Angus started his first small business in 1989 and has since gone on to have a successful career in marketing. He realised although there were many websites for small business none was addressing the question of how to. Angus has a passion to articulate benefits that add value to customers/readers.
Xero, the global small business platform, has partnered with leading global provider of construction management software, Procore Technologies, Inc., to provide a new integration between Procore’s construction financial management solution and Xero’s cloud-based accounting platform.
The new app integration is now available on the Xero App Store in Australia. It helps solve some of the biggest challenges small and medium construction firms face by enabling them, and their advisors, to connect field and back office teams with real-time, accurate, financial data in the cloud. This in turn supports the delivery of multiple complex projects on time, and on budget.
Kris Lengieza, global Vice President of Partnerships and Alliances, Procore, said: “Procore is excited to partner with Xero, one of the world’s leading small business accounting platforms. Together we are bringing an integration to market that helps accountants, bookkeepers and business operators working in construction improve communication and workflows with their cohorts in the field. With our integration, Xero and Procore customers can rally around a single source of truth when it comes to financial data, which ultimately empowers teams to make more informed decisions.”
According to McKinsey, the construction industry accounts for 13 percent of global GDP, but productivity has grown by just one percent annually over the past 20 years and digitalisation is lower than in nearly any other industry.
Chris O’Neill, Chief Growth Officer at Xero, said: “Digitalisation and the adoption of cloud tools has the potential to transform the construction industry and make a real impact to the efficiency of individual firms. By partnering with Procore on this app integration, we’re enabling construction project leads to make better informed, data-driven decisions, so they can help tune their operational efficiency, mitigate project risks, and better scale their business.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought extreme workplace disruption, and employees are now emerging with a different perspective on the role of work in their lives, the Workplace Wave. Despite a refreshed outlook and clearer expectations, 2 in 5 (42 per cent) of surveyed employees and more than half of surveyed managers (57 per cent) believe they are yet to experience the most significant impacts of the pandemic on the workforce.
New research by leading Workers’ Compensation insurer, Allianz Australia, reveals surveyed employees currently have a wide range of concerns that are negatively impacting their job satisfaction. Fatigue and burnout (42 per cent), staff shortages due to low levels of talent acquisition (34 per cent), and not being adequately rewarded for work (31 per cent) were the most reported factors. Managers surveyed believe worries around physical health (30 per cent), fatigue and burnout (29 per cent), staff shortages due to low levels of talent acquisition (25 per cent) and limited opportunities to connect with the team in person (25 per cent) are causing employee dissatisfaction.
Despite clear concerns from both managers and employees, more than half (53 per cent) of managers surveyed believe their company has gone above and beyond to provide support and systems to create mentally healthy workplaces. In contrast, claims data from Allianz shows there was a 19 per cent increase in the days taken off work from mental health claims in the last three years.2
The rate of dissatisfaction and disconnect amongst employees and managers is continuing to grow because of the pandemic, with the disruption of the last two years causing permanent shifts in desired ways of working, employee engagement and workplace mental health. This phenomenon – or next wave of change – is defined as The Workplace Wave and it’s set to directly impact organisations that are not ready to respond.
Julie Mitchell, Chief General Manager of Personal Injury, Allianz Australia said, “Despite emerging from the depths of the pandemic, the disruption to workplaces has not subsided. Employees have emerged with refreshed values and a change in how they are approaching work, prompting the emergence of concepts like ‘the right to disconnect’, ‘loud leaving’, ‘quiet quitting’, and ‘acting your wage’.
These trends are all real-world examples of The Workplace Wave, and organisations unequipped to effectively respond are likely to experience the full effects – being increased employee turnover, employee disengagement, and in some instances, a mental health workers compensation claim.”
The research reveals that the best response to The Workplace Wave is reducing staff shortages/absenteeism (39 per cent) minimising fatigue and burnout (13 per cent), introducing flexible annual leave policies (11 per cent) and creating more meaningful connections with colleagues (11 per cent).
