the stress and competition I’d felt in dancing over the years, and discovered how my community was lacking in places where dancers could just come openly and dance without intimidation and competition. My desire to see a break in traditional dance culture, and my passion to fuel a change in my community turned my passion into an action…and Inspire was started!

How long have you been working on it?

I began Inspire in February 2008; so we have nearly seen an entire year through! However it required a couple of months of planning beforehand in regards to certification and legal requirements, so it was from around December 07 that I began to seriously work on commencing this business.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

Combining a business with the completion of my HSC was a massive challenge! The HSC is strenuous in itself, so balancing this with the maintenance of a dance school provided mixed responses when I told people. However I knew I was organised and had good time management skills and it was time to put them to the test. I had a great support network of family and friends too. Of course there were times I wished for more than 24 hours in a day! But when it’s something you’re really passionate about, the obstacles become somewhat exciting to overcome because you know it’s something you really want to accomplish....a little challenge can’t get in your way!

What do you like most about being in business?

I love people- I love working with people, getting to know and understand people. The great thing about being in business is that there are so many opportunities to develop a wide variety of relationships.

I also love the fact that through being in business, I can bring impact to those around me and pass down my knowledge and passion for the creative arts. Starting a business is allowing me to inspire many young dancers, and setting an example and providing a role model figure for my students is just such a rewarding experience.

What do you like least about being in business?

This past year, the thing I liked least and continually became frustrated with was that I could not spend all my time and energy into growing Inspire because of my HSC! However I guess this takes a positive turn- I have graduated now and can now focus everything I have into planning the year ahead. But business itself…there is nothing to dislike!

How do you market your services?

Inspire has printed out flyers, posters and business cards. I’m currently in the process of sending out an official letter to all the local churches in the area with plans for 2009, as well as printing a small ad in school newsletters.

Inspire had its first concert recently which drew quite a surprisingly large crowd. It is these sorts of events that incites the masses and brings about the power of word of mouth (a very handy promotional tactic!). One of my younger students who is in kindergarten, took her dance music in for show and tell and ended up performing to her entire grade, which got me thinking how powerful that would have been in inspiring more people to come!

How do you keep your creativity flowing?

It’s important to continue drawing inspiration from everything around you. I try and grab hold of every possible opportunity- whether it is attending dance workshops and business seminars/forums, or talking to people already in the industry who may give a fresh spin on ideas and new ways of thinking. With dance, you can keep your creativity flowing just in your every day life. As things happen and events unfold around you, you can learn to adapt these things to dance. For example, my latest dance work was a piece inspired from the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunamis. I like to draw my inspiration from real things that happen and try to interpret them.

How have The FRANK Team helped you to make your ideas a reality?

The FRANK Team is certainly a wonderful source of inspiration, motivation and encouragement! They are the reason why many of these young entrepreneurs we hear of have begun their pioneering pilgrimages, and successful ones at that! Ignite provides the exact support all entrepreneurs are looking for, and also provides golden opportunities of all sorts. For example they featured the 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurial Business Awards, so I took the chance to apply and Inspire ended up as a top finalist. So I can undoubtedly say thank you to FRANK for that!

What advice do you have for young people out there trying to start a business or community project?

Embrace every opportunity, and don’t allow yourself to be discouraged by difficulty. View the obstacles as learning curves and a chance to grow, not a chance to shy away. True confidence is living and acting boldly in the presence of fear, so if you can do this you can do anything! Be very clear on what your aim and purpose is in starting the business or project, and make sure you can effectively communicate this to those you come into contact with.

CONGRATS JEMMA!

To learn how to start your own business, use The Frank Team's Business Break it Down cards. http://www.frankteam.com.au/entrepreneur/start-up-business-cards.html

James Greig - Founder Bloomtools

2008-11-16T23:00:00.002+11:00

A web empire, a network of franchises, and all by the age of 24.

At 20 years of age James Greig left university with plans to start his own web empire. Four years later James is a Founder and Director of Bloomtools, which is now franchising across Australia and has developed hundreds of websites for Australian businesses.

James started out working from a client’s office in exchange for building their website and business management system. His knowledge and natural business acumen were obvious from the start when he developed a software system for the client that reduced a six hour task to six minutes.

From there, the young entrepreneur built a team of some of the best programmers, graphic designers and marketers in Australia and began developing websites and online tools for local Gold Coast businesses.

