After completing a Bachelor of Business Systems at Monash University, Ruslan had, by the age of 23, worked at the IT departments of Bosch, GE and Telstra, and been a management consultant at Accenture. He started Kogan in his parents’ garage with zero external funding or capital, and has gone on to build a multi-million dollar (and growing) online business, manufacturing and selling consumer and household technology.

Kogan is one of the fastest growing companies in Australia, and is now international with the launch of Kogan in the UK in November 2010. We interviewed Roslan Kogan to find out what have been the keys traits that has made him successful in his entrepreneurial path.

Ruslan, you went from starting a business in your garage to now running a multi-million dollar organisation. Can you share with us what your journey has been like?

The growth from my parents’ garage in Elsternwick to a multi-national brand has been a tremendous one. It hasn’t been without its challenges, but putting my surname on the products meant I had more than just all my savings at stake. Quitting my well-paid job to start Kogan was always a risk, but it paid off.

In your opinion, what has been the most contributing factor to your success?

Having the conviction to turn an idea that everyone told me was crazy into an operational business. Lots of people come up with great ideas all the time but not many actually go through with them. When other budding entrepeneurs ask me what the best advice I’ve ever received is, I always tell them: “Nike has been printing it for years. JUST DO IT!”

What is the hardest thing about launching a company from conception?

People talk a lot about finding capital to start their business. If you have a great idea, the money will come from somewhere. The single greatest challenge when turning an idea into a business is having the drive and conviction to do what Nike has been printing on t-shirts for decades: Just Do It.

What was the main reason why you started your own business, was it to make money, change the industry etc?

I’m a geek at heart and really wanted to make the latest technology more affordable for everyone. Now that we’ve done that, it’s the competition that gets me out of bed in the morning. I’ll never get tired of shaking up the industry and forcing the big brands to try and compete with us on price.

Where do most entrepreneurs go wrong and why?

I don’t think an entrepreneur can go wrong. If you are an entrepreneur you are someone who has invented a new way of doing business. Even if that business fails, you did actually invent something.

Most people fail because they don’t become entrepreneurs in the first place. They might have a great idea, but never turn it into a business.

In your opinion, what is the main reason why most businesses fail?

Charles Darwin said it best: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” A lack of innovation and keeping up with their industry is what causes the demise of most businesses.

What has been your most effective marketing tactic or technique?

The most effective marketing technique has been building and fostering a loyal online community around the Kogan brand. We have hundreds of thousands of loyal fans around the world that we are in constant conversation with over email, through the Kogan blog, Facebook and Twitter. The most important thing for Kogan is to not only use these communication channels to broadcast or listen, but to actually converse with our customers in meaningful dialogue.

Is there a particular marketing method you believe is the most effective in
business now days?

Any marketing activity where you can accurately measure the return on investment is one worth considering. Too often, companies throw money down the drain with marketing activities when they have no idea how much money they will make from it. At Kogan, we will only ever spend money on marketing if we know for each cent we spend what we will likely make in return.

How has social media, the information age and an increase use of the Internet changed the face of how we do business?

Social media has done the equivalent of giving every single person in a shopping centre a megaphone. If a customer is unhappy, they’ll no longer grumble about it under their breath or just tell their friend. They will tell the world. The same goes for happy customers. For some brands this has resulted in some tremendously negative exposure on social media. Because of our tremendous product and service, the feedback about the Kogan brand on social media has been overwhelmingly positive.

What three pieces of advice would you offer entrepreneurs starting out today?

Don’t worry if people tell you your idea is crazy. This probably means you’re on to something. If your business challenges the status quo, you’re more likely to succeed. Just do it. Don’t waste time sitting on your idea, because if you do, someone will probably beat you to the punch.

Take risks. Being an entrepreneur is about throwing caution to the wind. I had to quit a well-paid job to start Kogan, much to the dismay of friends and family around me. But taking big risks can pay off. Just ensure they are calculated risks.

