John Strange | Public figure

John Strange

Phone: +61 477 778 399

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25.01.2022 Valuing Time A very common problem that I encounter with small to medium-sized business owners, is that they just dont value their time. They believe that if they spend their time doing the job, its getting done at the lowest possible cost.... Nothing could be further from the truth. No matter how much you pay yourself, your time as a business owner has the greatest value. If only business owners would adopt the practice of valuing their time at a high price, then they would be less inclined to do the mundane work and more inclined to do the high-value work. In this short video, I discuss this matter a little further and hopefully a few SME owners will adopt this practice. If you do, then not only will your profit margin go up, but your stress levels will go down. Just take a moment to have a listen to what I have to say and see what you think. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

25.01.2022 Dont Be A One-Man Band. Now Im not talking here about people who are sole operators. Just as an aside, these days even you dont need to be a one-man band. ... Sorry, thats getting away from the point I want to make. Im addressing this remark to those people that actually employ staff, but still feel the need to do everything themselves. Everything has to flow through them and around them and they become this impassable roadblock. Why do they do this? Blowed if I know. It slows everything up; he causes stress and frequently produces inferior results. Have a bit of a listen to the video below and see if it helps you get over this problem, because, make no mistake, it is a big problem.

25.01.2022 Maintaining up-to-date financial records. Far too often when Im talking to SME owners, and I start to quiz them about the financial performance of the business, I find that they are still relying on the annual management reports produced by their accountants. While there is nothing wrong with what the accountant produces, most times they are of little use because they are so far out of date. ... It is not unusual for them to be getting their management reports in April or May of the following year. How can you possibly make sensible decisions on such outdated information? Anybody who wants to survive in todays tough business climate, needs to get their financial reports at least every month. Fortunately with the modern online bookkeeping systems, this is not hard. Take a moment to listen in on what my experience has taught me with regard to financial reporting

25.01.2022 Be Organised. Those of you who have never met me or know anything about me, will know that this is one of my favourite subjects, to the point where some people find me to be a pain in the backside with the amount I go on about it. I go all made it so much because it is one of the simplest ways of clawing back precious time. ... If we do not have to waste time looking for things but having everything ready for the meeting for the task at hand, enables us to accomplish so much more. It also has the added bonus of greatly reducing the stress in our lives. Who hasnt experienced one of those very stressful moments when were running late for an appointment and we cant find our car keys. It doesnt take much to organise your affairs, so that they do run smoother and your stress levels are reduced. Have a quick look at this short video following this text.

24.01.2022 When I did my last post, John Hartigan commented about the need for discipline and hes right, of course. However, discipline is one of those subjects that I find extremely interesting and I tend to read a great deal of research about the subject. One thing that I have learnt is that our level of discipline is not a fixture. By that, I mean that it can vary not only from day to day but from hour to hour, possibly even minute to minute. Discipline is one of those resources tha...t can be eaten up during the course of the day, much like our strength or energy. Knowing this, I make sure I schedule my most important tasks for first thing in the morning, before someone drains away my discipline. I try and get the most important tasks done before I check emails, engage with staff (other than the usual courtesies), even clients. I try and get my agenda off and running before someone sucks my self-discipline away. See more

23.01.2022 Don’t Be A One-Man Band. Now I’m not talking here about people who are sole operators. Just as an aside, these days even you don’t need to be a one-man band. ... Sorry, that’s getting away from the point I want to make. I’m addressing this remark to those people that actually employ staff, but still feel the need to do everything themselves. Everything has to flow through them and around them and they become this impassable roadblock. Why do they do this? Blowed if I know. It slows everything up; he causes stress and frequently produces inferior results. Have a bit of a listen to the video below and see if it helps you get over this problem, because, make no mistake, it is a big problem.

23.01.2022 Holding your staff accountable. There is no point in creating processes, procedures and guidelines if they are not implemented and adhere to. To run a successful business, you must also have systems in place that allow you to hold your staff accountable for either their actions or inaction. ... Let me hasten to add here, I do not mean every time a staff member makes a mistake they are hauled into the office for a dressing down. Hopefully I make this point clear in the video but let me say it here also, in case you dont watch the video, the correct procedure is to engage the staff member and discover why the error occurred. Im a great believer in that most mistakes occur because our staff are let down by our systems, more so than carelessness on the part of the staff member. In this short video following I just go into more detail on this issue. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

22.01.2022 Don’t be the smartest person in the room While it is always been my policy to try and avoid being the smartest person in the room, there may be occasions where, by accident, you do find that you are the most knowledgeable and/or the smartest in the room. If that does happen my tip is to keep quiet about it. ... Why? Because if you make it known, then one of two things will happen: someone will spend the rest of the meeting trying to outdo you, or everyone in the room will defer to you, because of your superior knowledge. Neither of these outcomes will benefit you, so it’s best to keep quiet. I explore this situation a bit further in this short video.