Dr Mark Cross, Consultant Psychiatrist said, “The Workplace Wave is yet to be widely discussed in public discourse, but it’s spreading rapidly. Organisations have worked hard to be ‘pandemic proof’ and respond to all the challenges of the last two years, however, it is being ‘post-pandemic proof’ that requires attention and action.
We should expect to see further examples of The Workplace Wave emerge in the coming months – even years – as organisations and employees continue to adapt to the fundamental shifts in their shared approach to work. It’s important that employees are transparent about how they feel towards their work, and that employers create an environment that addresses and nourishes emerging values.”
Looking ahead, managers should be responding to the needs of their employees. Adequate remuneration in line with the market/inflation (40 per cent), empathetic and emotionally intelligent environments (38 per cent), and specialist mental health days in addition to sick leave (34 per cent) are the top measures employees surveyed believe organisations should commit to in order to improve mental health. In response, surveyed managers say their organisation has committed to creating empathetic and emotionally intelligent environments (37 per cent), regularly updating mental health policies (34 per cent), having clear processes in place for annual leave accrual, holidays and sick leave (34 per cent) and ensuring employees receive adequate remuneration in line with the market/inflation (33 per cent).
Julie Mitchell continued, “The relationship between employee and leader has become more important than ever before. Organisations need to ensure that the tone from the top is very much aligned with the behaviours leaders want to see throughout the business. This, alongside transparency, vulnerability, and clear action points are the key ingredients to ensure that the workplace is thriving and mentally healthy – which is something Allianz encourages and champions.”
Facilitate important conversations: Develop a better understanding of employee needs by facilitating important conversations and creating more open and nurturing workplace environments.
Foster an inclusive and meaningful culture: Place greater importance on the issues impacting employee engagement and retention by inviting formal feedback through tools such as workplace surveys, and informal feedback through transparent discussion.
Build, educate and reward your team: Modernise organisational approaches to employee skill building, career progression pathways and learning and development programs to help build team resilience and motivation through clear purpose and goals.
Encourage micro breaks: The workplace can often be fast paced, and it can lead to employee burn-out. Taking micro breaks encourages employees to disconnect at clear times in the day and can in turn, lead to greater employee productivity.
Review mental health policies: Actively review workplace policies around mental health support, extended annual leave and flexible working programs to allow employees to personalise their approach to work.
Defining The Workplace Wave:
The Workplace Wave is evident in organisations in the following ways:
A continued sense of isolation from colleagues and managers.
Issues with high staff turnover and meeting employee flexibility expectations.
Employees feeling increasingly unsatisfied with the role of work in their lives, seeing them look for new employment opportunities
Employees remaining unsatisfied with the proportion of time they spend working each day, with managers failing to recognise dissatisfaction amongst staff.
A growing disconnect between managers and employees on the importance of creating more mentally healthy workplaces and the necessary steps to implementing change.
As a small business owner, you watch over your business carefully. You ensure process is working, you count the money etc. However, do you actually watch over your business literally when you are not there? In this wireless security camera buying guide, we will look at why you would install one, what you need to know and how to make a buying decision.
A wireless security camera is a surveillance camera that can capture video images and transmit those images with no wires back to a recording devise either on premise or to the cloud. A power cable or battery will be required to provide electricity.
WHY should you consider a surveillance camera?
The ability to watch what is going on remotely within your business means you are always in the know.
Once you may have installed a burglar alarm to protect your business or home, a security camera can do so much more.
Benefits of installing a wireless security camera:
Deterring crime– A thief does not want to be caught on video
Video proof – If an incident does occur, footage can be reviewed, and police can use images
Check up on the business remotely – Is the store busy at the moment
Employee safety– Watch and review staff member behaviour to ensure safety procedures are being followed.
Insurance claims – Camera footage can validate a claim, or the camera may lead to a discount
Notification – Be alerted a customer has entered your showroom
Progress or conditions – What is the weather or progress on a building site.
WHAT do you need to know about wireless security cameras?
There are wireless and wired camera solutions. A wireless camera solution uses a wireless network solution such as your Wi-Fi network to transport the video. A wireless camera may also have a battery enabling it to be completely wireless. A wired camera will require you to install cables running from a central recording box as well as power cables.
A wireless camera will record vision once motion is detected.