“I realised that customised websites were just too expensive and too complicated for the average business to use, so I began to build products that could be used across many businesses, and would make websites more effective for business yet still extremely affordable,” James said.

In 2005, at the age of 22, James met his future business partner, former business coach and entrepreneur Tracey Voyce who was looking for someone to help her create a database marketing system for businesses.

Together they honed the business and created a range of web and email marketing products, designed specifically with business in mind.

These products proved extremely popular with local businesses and soon the business expanded with a number of resellers across Australia.

“I think what sets us apart is the fact that we understand what works for businesses online and our whole team is really passionate about helping businesses get results from the Internet,” said James.

Bloomtools has grown over 180% in the past year and now employs 19 staff, with clients such as OK! Magazine and Wide Span Sheds, and celebrity endorsements from Tim Campbell, Grant Denyer and Ian Maurice.

Earlier this year, Bloomtools launched a franchise business, which has already been taken up in a number of locations across Australia.

Well known businessman, and Action Coach master licensee, Bruce Doyle, was one of the first franchisees, launching Bloomtools Melbourne Central.

“When I came across Bloomtools, I knew they were the type of company I wanted to be associated with, because they are so passionate about business and the Internet and they have the world class tools to back it up,” Bruce said.

James said his aim was to franchise Bloomtools across Australia and New Zealand and soon the world.

“We have already had a number of inquiries from people wanting to take up the Franchises overseas,” James said.

James’ advice to other young entrepreneurs

Believe wholeheartedly in your vision – six months into my business I saw the void in the market and knew that my business would be big, unique and successful. You need to have a clear dream and vision for your business and know exactly how it will be and what it will look like.

Know your market – Find out who they are, what they want, what they need and other brands they use and respect. The more you know about your audience, the easier it is to engage them and tailor your services to them.

Be unique – no matter what industry you’re in, there are a lot of people doing the same thing. Create your point of difference and live by it.

Have the right people around you – associate with people that have the same energy, positiveness, commitment and belief in your vision. Hire the best people you can afford and treat everyone around you with respect.

Be a sponge – always ask lots of questions of people and listen to what they have to say. Knowledge is power.

For more information about Bloomtools go to www.bloomtools.com.au.

For an interview with James Greig or a high resolution image call Carly Youd on 1300 399 399 or email carly.youd@bloomtools.com.au.

Young Entreprenuers - Ignite Your Business Idea

2008-11-12T14:25:00.003+11:00

Wanna start up your own business over summer? Wanna Be The Boss?

Don’t let all of the recession talk being pumped out by the media get you down. Sure times are a little tighter, but the whole world hasn’t stopped revolving or spending money altogether. And if you are anything like us and the other young entrepreneurs and business peeps we work with, these “new economic conditions” just mean you have to be that little bit smarter and entrepreneurial , easy right! We also believe that these “new economic conditions” bring with them a heap of opportunity as consumers look for better deals and alternatives to the big corporate guys, and you may have just the business that can do that.

So over summer, in between the parties, hanging at the beach and doing the road trip (cos yep you can still do all of that and start your biz!), get started on planning and starting your own business. Be your own boss and create your own job.

To help you out we have put together a Ten Step Summer Start Up Plan for you. Take that idea that has been floating around in your head, and combine it with that rumble and fire in your belly you have been feeling for a while, whack it together with our TEN STEPS and in no time you will be looking after customers like the other 50,000 15 – 24 year old young Aussies out there currently running their own business.

Plus we are very excited to announce that our Business Break it Down cards that many of you have used in our workshops are now available for you to purchase and use yourself. They outline the steps to starting up a business in a really fun and interactive format, a set of cards. Get your copy here http://www.frankteam.com.au/entrepreneur/start-up-business-cards.html These cards are REALLY popular with young entrepreneurs.

1. 1. Grab a piece of paper or open up a word doc and describe your idea (so far!). Describe what makes it unique, who will most benefit from your idea, how your idea will help people & what you will do for them, and where your idea came from. For some summer biz ideas see our list below.

2. 2. Create a list of 10 questions to ask your potential customers so you can learn more about their needs, wants, budgets & interest in a business like yours. Then get out there and find at least 20 people who fit your target market and ask them your 10 questions.

If you are super worried about people “ripping” of your idea then check out www.ipaustralia.gov.au to see how you can protect your idea. But in the initial research phases you can usually still ask people questions that will help you learn more without telling em exactly what your business idea is.

