2008 – A Year For Change? How many of us in small business bemoan the fact that we had such a bad year or, at best, a year we were not satisfied with? Then we forget to look in the mirror and merely pass it off with comments about bad luck, the economy let us down or people are just not buying products or using services. The truth is that if you are not d prepared to make some changes in s the way you do things – how can you m expect a different result? 1. If you don’t know where you are going, how are you going to get there – make plans which have a target and work towards achieving them – do you actually know what you want from your business? 2. Believe change is possible – if you don’t – it isn’t. Failure to believe 100% that change is possible will result in resistance and mean creativity is blocked. 3. Be highly motivated – it is what keeps your momentum going even when things get tough – keep on the path you set yourself – this is your future!! 4. Be highly committed – your level of personal commitment will influence your behaviour and any others contributing to the success of your business. 5. Be highly creative – creativity is about thinking outside the box, finding new solutions and new ways of responding to challenges – to get better results. 6. Plan effectively – although there needs to be flexibility, no real change can happen unless it is planned and thought through thoroughly. 7. Take risks – whether you like it or not, change has an element of risk. Learn from the mistakes that come from that risk and keep moving ahead towards the ultimate objective you set yourself in the plan. 8. Be persistent – don’t give up at the first sign of problems – change takes time to implement well. 9. Enthusiasm – some embrace the challenge while others complain about the circumstances – lead! 10. Be courageous – difficult choices will need to be made and communicated – they may not be popular. 11. Flexibility -- - you may need to change some of your changes to meet obstacles. 12. Empathy – see the effect of your changes from the shoes of others – and, Good Luck in 2008 Belief is all you need … A man was lost while driving through the country. As he tried to read a map, he accidentally drove off the road into a ditch. Although he wasn’t injured, his car was stuck deep in the mud. So, the man walked to a nearby farm to ask for help. “Warwick can get you out of that ditch,” said the farmer, pointing to an old mule standing in a field. The man looked at the haggardly old mule and looked at the farmer who just stood there repeating “Yep, Warwick can do the job”. The man figured he had nothing to lose so the two men made their way back to where the car was stranded in the ditch – with the old mule. The farmer hitched the mule words, say “Ho, Ho, to the car. With a snap of the reins he shouted, “Pull, Fred! Pull, Jack! Pull, Ted! Pull, Warwick! And the mule pulled the car from the ditch with very little effort. The stranded man was amazed. He thanked the farmer, patted the mule and asked, “Why did you call out all those other names before you called Warwick?” The farmer grinned and said, “Old Warwick is just about blind. As long as he believes he’s part of a team, he doesn’t mind doing his share, and pulling. In the Kitchen Of Life A young woman was complaining to her father about how difficult her life had become. He said nothing, but took her to the kitchen and put three pans of water on the stove. To the first pan he added carrots, eggs to the second and ground coffee to the third. He then turned each burner on bringing each to the boil. After they had all cooked, the father put their contents into separate bowls and asked his daughter to cut the eggs and carrot and smell the coffee. Impatiently, the daughter asked what all this meant. “Each food teaches us something about facing adversity, represented by the boiling water.” The carrot was hard but came out soft and weak; the eggs were fragile but came out hard; however, the coffee changed the water to something better. “Which will you be like as you face life’s challenges? Will you give up, become hard or transform adversity into triumph?” As the “chef” of your own life, what will you bring to the table? If you don’t invest time, energy and money in yourself – you are a poor judge of a good investment. – Keith Abraham Download a PDF Copy

2008 – A Time For True Value? How many times have you been told by a smooth sales person that what he is offering is better value than the other options you are considering – often because the sales person is offering a cheap, easy to sell product or he is offering the product that makes him most commission or other reward. The office equipment industry is full of “great deals” and “specials” – “buy one and we’ll give you a free camera” - who do you think pays for that? Remember what your mother always said – if it seems too good to be true,, o it probably is! Be aware and careful. The critical thing to consider when deciding what device you need is what am I going to use it for and consequently what is the right device for my needs? It is not uncommon for business people to make a buying decision based on great marketing or because they heard that a particular brand is the “best”. If you have not taken into consideration the following items, you have not properly considered the options. ◊ what is the primary use for the device – faxing, copying, printing, scanning, archiving, emailing etc? ◊ what size paper do you need to print, fax or copy – if you have had A3 capabilities before, do you really need them now – the privilege really costs! ◊ do you need duplex (double-sided) printing or copying, multiple paper trays and flexibility of paper size – e.g. A5 for medical and education. ◊ do you need to share the device with many users or is it only to be used by one user – you may need to have the availability of network connectivity. ◊ have you considered the real cost of operation – has that “slick” sales person told you about all the costs associated with maintaining your new device – toner, drum, photoconductor, fuser, waste toner? ◊ how many pages will you be printing, copying or receiving as faxes per month with your new device – of course the “slick” sales guy has told you about the monthly duty cycle of your new device!! If you do not have answers to all of the above then you probably will not be getting the device you really need to improve the productivity of your office. There is more to getting value for your hard-earned dollar in buying the right device – ask Focus . January Quiz    Please fill in Quiz questions below and click 'Send Quiz'. January Quiz 1. What are the two most common New Year’s resolutions? * 2. What is the first inhabited was place to experience New Year each year?* 3. What does “Auld Lang Syne” mean?* Your Email address*   Win a Hewlett Packard F4185 All In One. October Quiz Answers – how did you go? 1. The first Prime Minister represented the Protectionist Party and there have been 9 (or 10) parties represented by Prime Ministers in Australia. 2. John Watson was the youngest Prime Minister at 37 years of age and George Reid was the oldest when elected at 59. John McEwen was 67 (acting). and 3. Silk or linen are the traditional symbols of 12th anniversaries with pearls and coloured gems the modern symbols. Congratulations to Elaine Evans of Southern Solutions who correctly answered all three questions and wins two movie tickets.