Advantages of wireless over wired camera
No cables need to be run back to a central recorder
Video surveillance can be stored in the cloud. This means images can be easily accessed from anywhere, and even if thieves remove the camera, images are preserved.
Installation is simpler, and a completely wireless solution may give you additional placement options to increase visibility.
Cables cannot be cut.
DIY solution. An electrician or tradesman is unlikely to be required.
Disadvantages include possible limits to live viewing and maximum resolution.
Wireless Cameras come in 3 forms:
Battery operated mobile networked cameras – This product can be placed anywhere with mobile phone reception and will run until its battery runs out. The video vision is transmitted back to the cloud via mobile data. Perfect for surveillance of a building site with no internet or power.
Battery operated Wi-Fi Cameras – This is the most common type of camera which will use W-Fi to communicate back to the cloud or a base station and a battery to power the unit. This solution is truly wireless.
Mains connected Wi-Fi cameras – Mains power is required, but the video signal is transferred via Wi-Fi. With a power point likely to be close by, this type of camera will allow continuous recording, which requires more electricity.
An optional Solar panel may be available to power and battery-operated charge cameras, potentially removing the need to remove the camera for mains recharging.
Wi-Fi coverage needs to be good – If you mount a camera outdoors, chances are the Wi-Fi coverage will be poor. Wireless cameras need good coverage to work properly. Wi-Fi congestion can also be an issue. Video uses a lot of bandwidth. If there is a lot of other internet traffic, the transfer of video may be interrupted. Some vendors use a dedicated Wi-Fi network to transfer the footage, but most use your shared Wi-Fi network. Most cameras will also have an SD card slot where a storage card can be inserted. This allows for local storage of images and acts as a backup if cloud storage is interrupted or not used.
All wireless cameras will be supported by a free smartphone app. This App will enable you to receive alerts, live view and watch historical recordings. The App will also allow you to customise camera settings. Depending on features, you can also trigger alarms, turn on a spotlight and engage in a 2-way conversation.
Cloud storage enables recorded footage to be stored off-site and accessed from anywhere. Vendor-specific, this may be free, or a fee may apply.
HOW do I use and choose a wireless security camera?
Wireless camera setup
The setup of a wireless camera is very much a DIY exercise:
Connect the camera to power with the supplied USB cable. For battery models, this will charge the battery.
Download the App for your smartphone.
Open the App and follow the instructions.
Select suitable locations for your camera, considering whether the camera can capture what you want to record and the Wi-Fi signal is strong enough.
Use the App to customise settings (such as alerts) and enable cloud recording if applicable.
Familiarise yourself with playback settings and how you can view live video versus recorded video.
Features you should consider when buying a wired security camera:
Outdoor or indoor– If the camera is located outside, it will need to be weatherproof| Wi-Fi vs Mobile of 4G cameras – as discussed above Camera types – beyond the power choice options (battery or mains power), cameras can be bought as a fixed direction or a pan & tilt model. The fixed version view can only be changed manually versus a pan and tilt model that can be rotated to change the view remotely. Some cameras will offer optical zoom, which will provide an enlarged picture without deteriorating resolution. Battery – On battery models, what is the expected operating time between recharges Resolution of the camera – The higher the resolution, the better the quality of the picture and the greater ability to zoom in digitally to see details such as faces and number plates. You can choose between Standard Definition (SD), High definition (Full HD) or Ultra High Definition (UHD or 4K). Each resolution jump is 4 x the number of pixels or dots. Viewing angle of the camera – This refers to the field of vision of a camera. The larger the number represented in degrees means the camera will record a wider view in tight locations. A camera with a 90-degree viewing angle would see everything 45 degrees left and right from the centre. Low light – Also referred to as night vision, is the cameras ability to see in the dark. Most modern cameras will support this but look for the distance from the camera it will see. E.g. 10m. Technology to stop false alerts – Normally based on measuring a heat source in the camera view, this technology is critical in reducing false alerts, especially on a windy night with moving vegetation. Alerts can also be programmed only to occur at certain times, like outside business hours. Mounting kits – A magnetic mount will allow easy removal for recharging. Mounting straps allow easy installation on tree branches or poles. Other – various other features may be attractive to you like Siren, strobe, 2-way audio or a spotlight Remote functionality of an App – A smartphone app will allow you to receive security alerts as well as provide live views from anywhere with internet coverage. This can potentially remove the need for expensive security monitoring with you having the ability to review and call the police if necessary. The App will also notify you of low batteries. Multiple people can be given access to share the responsibility. Storage – Camera’s or base stations will support an SD card to record vision on-premise. In addition, cloud backup is available from most vendors on various pay per use plans (some free). Solar Panel – Is it available for your model, and can it be installed to orientate to the north? Solution price and bundle options – Once you choose a brand, you will have to stay with that brand unless you start again. Price will increase with functionality, and we do recommend you go with a known brand. Once you know the number of cameras you need, you may buy a bundle to suit. Different compatible camera types can be purchased and added separately, assuming you have available channels.