3. 3. Now you know more about your idea and target customers, re-define your business idea to match up with customer wants & budget. You should now be able to capture your business idea on one page.

4. 4. It’s time now to think about how you will tell your target customers about your business, so working out your start up marketing. This is where you get to be creative and think of easy and cheap but fun ways of getting the attention of your target market so they wanna use you! Outline in a word doc what strategies you will use in the first 2 weeks of start up, then what you will do every 2 weeks after then to tell people about your business.

5. 5. You now need to think about your start up & ongoing costs. What equipment will you need & what costs are involved in running those (eg: petrol for the car, tools), will you need to pay anyone else for their time, what will your start up and ongoing marketing cost you (paper, printing, letter box dropping etc), and of course the cost of registering your business name. Open up an excel spreadsheet and create a budget. Note down what expenses there are (OUTs), how much and when you will need to pay them, and then when you would expect to start earning income (INs). You now have a budget and cashflow tracking all in one. Keep it updated! Work out where you will get the dollars to start up; savings, parents, other jobs or even credit card (if you are sure you can pay it back).

6. 6. Now you know how much it will cost you to start up and run & you know roughly your target customers budget, you need to now set your price for your product or service.

7. 7. For some fun stuff now, come up with a business name. Make sure your business name is easy to remember. Have a few options. Then go to your state governments Fair Trading Department and check to see if anyone else is using that name – cos then you can’t! When you find one that is unique to you, register it (this may cost you anything from $0 to $150 depending on which state you are in). You are now very very close to really starting your business – get excited?!

8. 8. Next is to choose the best business structure for you; sole trader, partnership, company, or not for profit. We have a really easy to read and use guide for you on this one, so go to http://www.frankteam.com.au/bizarticles/choose-a-business-structure.aspx to learn more.

9. 9. Head over to the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) website and register for an ABN if you don’t already have one. This costs nothing, and you can register it under your own name if you are a sole trader. It can take a few weeks to get your ABN so make sure you leave enough time for it. For any other tax questions you may have, we have done the research for you so go to http://www.frankteam.com.au/bizarticles/getting-started-tax-basics.aspx

10. 10. Guess what, now it is time to LAUNCH! Get that marketing happening and go out and get your first customers.

From here just learn, learn & learn more about your business idea from your customers to improve it even further. And enjoy the ride. Believe me when I say it is ok to be unsure & a little scared, but just go for it.

These TEN STEPS are the really basics of start up. If you want help that is a little more in depth but still totally practical and fun, then please check out our Frank Team Business Break It Down Cards. They make start-up easy & fun and summer is the perfect time for business planning. Plus these cards are super affordable at only $25 (plus postage & handling). Get them in time for Xmas for yourself or someone you know!!! More info in IGNITE and here http://www.frankteam.com.au/entrepreneur/start-up-business-cards.html

Some great summer businesses to start

- Collecting mail while people are on holidays

- Dog walking

- Party planner

- House sitting

- Painted t-shirts

- Sport lessons

- Mowing & gardening while people are on holidays

- PC repair

Young Entertainer & Dancers

2008-11-06T08:47:00.003+11:00

The world of entertainment can be tough to crack into and stay in. You and your skills are your business assets, and you then need to be your own marketing department to get out there and find opportunities and make the most of them.
We have just heard of a great workshop coming up helping young entertainers, performers and dancers to learn more about marketing themselves - and it is free, yey!
Sydney-based professional dancer Clarinda Tivoli and internet marketer Philadelphia Tivoli are set to reveal their secrets to gaining regular paid work at an exclusive one-day free workshop, The Performer Secrets Workshop for Dancers to be held on Sunday November 30, in Sydney.
Get your seat:

Email contact@performersecrets.com

http://www.PerformerSecrets.com

Mention you heard about it through The Frank Team!!!

You're Invited - Learn more about the Young Entrepreneurs Stepping Up Program

2008-11-03T12:47:00.000+11:00

You’re Invited

Wanna come and hang out with other young entrepreneurs just like you?

Wanna hear from some awesome speakers who will inspire you AND give you tips that will impact your business positively straight away?

Wanna learn more about the next Young Entrepreneurs Stepping UP Program (YESUP) and how you can get involved?

You can do all of that at The Frank Team’s Young Entrepreneurs Evening. Here is the vital info....

When: Thursday 13^th November – yep that is really soon!

