Media Room

A survey of prospective franchisees has shown that 84 per cent of survey participants have little to no experience in social media yet feel it is important for franchisees to own and manage their own social media profiles for business.

The survey conducted by FranchiseBusiness.com.au of 600 Australian prospective franchisees highlighted although almost a third of survey participants had no experience at all in social media, 89 per cent of prospective franchisees believe social media is beneficial for business.

The survey revealed that majority of prospective franchisees see the value of social media yet most are still slow to gain the necessary experience in managing social platforms for business purposes.

Sales Manager for FranchiseBusiness.com.au, Raffael Fernandes, said “Although there is a very obvious indication that social media is seen as a necessity in franchise business by prospective franchisees there is still very little action going on.”

“Although 60 per cent of those surveyed believe they should manage their own social media profiles as a franchisee, their actions just don’t seem to be matching their needs – it’s very contradictory,” said Mr Fernandes.

In addition to social media, 93 per cent of prospective franchisees believe a website is important for a business and almost 80 per cent expect to manage their own website as a franchisee. However, 87 per cent of those surveyed have little to no experience in managing a website.

“There seems to be a gap between the expectations of online strategies and what they can do for business and the skill sets people actually have when it comes to using online strategies and tactics for business,” said Mr Fernandes.

The survey reported that less than a third of prospective franchisees had managed a website previously and only 47 per cent of those surveyed choose to use social media for professional purposes.

“Prospective franchisees now need to start growing their experience in the areas of social media and online. Learning the skills that will be able to meet their needs of managing and running a social media profile and website for business purposes will be beneficial for their future endeavours as franchisees,” said Mr Fernandes.

Prospective franchisees looking to invest in an Australian franchise surveyed about the effects of major issues in the franchise industry including financial, market environment and the online sector.

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About the survey
The survey of 600 Prospective franchisees looking to invest in an Australian franchise over the age of 18 years was carried out over the months of August and September 2012, covering all states and territories of Australia and representing all demographics.

About FranchiseBusiness.com.au
FranchiseBusiness.com.au is the official online business directory of the Franchise Council of Australia, listing franchises and service providers. Owned and operated by Catch, an online division of Reed Business Information Australia, FranchiseBusiness.com.au provides a comprehensive central online source of franchise opportunities and industry updates and news. www.franchisebusiness.com.au   Read More

Almost 73 per cent of Australian workers in the mining, industrial and construction sectors have expressed their concern about the widening gap between the two-speed economy.

These are the findings of a recent survey of 1,030 Australians, working in the mining, industrial and manufacturing sectors, conducted by Ferret.com.au – an online business directory servicing the Australian mining, industrial and manufacturing sectors.

The survey revealed growing concerns of economic pressures caused by the weaknesses in the manufacturing, construction and retail industries in opposition to the mining boom.

Dom Weatherhead, Account manager for Ferret.com.au said, “This was one of the most significant responses when it came to addressing concerns and issues regarding the mining, industrial and manufacturing sectors. It shows that confidence really isn’t all that high at the moment.”

In addition to growing concerns about the Australian two-speed economy, was the belief that the mining boom is causing a skills shortage in Australian businesses that are outside of the mining sector. However, those surveyed also expressed concern about a skills shortage in the mining sector, with just over 50 per cent believing the shortage does exist.

“Just over 51 per cent of those surveyed expressed concern for skills shortages occurring in sectors like manufacturing and retail due to the mining boom, but almost the same amount of those surveyed expressed concerns about a shortage of skills in the mining sector as well,” said Mr Weatherhead.

In response to the skills shortage, 54 percent of the Australian workers in the mining sector indicated they believe automation is needed and only 10 per cent indicated they don’t.

“Automation is slowly increasing in the mining sector, with many companies implementing automated machinery in remote areas and places they find difficult to employ workers for,” said Mr Weatherhead.

“Although there are some negative aspects to automation, these results indicate that these workers are worried about the skills shortage and believe automation may be the answer.”

Business owners, managers and employees of the mining, industrial and manufacturing sectors were surveyed about the major issues of their sector including economic, environmental issues, and cost and effectiveness of resources.

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For further information or interviews please contact:
Lauren Milne
CP Communications
Phone: 02 9460 9200

About the survey
The survey of 1,030 business owners, managers and employees of the mining, industrial and manufacturing sectors over the age of 18 years was carried out over the months of March and April 2012 covering all states and territories of Australia and representing all demographics.

About Ferret.com.au
Ferret.com.au is an online business directory servicing the Australian Manufacturing, Industrial and Mining industries. Owned and operated by Catch, an online division of Reed Business Information Australia, Ferret.com.au provides a comprehensive central online source containing the latest product, company and industry news updates. www.ferret.com.au  Read More

Last week I was interviewed about mentoring. I was asked about the reasons why we need a mentor. Over my career I have mentored numerous business people and graduates and I see this as part of my contribution to the business community.

Here are the reasons why I believe mentoring is important:

Create a learning culture in your life – I think we’re responsible for our own learning. By seeking a mentor you are creating an opportunity to grow, which is what you need if you really want to be successful.

A source of support and advice – recently I had to deal with a difficult situation with a ex-business associate. The first place I went to for advice was my group of business friends. Informal mentoring is very invaluable so seek out people you trust and admire to provide you with support and advice.

Formal goal setting – mentoring is a great way to help you set a clear career path and set goals for yourself. It also makes you accountable for your own career goals.

Inspiration and a different perspective – spending time with a mentor that you admire can assist with your own perspective and can lead to better decision making.

Expanding your network – I can’t stress how important networking is for your career and business. A mentor can open up new networks with people outside your own sphere of influence. This can lead to new career opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

Million Paws Walk – We are participating in the Million Paws Walk 2012 to help raise money for the RSPCA. We hope that by participating in the Million Paws Walk we can raise money and awareness to help neglected animals, but we need your help.

Please support our team and the RSPCA by donating to our CP Communications fundraising page. Help us achieve our (very achievable) fundraising target of $250!

Learn how to do your own PR – My next one day workshop – PR and Media Releases that get Results – is on 24 May. Learn how to construct a PR strategy including how to develop media angles, pitches, media releases, articles, case studies and editorials. You will also learn how to strategically use these tools to maximise your chance of achieving your PR objectives. This event is held at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. Register here.

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.
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How to write great content for the internet

Studies have shown that most people only spend 10 – 20 seconds viewing individual websites, which is hardly any time at all. So how do you get people to spend more time on your website and actually read your content?

The answer is to write valuable content that will appeal to your target audience and is presented in a clear format.

The way that we read internet content is different to how we read print text. People read slower on the internet and tend to scan the page, skimming over large chunks of content and focusing on subheadings and summaries. This means that you need to adapt your content for the internet to make it easier for people to read content on a computer screen.  Read More

Our Director Catriona Pollard was featured in a radio interview for mybusinesshelp.com.au discussing PR tips for small business. Learn about how small business owners can get themselves into the media. Listen here.  Read More