HINTS
Once you commit to a specific brand of cameras, you cannot mix and match different brands of cameras as they will not work on the same smartphone App. You must either start again with a new vendor or run multiple Apps.
Use the QR code to easily find the right App.
Handy features include the ability to mask a section so no video is recorded or no motion alerts triggered within a specific part of the field of view.
Are Wired security camera buying guide can be found here.
SUMMARY – Wireless Security Camera
A wireless security camera allows you to keep an eye on your business 24/7. The system can act as a burglar alarm, evidence of an event or even safety monitoring. The available solutions are simple to install yourself and can be located anywhere you have a Wi-Fi signal. Via a smartphone App you can receive movement alerts and also view cameras in real-time. This access can be shared with others.
A configurable solution allows you to mix and match different cameras to suit your requirements, including totally wireless products that use the sun for power and the Mobile phone network.
Wireless security cameras can be purchased directly from vendors or from office supply, hardware and electrical retailers.
With tougher economic conditions and tighter lending criteria, Australian SME’s are increasingly looking to alternate sources of funding.
New data from funding solutions company OptiPay shows an increase in small businesses seeking invoice financing, which is commonly used by SMEs overseas as alternate sources of funding.
“With banks tightening up on how much and how easily they’ll lend money to SME’s, smart business owners are looking outside the box for solutions to grow,” says OptiPay CEO Angus Sedgwick.
“Invoice financing gives them an advance on the money owed from their business’ outstanding invoices – a revolving line of credit which they can unlock from their accounts receivable ledger,” he says.
Internal OptiPay data shows their customers are growing their sales revenue on average between 50-60% every year.
“What we see with our clients is a snowball effect. Unlocking that cash flow allows them to grow at a faster rate because they’re no longer having to wait 30 plus days for their invoices to be paid which allows them to utilise the cash from their sales revenue immediately within their business to drive growth.”
“The problem some businesses run into with a bank loan is that they’re growing so rapidly over a 6 month period that suddenly the approved loan isn’t enough and it can be virtually impossible to get that loan increased,” says Mr Sedgwick.
The demand for invoice financing has more than doubled since early 2018 with 16.3% of SME’s taking out a new invoice finance facility in the past 12 months compared to 7.6% three years ago.
“When a business is going through a rapid growth phase it needs cash as they might be taking on new contracts, new employees, upscaling machinery and possibly needing new premises so they’re spending money before they make any – and invoice financing can bridge that gap.”
“An invoice finance company will pay up to 90% of the verified outstanding invoice value, often within 24 hours. It effectively bridges the cash flow gap between a sale being made and cash for that sale actually being received.”
“By unlocking that cashflow, we’re seeing businesses on average grow their sales revenue by 50-60%.”
“It’s a tough environment out there for SME’s at the moment and whilst banks are becoming more risk-adverse to lending, for us a growing business is the perfect client,” says Mr Sedgwick.
“Manufacturing and wholesale traders are the most common utilisers of our products, but any B2B business with strong sales should be considering invoice financing,” he adds.
CYPHER LEARNING, a leading provider of intelligent learning platforms for schools, universities and organisations around the world, today announces partnership with Boost Commerce, a leading Shopify & Shopify Plus business solutions provider – to streamline and strengthen training for its fully remote workforce.
