I was having a conversation yesterday with a colleague about his experiences in growing and selling the two companies he has owned. He is now consulting, flexible hours, banked his money and enjoying working from home and seeing more of his family. And his main revelation was the peace that came with no more headcount responsibilities, few dramas. Still his own boss, but life was more peaceful – no people issues.

As they say, big business big problems, small business small problems. (I’ve heard the same saying associated with children by the way – big kids, little kids etc I’m sure parents will identify with that).

As I am embarking on a period of growth and reinvention with Taurus, it raised again the pros and cons for all business owners at one time or another, to grow, retract or stay the same? How big is good? What is success? Is global domination really the way to go? And importantly, as we sign new business and success happens, how quickly do we increase headcount to keep costs under control and what employment terms are becoming the norm in this age of crowdsourcing and the internet?

With threats that 2012 is going to be economically tougher and a government in the middle of a leadership battle causing instability in business, families and trade – the decisions around employing new people and increasing a stable cost base are more pertinent than ever.

In 1995, I started Taurus based on the employment of part time mums. I had a small baby, another on the way and I chose to work with women in the same circumstances. We were driven, professional, experienced and able to juggle successfully. Sixteen years later, two of those original mums are still with me and firm friends. The flexible approach to hiring, accommodating everyone’s needs has always been part of my psyche.

This week as I’m busy interviewing for a range of senior and junior positions at Taurus – and want the stability and loyalty of longer term team members, it is apparent the employment picture of the future is changing again. Remote working, even more flexible hours, consulting for multiple companies at once, output generated pay packages, job sharing and ‘virtual positions’ are being discussed openly in my interviews.

My office has always been made up of flexible working arrangements, but now with access to skillsets all over the world – I am often delivered first class work by consultants I’ve found on the internet. People I have never met. Of course the opposite happens as well. The process takes time to set up, it takes time to vet, it’s not always a good experience and it takes time to manage. The quality assurance process can be exhausting, but the crowdsourcing, virtual skillset is a growing phenomenon – just look at Freelancer.com as an example.

What are your experiences with recruitment right now? Meanwhile, I’ll get through these 15 interviews and let you know how I went.

Taurus is proud to be associated with aid organisation Simaid in the launch of their awareness campaign about its initiatives in the rescue and rehabilitation of girls caught in sex trafficking operations in South Asia.

We are urging everyone to get behind Simaid in spreading hope to thousands of people around the world. Show your support at http://simaid.org.au/

To find out more about the concept behind the campaign click here

Shop A Docket begins 2012 with a flying start.

Simon McCord, Shop A Docket founder and coupon industry guru talks to the B&T about his professional career and offers insights into the development of the discount industry. To view the article – click here

Bob Jurkschat, General Manager of Marketing at Shop A Docket, offers his best tips on how SME’s can make the most of coupon marketing. It is a must read for businesses looking to leverage offer-based marketing and promotional techniques to communicate with their audiences. To view the article – click here.

In a two part video series for Microsoft, the Taurus team gives insight into how we use online platforms as an extension of our business operation to engage with clients, prospects and attract potential employees. Social media platforms and online tools such as Microsoft Dynamic CRM offers small and medium businesses endless capabilities to develop and enhance your business.

Hope you gain some food for thought on how you could be leveraging online platforms for your business today.

Find out more about Taurus’ social media service – TaurusEngage™

Part One: How to use Social Media in Business

Part Two: Managing leads with Dynamics CRM

Personally, I was happy to kiss goodbye to 2011. It was a year I’d rather forget personally and professionally. Sure I can put my ‘Pollyanna’ hat on and count the list of good things that happened at work and at home, but the fact remains it was a tough, painful year of hard ‘learnings’. Reading the press, it was similar for many of my colleagues. But as the age old adage goes,we are judged not by how we are when times are good, but by how we are when times are difficult.

One of the positive outcomes of last year, is that I decided to enforce change and react to my learnings as positively as I could.  So just before Christmas, one of the things I did was to implement a stringent change management strategy at Taurus, re-examined the way I operate, what the business is offering, with who I associate with and here standing at February 2012, things are looking good – really good. I am excited by the possibilities. I’ve raised the bar.