One of the major problems circulating around the recruitment process of most organisations around the globe is the ability to recruit quality people, get the best out of them and keep them interested for the long haul.

Things aren’t the way they used to be. These days you have very few employees who stay at their organisation for longer periods of time, mainly due to job dissatisfaction. Everything is changing constantly and rapidly except one thing – what people want. Something that hasn’t changed in 50 years!

If employers tune in and really take the time to understand what employees really want from their organisation, and meet this need, their chances of hiring and keeping the best will greatly improve. This in turn will assist in reducing their recruitment and training cost.

“Human Capital is the most powerful capital for any organisation”

These days too many employers assume that they know what employees want from their jobs rather than ask them. Below is a list of what employees say they want, starting with what’s most important to them:

1. Full appreciation for work done
2. Feeling “in” on things
3. Sympathetic help on personal problems
4. Job security
5. Good wages
6. Interesting work
7. Promotion/growth opportunities
8. Personal loyalty to workers
9. Good working conditions
10. Tactful discipline

Now take a look at what managers THINK employees want, starting with what they think is most important:

1. Good wages
2. Job security
3. Promotion/growth opportunities
4. Good working conditions
5. Interesting work
6. Personal loyalty to workers
7. Tactful discipline
8. Full appreciation for work done
9. Sympathetic help with personal problems
10. Feeling “in” on things

(These studies have been replicated with similar results by Ken Kovach 1980 and Achievers International 1988)

Do you see the inconsistency and lack of communication? Both parties have different intentions, and therefore there will never be a consistent level of job satisfaction for the employees, which only leads to employees leaving and looking for another place to work.

To tackle this issue more and more companies are now starting to ask what candidates are looking for in their job role to be completely satisfied and then matching that need to the culture and environment of the organisation to ensure it is a good fit before proceeding with employment.

In 2004, Sharon Pearson founded The Coaching Institute. Since a first student intake of just 9 students, The Coaching Institute has gone on to train over 1600 students, as well as deliver Coaching for Managers training for organisations throughout the world.

In just seven years The Coaching Institute has become the leading provider of coach training in Australia, offering the only Diploma of Life Coaching that is nationally accredited to include NLP Practitioner Certification and How To Run a Successful Workshop. The Coaching Institute is Australia’s leading coaching business and the most accredited coaching school in Australasia.

The Coaching Institute was selected as the winner of the 2006 & 2010 Telstra Business Awards, winning the Victorian Micro-business category & Business Women’s Award. As the resident life coach on Channel 10, Sharon appeared regularly on the national show, ’9am with David and Kim’ throughout 2006 offering insights and tips for its viewers.

We interviewed Sharon to discover how she went about building Australia’s biggest coaching institute through a unique marketing approach called: Relationship Based Marketing.

How did you go from cold calling to running Australia’s biggest Coaching Institute?

I learnt about a technique called Relationship Based Marketing, so instead of me going out and chasing clients, I worked out that it was more about getting the right type of clients coming to me.

Can you briefly describe the steps involved in relationship based marketing?

Well, within this marketing method, there are five steps. Step one is all about understanding who my ideal client is; who I really want to work with and who would love to work with me.

Then step two is working out where they all congregate so that I can reach them easily. Step three is then to get in from them with a gift so that they can notice me. Then step four is all about building a relationship with them over a period of time until they feel comfortable that I am a trusted advisor for them.

Once you build trust by providing great value and answering all their questions you then make them an offer, which is the last step.

When looking to purchase a product/service, what do customers look for these days?

I think these day’s people can be quite sceptical, I know I am and most of the people I speak with are. One of the biggest problems of being a marketer is how do you get your product or service in front of someone without yelling at them.

So I think the key thing that a client is wanting is something that is authentic and that is a complete match for a problem they have without them having to think about it.

Clients have every right to be sceptical, but by doing so it makes it very hard for them to find what they are looking for. Clients these days have higher standards then ever before.