Boost Commerce is a team of Shopify experts, providing efficient and reliable technology solutions to assist Shopify & Shopify Plus stores grow and scale up their business. Boost Commerce launched their Product Filter & Search app in 2017 and currently have over 13,000 Shopify subscribers. The global eCommerce platform chose CYPHER LEARNING’s solution MATRIX LMS to streamline onboarding and deliver a high-quality learning experience forits staff.
MATRIX is an intelligent learning platform (ILP) for businesses that enables organisations to reach the full potential of online training and collaboration. The platform ensures Boost Commerce can create and manage interactive e-learning activities that are accessible to employees anytime and from any location.
“CYPHER LEARNING is thrilled to partner with Boost Commerce to provide the best e-learning solutions for their staff to help grow their business,” said Graham Glass, CEO and Founder of CYPHER LEARNING.
“The company is strengthening its presence in the APAC region and will continue to provide the most innovative and feature-rich online learning solutions for organisations to deliver the best training experience for their staff.”
“Working remotely, with its undeniable boost in productivity, also presents a unique set of challenges. One of the many issues we come across includes finding a suitable L&D strategy.” said Mr. Triet Nguyen, co-founder of Boost Commerce.
“Boost Commerce needs a specialised tool that helps organise and streamline the training process of our employees. That’s when we found CYPHER LEARNING. Our experience with the platform has been outstanding. Trainers can easily manage their materials and trainees have no trouble accessing their assigned courses. CYPHER LEARNING provides a user-friendly yet more immersively advanced training experience compared to the other LMS tools we’ve used. To cap things off, there’s always a dedicated support team to quickly and effectively address our concerns.”
MATRIX LMS was recently awarded a top spot on Forbes Advisor’s “Best Learning Management Systems of 2022” list, recommending the platform for businesses that want an LMS with an intuitive UX, robust e-commerce capabilities and all-round ease of use.
Sofiane Ainine, General Manager Enterprise for Mid-Market, ANZ, SAP shares with us his Small Business savings tips that owners should follow.
Small businesses have had a challenging number of years with regular business interruptions and market volatility impacting workforces and supply chain operations. With so much economic uncertainty ahead and ongoing inflation, its important small businesses take the time to review their position.
Here are three Small Business savings tips to plan for disruption and position your business for success.
Maximise supply transparency to minimise cost
According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the most common supply chain issue for 88 percent of businesses was domestic and international delivery delays, while 75 percent faced increased supply processes, including rising transport costs.
While delivery delays and increased costs are undoubtedly challenging for small businesses, it has highlighted the need for traditional supply chains to be diversified.
Business networks can be used by organisations to access a range of trading partners, such as suppliers, carriers, and service providers both locally and in other markets. This means that when faced with supply challenges, they can stay agile and switch suppliers as needed to ensure consistency across the supply chain.
This is currently a difficult lesson that many businesses are learning from and is sparking a movement towards reshoring, onshoring and nearshoring, and the relocation of manufacturing sites closer to consumption. For instance, the US government recently signed new legislation that includes a $52 billion investment in grants and incentives for manufacturing semiconductors in-country, in an effort to encourage companies to unwind dependence on foreign semiconductor manufacturers.
Invest in external management to drive long term savings
Ongoing labour challenges may be unavoidable, but companies can help themselves by applying greater due diligence to their workforce planning, including examining the role of external labour.
A report by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, sponsored by SAP, revealed that 96 percent of respondents have made or are making alterations to workplaces because of recent business disruptions, while 92 percent said organisations need to adopt new workplace strategies to remain competitive.
With companies relying on external labour to fill gaps, streamlining how these workers are managed not only helps small business owners drive administration costs down, but it also means workforce operations can be rapidly scaled up or down as market conditions change. In some industries, especially highly regulated ones, outsourcing certain tasks to a third-party service provider enables organisations to pass risks on to an entity better equipped to handle them.
External employees can also enable small businesses to manage their workforce by giving them access to sought-after skills and knowledge without the additional complexities and costs by bringing staff on full-time.