That 2012 promises new beginnings and the opportunity to change usual practices and ways of doing things, was no more pertinent on Tuesday night when I attended the launch of Earth Hour, run by WWF at the Hilton hotel Marble bar in Sydney.  It was a stark reminder that learnings are there for all of us and we can make simple changes every day – some for the greater good. In this case it was making choices to help sustain our planet and save money but more about taking responsibility for things, circumstances, actions and the people around us.

The speeches and facts were delivered with humour and having spent the last 3 months decluttering my (pretty organised) life, throwing out paper, increasing operational efficiencies, changing storage, reviewing budgets – the topic is front of mind for me. Here are some of my learnings from Tuesday.

Firstly we can all make a difference:

• Don’t print emails unless you really need to
• Don’t print extra copies of documents in meetings
• Recycle paper and plastic
• Don’t buy water bottles
• De-list your address for the yellow pages
• Compost throwaway food
• Limit the amount of stationery you buy-in
• Turn off lights and aircon when you leave a room
• Turn off electrical equipment on standby
• Open windows rather than use aircon
• Review solar heating –its cheaper than you think
• Review re-using water
• One mans waste is another mans wealth – hand the things you don’t want to those who could use it – schools, St Vincents, vets and hospitals

The story of Earth hour is an inspiring one. It was 2004 when WWF Australia looked at new ways to take climate change mainstream and met with Leo Burnett Sydney to discuss ideas for engaging Aussies on the issue of climate change and sustainability. In 2005 a campaign based on the idea that everyone could take personal responsibility for the future of the planet was envisioned and Leo Burnett Sydney developed the concept of a large scale switch off. The project was given the working title “The Big Flick” and eventually morphed into something that represented more than simply flicking off lights – Earth Hour which broadened the focus from ‘lights out’’ to sustainability. Today, Earth Hour is a global event in 135 countries turning lights off locally.

As the birthplace of Earth Hour, Australia has embraced the hour every year since its inception in 2007. 2011 saw the launch of the WWF Earth Hour Awards, and on Tuesday I heard inspirational stories of everyday people going beyond the hour for a more sustainable planet. If Sydney achieves its Earth Hour target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by just 5% in one year in the City of Sydney local government area, it would be the equivalent of taking 75,000 cars off the road for a year.

It’s fascinating what you can create through change and I am inspired by the professionals committed to integrating business and sustainability. A long standing friend, Barry Porter, CEO of Sydney-based company Nubian Water Systems is driving the Net Zero Water initiative which is all about cancelling out our water consumption by achieving self-sufficiency from the water “grid” through a combination of rainfall harvesting, conservation and water recycling, reminding me that as a community, we need to be insisting on not only power efficiencies but also water efficiencies.

The whole ‘’call to action’ around change to save money, increase operational efficiency and create positive change from hard learnings is a theme that’s carried me into 2012. What will you be doing to change manage your organisation or your life this year?

Our intern Darya shares her top tips on making the most of a professional work experience.

If you are looking for an opportunity to get a foot in the door, internships are a great way to start. To some, an internship may sound like the simplest job in the world, while in fact I find it to be tough both personally and professionally. With the right approach, I assure you, it will put your skills to test and help you gain some thrilling professional experiences.

I have had the most challenging, enjoyable and exciting three months of interning at Taurus Marketing and as I see the finish line ahead, let me share my ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ to help you stay on top of your game and make the most of your work experience.

1) Don’t underestimate your value

The evening before my internship, I had butterflies in my stomach. The thought of undertaking an internship in a new office can be intimidating. It’s easy to feel discouraged in a busy office when you are inexperienced and everyone else seems to know exactly what they’re doing. Think positive! Remember the company needs you as much as you need them.

2) Watch and learn instead!

You are here to learn from the experts, so know your role and act accordingly. The basics may be a bore, but they provide necessary foundations. Observe your surroundings and make sure to take home something new with you every day.

3) Take initiate and be involved

There is a Native American saying which I love: ‘Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I’ll understand.’ – Don’t sit around waiting for instructions; take initiative! Asking questions can help avoid unnecessary mistakes and disappointing results. In the end, it’s up to you to demonstrate your strengths and meet expectations.

4) Manage your time 

Time is of the essence in a fast-paced office like Taurus. Learn to organise your time – this includes being punctual to work, knowing and meeting your deadlines, and approaching your busy managers at the right times.