What form of marketing do you believe is most effective these days, besides Relationship Based Marketing?

I don’t, after investing over $350,000 and eight years of testing every other method possible with very little success, I have come to the conclusion that nothing else works as well as relationship based marketing.

How important is it to conduct market research within your business?

I think the only thing that matters when you start marketing is market research, and I don’t mean the old traditional style of research where you have focus groups and surveys.

I am talking about asking and listening to your clients when they join up with you. Ask them why they purchased from you rather then someone else, what they liked about your service/product, the style and approach of your marketing, etc.

Too many businesses fail because they build and hope that clients will come; whereas if you know exactly who are targeting you will increase your success in marketing to the right demographic.

How do you establish the right price for a product/service when launching a new business?

The system is simple: find out what the competitors are charging, find out what they are delivering, what problem they are solving and then find out how to add more value then they are by including more bonuses and charge client market price for it.

If you could offer one piece of advice to any individual who is looking to create a successful marketing campaign in their business, what would that be?

Before you do anything in business, work out why you’re in business. Work out your ideal average day and create a business model around that.

Dick Smith left school at the age of 15 and got a job in a factory. He soon realised that the only way he was going to do well was to own his own business. One day the company he was working for (West Way Electronics), which made two-way radios, decided it was no longer going to service Manly Cabs.

At that stage Dick, 24 years of age, saw his opportunity, and with $600 of his own money and $10 from his fiancée he set up a business fixing the two-way radios for Manly Cabs. After a while Dick realised that there was not enough money in it, so he started to sell car radios as well.

“I did quite well from the start; my accountant actually told me after 6 months that I had made more money then the Prime Minister of Australia.”

He then realised that even though he was doing well, making money through labour was not going to help him become wealthy. It wasn’t till he walked into an electronic components shop where he received poor service that Dick decided to start his own business.

Within 10 years he had 50 shops around Australia and eventually sold it to Woolworths for 25 million dollars. We interviewed Dick to find out his thoughts on business and what is required to be successful.

What is hard in starting and growing a business now in comparison to what was hard 10-20 years ago?

It is harder today because of globalisation, most businesses are huge. With globalisation there is so much competition and so many big companies that it would be very difficult to do the same thing.

What skills would you look for in a new business partner now vs 10-20 years ago?

I look for people who are disciplined, who work hard and can stay focused. They have get up and go, an enthusiastic energy and are happy to ask for advice. I think these characteristics are very important.

How do you deal with certain changes in business?

I love change because I am a risk taker, most people hate change. In business you have to go with change given that society changes all the time. I use to always look ahead of my time knowing that things were going to change.

What are the most important lessons you have learned in business and at what stage within your business did you learn them?

The most important lesson I have learned is to learn from your mistakes. I have made every mistake possible in business but I have never made the same mistake twice.

What was the main reason why you started your own business?

The main thing for me was to have freedom in what I did. Because I had no qualifications and did not do too well academically I thought that if I started my own business, that would be the best thing for me and where I was heading.

When I started my own business I had no idea that I would be wealthy. I saw a company called Howard Car Radio at Chatswood who had 4 employees. I said to my fiancé at the time, “wouldn’t be great if we could open up our own business and have employees working for us?”

My accountant actually sat down with me and told me that I was a millionaire, so up until that point I was not aware that I was even a millionaire.

What are some of the reasons why most businesses fail?

Most businesses fail because they don’t look at having decent profit margins and they don’t look at keeping the overheads low.

What drives you in business?

The adrenalin pumping excitement that success gives, I love responsible risk taking, I love competition and I love winning and being the best.

What is success to you?

You really judge success in a business by being profitable, you have to look at it in a monetary way.

What piece of advice would you give to entrepreneurs who are looking to start or grow their own business?

Ask for advice and model the success of others. Find someone who is successful and ask for advice.