Determine where automation can be implemented
Since the federal government adopted e-invoicing in July, it is now a non-negotiable for businesses to rely on manual financial processes, such as email or PDF invoicing. A Deloitte study estimates that e-invoicing can save Australia’s SMBs up to $40,320 annually.
Manual spend management can cost businesses valuable time and money; eliminating these repetitive processes through automation frees employees and owners to focus on high-value tasks that generate revenue and drive innovation.
Ultimately, greater visibility across the supply chain equips businesses with the insights to overcome market disruption and improve the efficiency of their procurement operations. The increased use of technologies such as predictive or advanced analytics, video and audio communications platforms and automation into largely paper-based processes will also push small businesses to make better-informed decisions as they leverage data to gain critical business insights.
Digital technologies have also helped companies introduce more flexible remote working options and enable faster collaboration with suppliers. With hybrid and remote working here to stay, optimising external workforce management and business operations mean companies can reduce full-time staff management overhead, improve operations safety, and quickly scale up or down to stay ahead of competitors.
Business growth and security this financial year will require an investment in the digitalisation of operations. By embracing technology to streamline processes, small businesses can improve their resilience and deliver the value required to stay competitive.
More Small Business savings tips can be found by topic on our website
As workers progressively return to the office and hybrid workspaces, so does noise. Users need to be equipped with the right tools to hear clearly, be heard and focus in today’s modern workplace. To meet the versatile needs of the modern workplace, premium audio brand EPOS has announced the second generation of its popular ADAPT 500 series headsets, making it easier than ever for users to work their way. With improved wear, a rich feature set built on EPOS BrainAdapt™ technology and compatibility with the EPOS Connect App, the ADAPT 500 series offers perfected comfort and the tools to boost productivity.
Enjoy all-day wearing comfort
For users who wear their headsets at home, in the office, or on their commute, the second generation ADAPT 500 series introduces a new, low-impact headband and softer ear pads for long-term wearing comfort. The fit of the ear pads has also been improved with high-friction, textured fabric, elevating the user’s experience when on calls, activating ANC or listening to music.
Productivity-enhancing ADAPT 500 features
The ADAPT 500 series features four ANC microphones to boost audio clarity when in calls and help users focus any time, anywhere. To ensure users are always heard in meetings, a discreet boom arm optimises voice pickup with two advanced microphones. The boom arm can then seamlessly fold away into the ear pad when not in use. And thanks to UC optimisation and certification for Microsoft Teams, users can be confident they’ll have clear call quality for every meeting.
Seamless connectivity
For those who use their headset both in and out of the office, the ADAPT 500 series makes it easy to connect to both your phone and laptop with multi-point connectivity to any two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. To complement their work set-up, users can also choose between a Bluetooth® USB-A or USB-C dongle.
The ADAPT 500 series is also compatible with the EPOS Connect App, allowing users to take control of their sound environment with personalised audio features. The recently updated EPOS Connect App offers improved connectivity and compatibility across the EPOS ADAPT line including the 600, 500, 400 and 300 series headsets. Companion app features and updates are now also available across several models in the range.
“Improving the experience of our users has always been a primary goal at EPOS. The new-generation ADAPT 500 series builds on the success of the original range, providing increased comfort and usability to an already rich feature set. These on-ear Bluetooth® headsets make it even easier to focus in open offices and on the move.,” Theis Mørk, VP Global Product Management at EPOS. Click here to find further information
In a move that demonstrates a strong and game-changing commitment to the Australian SME sector, Flight Centre Travel Group’s flagship SME business, Corporate Traveller, has partnered with Rex Airlines, Australia’s largest independent regional and domestic airline.
The partnership will give Corporate Traveller’s customers access to exclusive SME business travel fares, new corporate travel offers, and easy access to an Australian carrier dedicated to servicing regional and high-demand CBD routes as well as Australia’s domestic fly-in fly-out (FIFO) market.
With its head office in Sydney and a domestic network that includes 58 destinations predominantly across the north and south-east of Australia and south-west into the key hubs of Western Australia, Rex Airlines is fast becoming a refreshingly different choice for business travellers.