Where: Function Room, Baulkham Hills Shire Council - 129 Showground Road Castle Hill

What time? Arrive in time for a 6.30pm start.

Who will you hear from?

Stew Nicholls – Founder of EcoCar Wash will tell us all about setting up systems for their very first franchise & how those systems have then allowed him to create a global organisation.

Fred Schebesta, FreestyleMedia & Andrew Tucker, Customware – will let us in on their secrets to getting through tough financial times. You know those times when the cashflow is super tight and you are just not sure how you are going to manage it all?! Yep, these guys have been through exactly that and come out the other side. Learn from their experiences.

YESUP Graduates – will share with everyone their experiences of The Frank Team’s YESUP and how it has benefited their businesses.

Plus we will be revealing a new Frank Team “young entrepreneurs only” service.

All of the YESUP graduates will be there receiving their certificates and celebrating their achievements over the program. There will be networking games to ensure you are getting around and meeting all of the amazing people in the room.

Parking: There is plenty of free parking at this venue. Food: Snacks & drinks provided. Cost: FREE – Thanks to our generous sponsors The Department of State & Regional Development & Baulkham Hills Shire Council

RSVP: anna@frankteam.com.au Ph: (02) 99664333 by Monday 10^th November

Q&As from Young Entrepreneurs

2008-10-27T13:40:00.002+11:00

We recently asked some young entrepreneurs about the common questions swirling around in their heads at that start up phase.

The questions that came through were pretty interesting… what was most interesting was that I got a lot of the same questions from different people. Firstly around the area of business structure – which structure to choose, pros and cons, how hard it is to change structure later, etc.

There are different types of business structures; all with benefits and also disadvantages (the old pros and cons stuff!) - so deciding which one is right for you and your business is an important part of taking your initial business idea & turning it into something feasible! Like your business idea, the structure of your business forms the foundation for how you will conduct your business (yep, the building blocks).

Factors to think about when deciding include taxation, who else is involved in the biz, personal financial liabilities (stuff you owe to others) and start up costs. These things will also affect the complexity of your chosen structure, and so you should note that the more complex the business structure the more expensive it will be to establish, but also usually it also means the more protected you are.

The most common business structures are: Sole Trader; Partnership; and Proprietary Limited Company. However also these days there are many young people setting up social enterprises under Not For Profit structures – pretty kewl!

We've got all the answer and links to even more info on our website! Go to http://www.frankteam.com.au/bizarticles/choose-a-business-structure.aspx to read all about it!

The next lot of questions we got was on tax… getting started, tax basics, accountants, etc. So we started to put together some info on it to cover the basics. Seven pages later, we were still going! So we've covered the basics of everything from ABNs and ACNs, to GST, tax returns, finding an accountant… the list goes on! It was way too long to include here, so feel free to check it out at http://www.frankteam.com.au/bizarticles/getting-started-tax-basics.aspx

Again, we've tried to include lots of great links so you can find out even more info!

Hope you guys find that useful - and send us any of your biz structure & tax tips you have learnt along the way!

Inspire your young people to start their own business

2008-10-23T15:41:00.001+11:00

Inspire your young people to start their own business

Did you know there are over 50,000 young Australians under the age of 25 running their own business? Yep, that’s right. Even 15 year olds are starting their own businesses; cool hey?!

You may know one of them, or perhaps some of the young people you work with have that entrepreneurial spark in them, or perhaps you have thought of Being the Boss yourself!

I was at a networking event recently, and whilst chatting to someone about the work that The FRANK Team does with young entrepreneurs, I was asked ‘What exactly is a young entrepreneur?’ The many ways in which we classify a ‘young entrepreneur’ immediately sprang to mind – age, mindset, action, personality, experience. So I thought I’d sit down and really think about what it is to be a young entrepreneur. It reminded me of the time when I first started my business at 19, all eager and full of ideas!

And then this fab email came through....

Hi Frank Team!

I receive all of your newsletters including Ignite, and I just wanted to drop by a real positive comment and tell you how much it has helped and influenced me!

Because of the thought-provoking and inspiring nature of the magazine, I began my own business about 7 months ago at the age of 16! I'm an hsc student now, managing my own local dance school called "Inspire". I aim to provide a safe, fun and non-competitive environment where children can freely express themselves without being exposed to inappropriate choices of music and ways of moving. My passion and love for dance as an art form is now being passed on, and I just want to thank you for the inspiration, encouragement and guidance that I find in your newsletters!