Surround yourself with quality people, people who know more than you. My success is a direct reflection of the people I have mixed with over time, modelling others who are successful, keeping focused and asking lots of great questions.

Rod Young is the founder and Executive Director of DC Strategy, a company which has helped brands such as Australia Post, Aussie Home Loans, Gloria Jeans, OPSM, 7 Eleven, Telstra, ANZ etc.

He is recognised as one of the world’s leading franchise and channel strategy experts with over 30 years experience establishing and developing successful networks and brands in Australia, Europe, China, South East Asia, India and the United States.

We interviewed Rod to find out what it takes for a franchise to be successful and recognised as a global brand.

Rod, with over 30 years of experience, how have you seen the franchising industry develop and change throughout the years with the introduction of technology?
Technology has been a great influence in franchising because back in the early days paying royalties and manual reporting was the norm but what we are seeing is quite sophisticated information systems nowadays.

It has made reporting, marketing, customer service and various other important aspects of the franchising model a lot more effective and efficient.

What are the biggest mistakes businesses make when looking to franchise?

The biggest mistake most businesses make is that they believe money in franchising is in the franchise fee, not in the royalties attained per franchise agreement. In my experience no-one has ever made money in selling franchises.

What components are required for a franchise to be truly successful?

There is a science to developing a franchise program. Without the right science and development a franchise model will not be successful. There are many key components, it needs to have a point of difference, brand that is relevant to the consumer, great understanding of its customer and it needs to have a system or process to turn its product or service into cash.

What do entrepreneurs need to have prepared before approaching a franchise consultant or company?

The number one thing they need to have figured out before looking to franchise is whether or not their business model is proven through profitability and in multiple locations.

If I am looking to franchise my business, how do I go about calculating the franchise royalty fee?

This to a large extend depends on the profitability of the business, not that it is calculated at the profit of the business, it’s typically calculated on the revenue but it must have a coloration back to the net profit and the gross profit that the franchisee gets. It is a fairly complex and the danger with royalties is that if you get it wrong even just by 1% that could be the difference between you being able to survive or not.

What are the main reasons why franchise chains fail?

Because they have not done their due diligence to figure out whether or not their franchisor has a proven business model and have not had a look at their expectations and their objectives within the business, they fail to follow the franchisors system, distracted from the business, underestimate the commitment and work required to make the business successful and very little involvement within the local community.

If I am looking to hire a franchise consultant, what questions do I need to ask to make sure I have the right person for the job?

There is only one question and that is: What is your track record? Anyone can get advice on how to be a millionaire from the drunk at the end of the bar, but a good advisor clearly stands out based on his track record.

What are the risks associated in buying a new franchise compared to a well-established franchise?

The risk of buying a new franchise is that the model has not been proven and consolidated to a large degree. The advantage to this is that you buy at a much lower rate then buying one that is proven and well established.

What would be one piece of advice you would give to someone who is looking to franchise their business?

The first thing they need to do is to get their business proven and profitable. Don’t franchise your business or think of franchising your business until you can show you can produce a profit in your business and also think of your business with a global perspective rather then a local perspective.

Justin Beeton bought his first share at age 14. That initial venture sparked a lifelong interest in the share market and investing which has grown into a consuming passion. Indeed, at the age of 21 Justin became Australia’s youngest stockbroker. His passion, intelligence, results, and integrity were recognised by Australia’s largest investment bank where he became their youngest investment manager at just 22.

In 2004, Justin established his own company, JB Global. In six years, JB Global has grown to have over 3,000 clients, $550 million in funds under management and has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. We interviewed Justin to discover the ingredients necessary to have a unique edge within the market place and what it takes to succeed in business.

Justin, you have been able to successfully build a credible brand in the stock market, what were the key reasons for that?

Branding is very important, it is essential that you have a point of difference so that investors know what we stand for and what sets us apart from our competitors. By developing a real identity investors are able to find something to associate with and this is important when it comes to developing loyalty.