In July 2022, the airline announced it had completed the acquisition of National Jet Express (NJE), the regional services arm of Cobham Aviation Services Australia (Cobham).
NJE is a leading provider of FIFO services in Western Australia and South Australia. NJE also operates freight services from Sydney to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast (Coolangatta), as well as air charter services in Papua New Guinea.
Corporate Traveller’s Global Managing Director, Tom Walley, said the partnership with Rex Airlines was a new and exciting development for SME business travel.
“SMEs are the backbone of the Australian economy and our vision for their continued post-COVID comeback closely aligns with Rex’s exciting plans. We’re thrilled with the partnership as an addition to what’s already on offer in the national airline space for Australian travellers,” Mr Walley said.
“This deal is game-changing and can’t be understated. Not only will the partnership deliver exclusive benefits for our customers, but it will also help SMEs to become more familiar with the products and services Rex offers for destinations that many of our clients are travelling to.”
The new partnership will ensure that all Corporate Traveller’s customers have access to special SME business travel fares through their online booking tool and travel consultant.
Rex Airlines has lounges for business travellers in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney airports, with a new lounge in Brisbane expected to open in 2023 and a flagship lounge currently under construction in Sydney Airport, providing breath-taking views over the airfield.
Ann Elliott, Rex’s General Manager, Sales, said, “as we continue to grow our network, innovative offers and partnerships are critical to our success. We look forward to building our SME network through this exclusive scheme created by Corporate Traveller and the Flight Centre Travel Group.”
7 in 10 Aussie small businesses confident about growth and feel healthy
● 80% expect revenue to increase or stay the same over the next 12 months.
● 25% are worried about unpredictable or unstable revenue, a significant reduction compared to April 2022.
● 26% expect to access external funds over the coming 12 months.
Small businesses are feeling confident about the future with 70% rating the health of their business as good or very good, according to recent research conducted by YouGov.
This reveals that the positivity exists among small businesses despite the tough operating environment. Business owners are displaying hard work and creativity, which is being rewarded with reduced concerns around revenue compared to April 2022. As a result, 8 out of 10 small business owners are expecting increased or stable revenue over the next 12 months.
One of the ways small businesses are thriving is by investing in future growth, with 1 in 4 business owners planning to access funds to achieve their future business goals over the next 12 months.
Beau Bertoli, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Prospa said:
“It’s incredible to see the grit of small business owners, who are proactively taking action to ensure their business is thriving within the current environment. The insights from this research clearly show that their determination has been effective in keeping businesses healthy and profitable.
“There’s also no doubt that access to fast, flexible funding is playing a key role. We’ve observed how our products and solutions are allowing small business owners to smooth out irregularities in their cash flow, or fund growth opportunities.”
Matt Fraser, Owner and Founder of Northern Sports & Remedial Myotherapy in Melbourne, has increased his client base by 30% in 12 months after using a Prospa Line of Credit to fund advertising.
“It’s brought customers from not just the local area but surrounding suburbs and the Melbourne CBD too. Without the Line of Credit, this wouldn’t have happened,” Matt said.
“I was determined to steer clear of banks and credit cards as there’s a lot more interest with credit cards and the repayments are not flexible like with a line of credit. The application process was seamless and straightforward, and within a day I had funds in my account.”
Back in January, we reviewed the Jabra Elite 7 Pro. We were impressed by how these earbuds could be used as a hybrid solution for work and pleasure. Jabra has recently announced a cheaper set of earbuds that we find superior in a few areas.
What are Jabra Elite 5?
The Jabra Elite 5 are wireless active noise cancelling (ANC) earbuds allowing you via Bluetooth to make calls and enjoy media in a small discreet package. Two separate devices can be connected to your Jabra Elite 5’s, such as your smartphone and your PC. The earbuds and case are of superior build and come with a 2-year warranty.
From visual inspection and the information from Jabra, it would appear that these earbuds have a greater number of microphones. These microphones improve noise cancellation across a wider range of frequencies. These same microphones are also used to improve voice calls back through your smartphone and also help to block out wind noise.