5) Keep calm and carry on

Like everything else in life, there will be stressful days. Learn to separate the personal from the business and don’t let your emotions drag you down. Keep positive, you will have a better time and others will see you as a bright individual, who is a pleasure to have in the office.

I hope my tips make a difference and help you to get through your experience little bit more smoothly. Good luck! =)

Sharon Williams, Taurus CEO, will be sitting on the panel of 5 social media experts at the Executive Tutorial held by The American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (AMCHAM) in March 2012.

The session will offer practical tips on how businesses can harness social media tools and technology to improve business processes and boost employee performance.

Details:

Date: Tuesday, 27th March 2012
Time: 7:30AM – 10:30AM
Place: Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
Address: 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks

For more information, head to the AMCHAM website: http://www.amcham.com.au

I recently spent a very enjoyable evening with a number of influential women at the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) with the wonderful city views from the Sydney Tower.

Michael Dell is not shy in his passion to champion women in business and an interesting fact I learnt on the night: if women-owned businesses were a country, it would have the 5th largest GDP in the world! Dell is championing initiatives to support women-owned businesses around the globe.

The DWEN community is an invitation-only, global community established to bring together female business leaders to share best practices within the unique and challenging world of running high-growth entrepreneurships.

I’d like to thank DWEN for such a lovely evening and the chance to catch up with many of my inspiring girlfriends – I am looking forward to a chance to return to India next year for the annual conference in Dehli – one of my favourite continents!

My teenage daughters are just discussing the latest news from their social media sites — their formals, leaving do’s and school year end parties — and it made pretty enlightening listening for me.

The posting of teenage social media activity this Christmas has given rise to my new term — the ‘informal formal’. The name given to events where the young (and not so young) arrive beautifully dressed in their formal attire to school or work parties, but what they get up to and what is recorded online is not quite so formal. My fear — and it is a real commercial fear as a CEO — is that these youngsters of school age and individuals in the workforce STILL have no real understanding of the implications of social media use around their career and personal futures.

In speaking to Queenwood School a few weeks ago, I chose to pull no punches in my discussions with the 80 youngsters in the room to take more responsibility for their ‘digital resume’. As an employer (and mother of three) I told them I would check them online when they came for a job interview with me. And what they post now would have repercussions long into the future, whatever their exam results. It is the same for those in the workforce.

Last week on my way into the Weekend TODAY studio for an interview on social media, the guests at the Channel 9 Christmas party the night before were just leaving at 5.30am. The paper debris was visible in spades — streamers, drink cups, party themes. As Cameron Williams and I discussed – for many parties around the country, the paper debris isn’t all the scars left visible.

The last thing you need at Christmas is to lose that job over inappropriate conduct or online behaviour over the festive season.

Christmas is about heightened emotion, the end of a year’s hard work, a contrast of goals met and expectations unrealised. The final weeks of the year, however joyous, have an element of unrivalled pressure. Obligations to meet, alcohol flowing, relationships under pressure and that final letting go of steam in the form of social lunches and evening gatherings. The move to a slower pace for five weeks releases a whole side of human behaviour and stress we simply do not see in the rest of the year.

This is being reflected online as we speak. At the end of a year on ‘digital and technical steroids’, social networks and blogs are the top online destination for the world’s internet users, accounting for the majority of time spent online. The Christmas festivities are being echoed in a way as never before, providing warning signs for parents, employers, and employees to monitor and watch and manage online commentary in a conscious way.

What was thought of as fun in a party environment after a few drinks, can result in embarrassment, disgruntled co-workers or bosses, or in extreme cases contract termination and lawsuits

In Australia, there are 10.5 million users of Facebook, 11 million on YouTube and 1.8 million using Twitter. What would help? Well education, recognising the consequences, and being fair (without panic) is a good way to start. And a well thought-out social media policy that is well communicated in the home and the workplace (not stuck in the HR department to tick a corporate governance box) will help. I endorse any efforts to minimise the damage to online reputation this season of our young, our employees, our corporations brand and personal brand.

It’s almost impossible and not necessary to stop your children or employees from using social media, but having a policy in place gives you the peace of mind to act in your and their best interest and be mindful of the legal consequences.