You have a very unique approach when dealing with clients who are looking at the stock market, can you tell us a little bit about that?

We like to align our interests with those of our investors and as such we have moved to a performance-based fee model whereby we only have a profit when the investor makes a profit.

This provides us with plenty of incentive to search for outstanding investing opportunities here in Australia and around the globe. Most fund managers charge monthly fees regardless of whether or not the fund is making the investors money.

What would you say are the key attributes to your success in business?

The main reason we are so successful is because of the returns we have provided our clients. We have consistently provided investors with spectacular returns when the share market has risen, however more importantly, when the market has crashed as it did in 2008 as a result of the GFC the majority of our clients’ investment capital was protected.

What is the key to success in business?

The key success in business I believe is a person’s ability to surround themselves with a great team of experts. The staff at JB Global are my greatest asset. Without this team JB Global would not be the success it is today. The staff have an underlying passion and determination to be the best they can be at their core competence, whether that be as an investment manager, superannuation expert, receptionist or manager.

In business, how do you face challenges and adversity?

With passion, determination & excitement. Business is about overcoming challenges. When I first started in business I constantly looked forward to the day that all the hurdles and obstacles were overcome.

What is the one piece of advice that you would offer to any individual who is looking to start their own business?

Stop putting your head in the sand and just make it happen. The choice is yours. The most brilliant ideas are worthless unless it sees the light of the day. When you think about a business idea it is a dream, when you envision it, it’s exciting. When you plan it, it’s possible. But only when you take action and do something, when the rubber hits pavement does it become real. Go make your dream a reality, only you can do it.

Co-Founder Janine Allis started Boost Juice in her garage in 2000 out of frustration that she could not find healthy takeaway products for her three children.

Since starting their first store in Adelaide back in year 2000, 11 years later Boost Juice now boasts more than 180 outlets in Australia and 50 overseas (mainly in Britain, Singapore and South Africa). Boost was ranked seventh on BRW‘s list of fastest growing businesses in 2010 and Ms Allis is said to be worth $36 million on the magazine’s Young Rich List.

We spoke with Janine regarding the importance of work culture and how that has attributed to the success of what is now the largest juice and smoothie bar in the southern hemisphere.

Janine, you attribute the success of your business to the fresh, young and dynamic culture that pervades all aspects of the company. Why is that?

The success of every business is based on the quality of people who are hired, that have the right attitude and on the path that you want them to be on. If you haven’t got the right culture or working environment you won’t attract the right people.

When creating a compelling culture at work, what’s most important?

Working with integrity and honesty is the top two most important things when it comes to building a culture.

Do you have a specific formula, criteria or approach when designing a culture?

I think it is just intuitive given that the culture is a moving target all the time. As you know when you work with people you like it’s a lot more enjoyable so we try and find people who are best suited to work with each other to make work that much more enjoyable.

What were some of the challenges you faced in creating such a compelling culture and how did you overcome them?

Oh, we face challenges all the time and the main challenge we find is that if you hire the wrong person in your business they can quickly bring down the culture of the business to the ground, and it’s about recognising it as quickly as possible and if you can recognise it fix it ASAP.

How do you evaluate if a new candidate you are looking to employ is a good fit for the culture of your organisation?

Intuitively you can get a good feeling whether or not they are right for the position. How they answer questions, what they say, recommendations and attitude. We hire on attitude not skill, unless you are applying for a position that requires a certain skill like an accountant or lawyer.

How do you determine if an employee you have hired is no longer a good fit for your company?

In business you need to be very clear on your expectations and all that starts with yourself. We set the expectations from the start, then we work with them to meet it and if they don’t we sit down and figure out why.

Do you recommend companies have an ongoing assessment, maybe once every 6 months or so to evaluate their current culture at work?

I think that every single company out there needs to have a very strong communication strategy. This communication needs to be in written form and for people to know clearly that it exists and that it needs to be followed. I think communication is extremely important.