A new feature that we have not seen before is support for Spotify Tap. A key feature on Jabra earbuds is a physical button that you can press versus a tap sensor. When Spotify Tap is enabled via your smartphone Jabra App. You can double press the left earbud to start playing Spotify, and double press left again to browse content specific to you.
The Elite 5 continues to support playback of media and interaction via the buttons. Support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa continues and is activated by a long press to the right earbud.
Another new feature is better integration with Google. It includes support for Google Fast Pair, which my Android phone immediately recognised and connected the new earbuds. Another feature I noticed is a graphical image of the earbuds on my Android smartphone. The graphic shows the battery status of each earbud and the case, which is handy to know.
The earbuds are water and dust-resistant (IP55) and will support up to 7 hours of playback with ANC on. If you have ANC off, the playback increases to 9 hours. Case charging takes the listening time to 28 hours with ANC and 36 hours without ANC. In reading the manual, you will find the charging case needs to have a 30% charge or more to charge the buds and that 10 minutes in the case will provide enough power for the buds to operate for up to 1 hour.
The charging case can be charged via USB-C or by placing the case on a Qi-certified wireless charging pad. Charging wirelessly will take around 3 hours from flat. Visually you can see the battery status on the case and the earbuds via a LED, which will flash green for high, yellow for medium and red for low.
What is in the Jabra Elite 5 Box?
The Jabra Elite 5 can be bought as either Gold Beige in colour or Titanium Black. I tested a pair of Gold Beige while I initially preferred Black but soon realised the Beige acted more as camouflage when placed in your ears which has its positives and minuses around people realising you have earbuds in.
Also in the box beyond the 2 buds and the case is a USB – A to USB – C charging cable and a small and large ear gel set to replace the medium set already fitted to best suit your ear canal.
Users can download the Jabra Sound+ app, which gives you control over settings to personalise your Jabra’s. The app will also give you an indication of the battery state and facilitate firmware upgrades.
Using the Jabra Elite 5
These earbuds were a surprise in how well they performed against the more expensive ones at $299.
The Jabra Elite 5 can be purchased directly from Jabra or Amazon for $219. The good news is Jabra offers a 100-day free return. This is key when buying headphones, as normally, you cannot return an item you put in your ear. This returns policy gives you peace of mind because you cannot try these in a store.
The better features of the Elite 7 pros are faster charging, better water and dust resistance and longer battery life.
However, to my ear, the Elite 5 sound better for both voice and music media playback. I was not expecting this, but the Elite 5 has the advantage of a further year of development over the Elite 7 pro.
The biggest difference I found with the Elite 5 was how well the buds worked for phone calls, not from a listening perspective but from a talking perspective. The new 6-mic call technology makes a noticeable difference to the other party by providing an enhanced wind reduction and background noise reduction. I test earbuds week in and week out in noisy street environments. I have a particular associate who critiques my voice quality and does not hold back if it is not good.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is my favourite earphone/headphone technology allowing you to block out the outside world. Jabra enables you to decide how much background noise you block out, and I tend to always use the maximum as it just sounds better. The downside is people start talking to me, not knowing I am wearing earbuds which causes a issue. I should also point out that from a safety perspective, this can also be problematic. One click of the left earbud activates hear thru, allowing you to hear ambient noise clearly. I use the earbuds on my bike and overcome this by only wearing one earbud. Speaking on being on the bike, I find the wind noise is noticeably reduced when listening to podcasts with this new model.
For those wondering how well a Jabra earbud sits in your ear. After using them for 10 months, I have never lost an earbud or had it fall out whilst on my bike, and I have had one occasionally fall out when bumping my ears at home. So far, they have bounced and not broken. You can feel when they become loose and quick whilst in your ear re seats them. Suppose you remove a bud from your ear. In that case, this action will automatically pause any media you are listening to or mute a phone call.
Our Take
For an $80 saving versus the Jabra top-of-the-line, these earbuds outperform where it counts in listening to media and making phone calls. Any small business person will benefit from the versatility of these buds, allowing you to have a clear business conversation one minute and listen to your favourite media the next. The push button click of the earbuds is a feature I like confirming the action to touch of the feature you have just activated.