Some tips to consider are:

• Be aware of the photos and videos being taken of you — particularly from mobile phones

• Equally, handle the photos and videos you take of others respectfully

• Do not upload inappropriate photos out of fun thinking no one but your friends will see it, your friends have friends, remember the 4 degrees of separation

• Christmas parties often aren’t limited to work colleagues — others such as suppliers, clients are watching your behaviour

• Sounds obvious, but do not share online what you have talked about in the relaxed atmosphere of your work Christmas party.

With alcohol, conversations take a different tone

So far from being a party pooper — as a Taurean I love this season of good food, drink and parties — just be cautious and have fun. Let your hair down, celebrate the year — just retain that valuable personal and corporate brand for 2012. Bring it on. Happy Christmas

Whoa we have another interest rate cut just in time to give our Christmas shopping a boost. Good news!

Talking of shopping, is anyone else seeing a period of innovation on steroids? Buy face to face, buy online and now redeem gifts without even leaving your home. It’s all becoming easier than ever. The team and I were chatting the other day on the sheer scale of the innovation we are seeing in retail and particularly the phenomenon of QR codes.

This Christmas, shoppers will be able to get QR code gift tags that allow them to scan the code, record a personal voice message, and then place the tag to their gift. Personally I’ve always thought they were something from Back to the Future and if you look too hard you could get lost in them — you know, those 3D, cryptic looking things with black modules arranged in a square patter on a white background. Advertisers started placing them on billboards, magazines and shop fronts as early as 2000, but today their use is becoming mainstream. I’m expecting we may even be bar coded ourselves in 2012. Has anyone received a business card with a QR code on it yet? I have.

For us as business owners and marketers, the digital and mobile platforms provide greater improvements in time-to-market and how quickly offers can be delivered and redeemed. In the traditional medium, campaigns run for a set period based on the print cycle and distribution channel — this restriction doesn’t apply in the mobile and digital space. Methods are changing and it’s up to us to keep up.

Back to QR codes, what exactly are they? QR or Quick Response codes were invented in the early 1990s to create a new system of encoding confidential information. The QR codes hold a larger capacity than the ID barcodes. The QR codes provide greater security and are anti-counterfeit. They are free for you and I to use, so as consumers we don’t pay anything. They provide a direct link to a web page where you can read, redeem and download offers. A survey found the 73 percent of consumers have used QR Codes, among teenagers the figure rises to 90 percent.

Quaetapo, my colleague and Chief Operating Manager digital strategist extraordinaire at Shop A Docket explains, “We are under constant pressure to innovate while we see dramatic changes in the way consumers look for incentives to purchase, along with the range of technologies we use to access those incentives. To remain involved (and ahead), we are finding our retailers are constantly looking at new ways to deliver the range of products available to advertisers and consumers.”

He continues, “I’m seeing a great deal of innovation in the use of QR codes — such as eBay’s pop-up Christmas Store in London and JC Penny’s gift tags.”

With the boom of technology, almost every campaign today has its own mini-site or ‘viral’ element where consumers can find detailed information, additional promotions and usually giveaways beyond what’s available in the traditional way. The use of smartphones with the bonus of QR codes, means today, we are using digital devices to navigate the changing, dynamic terrain of information by the second. The codes are being placed on billboards, in magazines, shop fronts and in your local hot stops to enhance website traffic and present greater information to those seeking it.

So where do QR codes get used?

In 2008, Telstra announced it would pre-package a QR code reader with its NextG mobiles. In 2008 and 2009, the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney experimented with using QR codes on its exhibition labels, Facebook produces T-shirts and bags with personalised codes that new friends can scan to add the code-owner as a friend and McDonalds in Japan places codes on hamburger wrappers. Even media is on the band wagon and the Sydney Morning Herald has daily QR codes on page 2 providing a link to the five most popular stories in the paper.

Quaetapo concludes, “For Shop A Docket, we’ve had a digital presence for over 10 years and this has been a terrific compliment to our traditional docket business. The number of our consumers accessing dockets online has steadily increased and our need to modernise the digital offering and expand this into the mobile platform is a natural evolution of the demand from visitors to the site. It allows us to provide new products more suited to the digital space, such as time-based offers, premium offers and social coupons.”

For business owners and marketers, the digital and mobile platforms provide greater improvements in the ability to deliver product to market. Looks like 2012 will be the year of retail innovation on steroids. How will you be innovating?