How do you maintain and uphold a culture once you have developed it?

Treating people with respect, rewarding them and giving them a salary that is appropriate is how you maintain a culture. Have a bit of a laugh and make things fun.

What are some things that can damage or harm cultures at work?

The biggest thing that can kill the culture at work is getting the wrong CEO in the business. By getting the wrong management, you kill the culture of any company.

How do you replace an existing work culture with a new one?

You change the CEO and leadership team because it all starts with them. The CEO hires the managers and the managers then hire the staff so you work your way from the top to the bottom of the chain.

• Dick Smith (Dick Smith Electronics)
• Janine Allis  (Boost Juice)
• Naomi Simson (Red Balloon)
• Andrew Morello (Yellow Brick Road)
• Dale Beaumont (Business Blueprint)
• Creel Price (Accelerate Global)
• Mark Pracy (Jet Fighter Australia)
• Wayne Homschek (Pie Face)
• Tristan Sender (GoGet CarShare)
• Dr. John Demartini (Demartini Institute)
• Bruce Doyle (Action Coach)
• Jeremy Liddle (Rio Life)
• Sharon Pearson (The Coaching Institute)
• Leon Jay (Fushion HQ)
• Catherine Eibner (Microsoft)
• Ruslan Kogan (Kogan Technologies)
• Rod Young (DC Strategy)
• Jordan Belfort (The Wolf of Wall Street)
• Matt Barrie (Freelancer)
• Dr. Tom Mckaskill
• Adam Davis (Showclicks)
• John Assaraf
• Business Chicks
• Jack Delosa (The Entourage)
• Justin Beeton (JB Global)
• Rhiannon Rees
• Phil Staub (General Pants Co)
• Domenic Carosa (Dominet Digital)
• Siimon Reynolds (The Fortune Institute)
• Emanuel Perdis (Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics)
• Katherine Sampson (Healthy Habits)
• Peter Sheahan (Gen Y)
• Neville Christie

Since its inception in 2001, RedBalloon has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the front room of Naomi Simson’s home (CEO and founder). Ten years later the business is powered by a team of 46 RedBallooners and has been listed on BRW’s Fast list 6 years running (2004 – 2009).

We spoke with Naomi Simson regarding the importance of Market Research when entering into a new market with hardly any proven track record and how she went about building a well known Australian Icon.

Given that it was such a new concept, how important was it in the early stages to do market research?

There is a difference between doing market research and listening to customers. Market research is a science and it is analytical but when you are inventing an industry that nobody knows anything about, it’s a little bit hard to do research.

There were clear trends when we were starting, one was the internet, and secondly the conversations were getting louder and louder about too much clutter in the planet. Just listening to some of my friends and them not knowing what to get their husbands gave me a great insight into a possible need in the marketplace.

So by simply listening to the market, Internet trends and people’s needs we knew there was a market we could potentially create and grow.

How did you build a brand which most Australian are now familiar with?

Brand is created based on the relationship you create with individual people. The relationship is owned by our customers and therefore our brand is owned by our customers. It’s the feeling they have about your brand. Once you understand the essence of what your brand represents then you can really start to grow your business.

When did you start seeing the growth in your business?

Well, in the first year we did 300 in total gift packages, then in the second year we did 300 a month and our biggest month was at Christmas in the 3^rd year where we did $156,000 in one month. It has taken a while for people to trust the brand but once it took off it went up exponentially.

In 2010 we shipped 300,000 gifts because more and more people started talking to each other about the essence of our brands.

Has social media played a huge role in your success as of late?

Yes, we do use social media and we use it as a listening tool. A lot of companies misconstrue it as a broadcasting tool and never really use it as a listening device.

It supports our notion of listening and responding. We have quite an active team constantly reviewing and looking at how we are talked about online. We are enjoying what we are learning from social media.

Where do you see things in 10 years in the business world?

