Articles/Resources

Energising Your Network!
The first step to energising your network is to become an active member. Once you decide on a
group to join it is important to become an active member so others will get to know you.
This is concept literally follows the theory of ‘the more you put in, the more you get out’.
1.) Step out of your comfort zone
Although bungy-jumping is an example of stepping out of your comfort zone, proactively
spending time with people you have not yet meet within your network, may provide similar

Blue Illusion understands how hard committees work to raise funds.  We can help you put the fun back into fundraising.

What about a fashion parade in our Coffs Harbour store. You can raise valuable dollars while your guests:

• Relax with a glass of champagne and view our range - great pieces with lovely comfy natural fabrics in styles and colours to suit everyone sizes 8 - 20
• Browse through the beautiful selection of books and homewares we now have in store.

 Let us do all of the hard work for you - and you take 20% worth of sales!

It's now clear that National Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) will be very powerful in influencing the new Federal government on training, skills
and workforce development decisions, including the priority areas for the promised Federal funding for 450,000 extra training places over the next four years.

There will be 20,000 new training places that are to become available in April and it's great to see that some of our region's skill shortage areas - health,

What is coaching?
Coaching is about personal & professional development - increasing self-awareness (relationship with self) and how you want to operate in external world (relationship with the world) – has an independent, objective perspective.

There is a common thread amongst those who come for coaching - reporting an experience of low or no confidence in their personal or professional lives. Having recently researched confidence, it is surprising to discover there’s a town in California called Confidence. Even more interesting - the town of Confidence is located just after ‘Turnback Creek’!

It’s not surprising people give up looking for Confidence at this point.  Turnback Creek is situated at an altitude of 4,000 feet; ‘Confidence’ is just 200 feet higher – not far past Turnback Creek…

Most people I come across, know more of what they don’t want, rather than what they do want.

It’s hard to accomplish real and lasting change, when the motivation is to avoid or prevent something, rather than creating what you want.

There’s a universal law: The things you resist, persist.

What are you trying to prevent or avoid?
Are you wanting to give up smoking or lose weight? How is it going? (be honest)
Does it feel like you’re on a rocking chair or a sea-saw – going up and down, sometimes working and sometimes not – a bit ‘hit & miss’?

The key is – what motivates us.
The motivation to create something – helps us adopt a life-style that supports who we are and what we want. Nothing else will do the job!

Sometimes people ask me – is coaching for everyone?
I hesitate to answer because, whilst everyone could benefit from coaching, not everyone is motivated to get clearer about what they want and achieve results – whether personally or professionally.

It’s not that anyone wants coaching per se but the benefits of coaching, that is the ‘main attraction’.

"The Government has taken steps to create a uniform national industrial relations system, including identical federal and state laws covering most workers, planned to be in place by 2010 if a blueprint being considered by the Rudd Government is approved.

Details of the plan have not yet been made public, but the concept has already kicked off a lot of controversy, with its proponents hailing it as a great step forward; and its opponents seeing it as destructive to small business.

Well the presentation by Anne Blair & Nicole Wilson at the December Breakfast of the Coffs Coast Business Women's Network was a huge success and Anne & Nicole have enthusiasticllay agreed to provide us all with a copy of their presentation. Some great tips on how to make your business a media darling.

Clear your diary for Small Business September. The NSW Department of State and Regional Development presents this annual program of more than 300 events, including over 100 events in regional NSW.

For details about how to book for the following events in/around Coffs Harbour download the calendar of events below:

• 4 Sept 2007 - Breakfast Coffs Chamber of Commerce
• 4 Sept 2007 - Succession Planning for Small Business Owners
• 5 Sept 2007 - Exporting for Aboriginal Businesses
• 5 Sept 2007 - 10 Steps to Win and Keep Online Customers
• 11 Sept 2007 - Serious About Safety Workshop
• 12 Sept 2007 - Breakfast Urunga-Mylestom Chamber of Commerce
• 12 Sept 2007 - Making e-Business Work For You
• 18 Sept 2007 - ETC Business Club
• 20 Sept 2007 - Marketing & Sales : You Are Your Business
• 22 Sept 2007 - Coffs Coast Business Awards
• 25 Sept 2007 - Small Business – Is It For You?
• 27 September 2007 - Small Business Showcase

or go to www.smallbusinessmonth.nsw.gov.au