So here is just to encourage and to thank the Frank Team!

Regards

,Jemma Nicoll

Awesome stuff Jemma!

So who are these ‘young entrepreneurs’ apart from Jemma and myself? You can learn more about what it is to be a ‘young entrepreneur” right here http://www.frankteam.com.au/bizarticles/calling-all-young-entrepreneurs.aspx . A great article packed with ideas and tips on spotting enterprising youngsters.

So what can you do to help your young people learn more about starting their own business?

The Frank Team would love to come to you and present one of our inspiring Youth Biz workshops for you and your young people. We really believe that starting a business as a young person is a viable career option and more young people should be exposed to it, just like Jemma. Why? It’s totally possible, you are in control, you learn so much very quickly and being young is the best time to give it a go!

PLUS, take advantage of Global Entrepreneurship Week and unleash the entrepreneur in your young people by getting The Frank Team to come and do what we love to do – inspiring young entrepreneurs. November 17^th to 23^rd is the week. The official page is http://www.unleashingideas.org/country/AU for Australia.

The FRANK Team was founded and is run by young entrepreneurs. We have a passion for encouraging and empowering other young people to believe in their ideas, get started and build a life they love in control of their own business.

There is our one hour Business YOU program.

Through stories and demonstrations the young people will come to learn what it means to think like an entrepreneur and how that can help them in their lives and careers. They will hear directly from a young person out there right now running their own business. It covers what an entrepreneur is and asks students to look at themselves, innovative thinking and start up steps and tips. It is great for years 10 through to 12.

Or perhaps our YOUTH-BIZ workshop that can be run as a three hour or full day workshop would be best for your students.

This is an interactive student workshop for up to 50 Year 10 and 11 students on entrepreneurial, innovation & essential career skills. It covers personality traits of an entrepreneur, thinking innovatively, tools for creating opportunities, inspiration from role models, basic steps for starting a business plus support and connection to the youth biz industry.

As always, The Frank Team comes to you as we have fab young entrepreneur presenters in each state and we bring all of our resources with us to run the sessions.

Prices for our one hour Business YOU sessions start from $465 (inc GST - for metro locations) and from $1500 (inc GST - for metro locations) for a full day for the Youth Biz workshops.

Contact us now for a personalised quote and outline of Business YOU and YOUTH-BIZ. Help your young people learn more about starting their own business today!

Call Jessica on (02)99664333 or email Jessica@frankteam.com.au ASAP to book in time for Global Entrepreneurship Week from November 17^th to 23^rd.

To learn more about how I started my first business at the age of 19 head on over to http://www.frankteam.com.au/ourteam/about-jessica-kiely.aspx

Remember to learn more about what it is to be a young entrepreneur at http://www.frankteam.com.au/bizarticles/calling-all-young-entrepreneurs.aspx

We look forward to unleashing more young entrepreneurs just like Jemma with your help!

Thanks for your time.

Regards,

Jessica Kiely

Web Stats to Get You Thinking - Part Two

2008-09-26T10:06:00.000+10:00

And now for the next instalment of the interesting web stats I got from a recent preso hosted by Libby Varcoe of Write Minded...

- 79% of people scan a webpage, without reading all of the content
- it takes, on average, 25% longer for people to read from a computer screen than from a piece of paper in front of them
- 78% of users look at text before graphics

So what conclusions can we draw from this?

1. Bold your key words, so that the viewer's eye is drawn to where you want it to be.
2. Make your content easy to read - make sure your font isn't too small, make sure it stands out (e.g. not black writing on a dark gray background), left justify it, don't use italics for the whole thing
3. Keep it short and to the point, or you'll lose your viewer and potential customer
4. Keep the graphics simple. Graphics make some people think of advertising, so make sure your graphics blend in with the rest of your site, serve a purpose and are aesthetically pleasing.

Web Stats to Get You Thinking - Part One

2008-09-25T18:24:00.000+10:00

I recently attended a Small Biz September event, hosted by BEC Northside. The speaker, Libby Varcoe of Write Minded, gave us a few interesting and thought provoking stats that I thought I would share with you over a few blog posts.

After 300 words, you've lost 50% of readers.
After 500 words, you've lost 80% of readers.
After 1000 words, you've lost over 95% of readers.

And the point here is.... make it succinct, to the point, and powerful! Or you'll lose your readers before they get to the gold.