Everything is going mobile, that was the vision that Apple had when I was there 20 years ago. This is just a reality now. I believe we will be completely mobile and I don’t think we will have as much office spaced employees.

There are obviously jobs where you will need to be physically at work, but there will continue to be a shift in remote office space.

What is the one piece of advice you would give to entrepreneurs who are in business or about to start their own business?

I would always ask someone who is thinking about getting into business, this very simple question: Why?

If there answer is to make money I tell them to go work in a job because they will make more money that way. If you are not clear about your sense of purpose you will be unsure as to what you are trying to align people to. The thing that gets me out of bed every morning is that I know I am changing gifting in Australia forever.

• Microsoft
• Ashworth Recruitment
• Yellow Brick Road
• Crowd Mass
• Skiggle
• C2C Solar
• Electricity Wizard
• Red Line Corp
• The Next Addiction
• Mission Australia
• SAI Global
• Conversion Boost
• Search Find Hire
• Pimp Jamas
  
• Conversion Boost
  
• ContractorSelling.com
• Global1Training
• Jordan Belfort Events
  
• Your-Baby (Online website)
• Escape Energy Drink
• JP & P

• Sydney Morning Herald
• 10 News
• ABC News
• Yahoo 7
• The Age
• Brisbane Times
• Business Day
• My Business
• Dynamic Business
• South Sydney Herald
• WA Today
• Nett Magazine
• Grow Your Business
• Inner West Courier
• Courier News
• Hills Times
• Under30CEO
• Business Review Australia
• Business Blueprint
• Australian Franchises
• Retail Digital
• Service Mag
• Business Insider
• Business Blueprint
• Business Chicks
• Anthill Magazine
• Think & Grow Rich Magazine
• Visa Business

“RIDC Advisory gave an emotive presentation on market research, ideas on understanding what your customers really want and a useful insight on what the wealthiest Entrepreneurs do to create their success in business.

Their ability to clearly convey the key drivers behind a customer’s emotional connection to a purchase was visible in the pitches given by each team later that evening as many of them used emotion to engage the judges during their pitch.

Their knowledge and support were invaluable.”

Catherine Eibner
Developer Evangelist
Microsoft

www.microsoft.com

“Alex Pirouz is by far one of the most dynamic and eductaed speakers within his field. His level of knowledge, skill  and understanding within the personal branding industry is a cut above class. Above all this; what makes Alex unique is his work ethic and sheer determination to get the desired outcome. I highly recommend Alex to anyone looking to build their personal brand.”

Andrew Morello
Winner of Channel 9’s The Apprentice

“ The tools and techniques we covered off were highly relevant to our industry and directly applicable to our workplace, in both a sales and marketing capacity. I would highly recommend RIDC Advisory to any organisation or team wanting some unique strategies for instant results. RIDC Advisory have a great presentation style which make the sales training extremely effective and enjoyable. The tools we covered off were highly relevant to our industry and directly applicable to our workplace, in both a sales and marketing capacity.”

Laura Jenkins
Marketing Manager
Training & Improvement Solutions
SAI Global
www.saiglobal.com

“There was nothing RIDC Advisory didn’t solve for us or have an effective solution to. The systems they implemented into our business have saved us many hours of work and is consistently producing the results we are looking for to expand our business.”

Wayne Perng
New Media Producer
The Next Addiction
www.thenextaddiction.com

Nowadays, it seems that everyone and their mother has either a Twitter or Facebook account. Social media networks are incorporated into practically every area of our life, making it easier and more accessible to connect and communicate with others.

It is no wonder that the corporate world is looking at ways in which to utilize the power of social media for their benefit. When designing a marketing campaign for your organisation, there are many strategies that can be employed. To garner new clientele, you must use the medium your clients are using in your industry when they look for your product or service.

This will not only ensure you get a great return on investment but also enable you to communicate with the right audience.

It is best to study your market and compare which option is more targeted: Social Media marketing or the traditional style or a combination of both? This article compares the different variables between social and traditional ways of marketing to give you a balanced perspective on what will work best for you.

Traditional marketing is sometimes regarded as old and out-dated by many industry leaders. In fact 24 of the 25 largest newspapers are experiencing record declines in circulation. When you look at 50% of the world’s population being under 30 and 96% of them using social networks to connect, it is no wonder that social media marketing is becoming the next big thing.

Let’s go ahead and look at the main differences between the two styles:

• Traditional marketing relies on the advertising itself to get the gist of its message to the potential consumer. Social Media Marketing engages potential and current consumers with you on a more personal level. This results to an increase of customer service and word of mouth advertising.
• The results of social media marketing can be seen almost instantaneously, whereas with traditional marketing campaigns, companies need to wait for the numbers to come back which will then be analysed to track results.
• Purchasing ad space in print publications, and airtime on either radio or television networks, can be pricey. Same goes for billboard rentals and direct mailing. When traditional marketing and social media marketing are compared, there is no competition in this department.

While traditional marketing is still capable of targeting a specific demographic, it is not nearly as effective as social media marketing. However, any ideal marketing campaign would incorporate aspects of both marketing strategies to incorporate as many potential consumers.

Michaela McNamara
Cheif Editor
Business Review Australia
www.businessreviewaustralia.com

Pie Face was established by the former Citigroup operative Wayne Homschek and his partner, Betty Fong, in 2003. Given that there was no national brand doing the classical Aussie Pie, they noticed a gap in the marketplace and decided to move from the fashion industry to making pies.

Pie Face now has over 47 stores nationally, with a vision to open up 300-500 stores in the country before expanding globally to America, England and other countries worldwide. It has been featured in BRW Fast Starter 2007, 2008, and 2009, BRW fast franchises and won The Cool Company Award in 2010. We spoke with co-founder Wayne Homschek to find out how he has been able to build Pie Face to an Australian brand many have experienced and are now familiar with.

How did you come up with the name Pie Face?

Betty and I were sitting around one night trying to come up with a killer brand. We worked on it for three months and could not come up with anything. It wasn’t until we signed our first lease, that night we came up with the name by starting to draw faces on the napkins at the restaurant we were dining at.

When creating a brand name, what do you believe is most important?

This all really depends on the essence of your brand and what your brand stands for. For us we wanted something quick, quirky, fun and memorable.

You have a very unique style of branding. How does this appeal to the marketplace?

We come from the fashion background so we know about branding and standing out, being original and not following others. We strive for being relevant and starting trends within industries. Most of the food brands in the country are following someone else. It’s all about being original.

In your eyes what would you classify as a brand and what is the importance of brand management?

Your brand is the DNA of your business, it’s the way the business is run, how staff look, packaging, the way the store has been designed. It’s the way you do things and run your business from the ground up.

Your approach to marketing is very creative, how has this helped in building your brand and how important is it to be fresh and unique in your industry?

Well look at all the big brands around the world: not many of them are not unique or creative. We like to concentrate at doing things that are outside the box and creative.

They say that in branding it is more about the experience your clients have with your brand than it is about your product/service. Why is that?

I think the word that would best answer this question is: Experiential. The product itself is just part of the experience, it’s also about how they are served, how they feel when they walk out of the store, what the vibe is all about. It’s not just the food it’s also about the service.

What emotions are behind your customers’ purchases? How important is it to know this?

We want our customers to feel original, this is at the heart of our brand essence. Our tagline is: “Individual pies for individual people”. We want customers to feel special when they go into a Pie Face store.

If you could offer one piece of advice to any business owner who is looking to franchise their business model and create a compelling brand, what would that be?

Simplicity is always great. Franchisees always like things that they can understand. The more simple the franchise and brand model, the greater impact you will have in your employees, shareholders, customers and franchisees.

Something that has a mass market appeal and not something that is niche; it also must have a clear execution strategy so that you can tell your franchisees clearly what is required to be successful.