18.01.2022 How to View Competitors. Now I know that many small and medium-sized business owners get almost paranoid about making sure their competitors do not know what they are doing. Yes, I can get that, there are some things that you perhaps you do want to protect from those that compete against you. However, I learnt very early in my business career that the people most useful to me were in actual fact my competitors.... Why? Because they understood better than anybody the problems that I was facing, for they were facing the same problems themselves. I cant say that I shared my secrets with every competitor, because it needs to be a two-way street. So if you do intend to follow this strategy, then make sure that you share with somebody who is equally open to sharing as you are. Let me be clear, I am not talking about anything illegal here, such as price-fixing, but just in the sharing of ideas that will make their and your businesses stronger. Anybody who is reading this and knows me, will know that I still follow this practice today. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

17.01.2022 Adapt and Implement Two tips for when you receive some good advice, whether it be one-on-one or from a conference or webinar or some other form of training. The first piece of advice is adapt, dont adopt. You and your business will not be exactly the same as the person giving the advice. So you need to adapt it, so it fits you and your situation. ... The second piece of advice is if you have been attending a conference or webinar and you have pages of notes full of good ideas, only pick two to implement. If youre interested in this concept, then watch my short video where I go into a little more detail.

17.01.2022 Whats the secret of effective outsourcing? We often think that outsourcing is something new, but in reality, we have been outsourcing for years. We have outsourced our accounting; we have outsourced our bookkeeping; we have often outsourced our advertising. ... So, why does it seem like a new thing? I think its because since the wide acceptance of the Internet, we are no longer restricted by locality when we are looking to outsource. We can now outsource to anywhere in the world. In this short video I take a very quick look at the world of outsourcing. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

16.01.2022 Honesty Is the Best Policy. I still remember reading somewhere, but unfortunately cant remember who wrote it, that if honesty had not already been invented, then business would have needed to invent it, as it was one of the most powerful tools that a business can use. The tricky thing about honesty, is that there is a little bit like pregnancy. You cant just be a little bit pregnant, you either are or you arent. Its the same with honesty, youre either honest or youre no...t. How often have you been in a place of business, where youve heard the owner/manager tell another staff member to say that they are not in, when quite obviously they are. Or another one commonly overheard, tell them its on its way, when obviously its not. What sort of message are we giving, not just our staff, but also the customer that overhears those sorts of interchanges. We may view these as little white lies, but the question is where do you draw the line. Kindly Like and Share with your network! Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

16.01.2022 Letting your staff feel the love. One of the things that I have learnt over the 40 odd years of employing people, is that staff leave more because they feel unappreciated, than simply because there are not being paid enough. Now Im not saying you should underpay your staff, you should certainly appropriately reward them financially, but is all the other small things that will keep your team loyal to you. ... In this short video I share with you some of the things that we have done with our staff to keep them loyal to us, not because of contractual reasons, but because they want to work for us. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

16.01.2022 How can I make myself accountable? One of the problems small business owners face is that they are often not accountable to anyone for their actions. Yet one of the key components of running a successful business is to build into your systems accountability for all team members. If that statement is true, and I believe it is, then why should we be exempted from being held accountable? ... In this short video I share how Ive used different ways of making myself accountable that I have found to be successful. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

16.01.2022 Outlasting Your Competition When I first joined the financial planning industry back in the early eighties, a good friend of mine who was already in the industry said to me all you need to do to be successful in this business John, is to survive and outlast your competition. Lately I have been rereading some of my very old but highly treasured books, these are the books that have survived multiple culls, simply because I find their teaching to be so valuable.... Anyway, in the one Im currently reading I found this quote that was apparently on the wall of Ray Krocs office and was also a favourite of Vince Lombardis. Who actually wrote I dont know but its worth repeating here: "Press On: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful individuals with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." It says what I was trying to say, but so much more eloquently. Have a listen to my short video on the subject and see if it offers you any comfort. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

16.01.2022 You are never too old to learn. When I’m consulting with SME owners, most of whom are baby boomers, I get incredibly frustrated when they tell me that they are too old to learn some new technique or piece of technology. Were only too old to learn, when we accept that notion. ... Accepting that you’re too old to learn, not only denies you the excitement of learning new things, but it also cost you money. Don’t allow yourself to become a prisoner of the past, open yourself up to all the new ideas, software, technology that’s out there. If you do, you’ll find it a challenging, but exciting journey. Watch this short video I created to explore this idea.

15.01.2022 How do successful people manage their time? How is it that successful people seem to accomplish so much when compared against our own efforts? We all have the same amount of time, so what do they do that is different to what the rest of us do? In this short video I talk about some of the strategies that Ive discovered successful people use to achieve so much more than many others. ... Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

15.01.2022 Putting people before profit. Often business owners believe that customers are the most important part of their business and while it is true that without customers we dont have a business, it is equally true that without good staff we dont have a business either. This point covers a multitude of issues and I discuss a few of them in the following short video.... Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

15.01.2022 Dont Assume. Just stop for a moment and think about all the times where you have got yourself into real trouble, simply because you assume something which later turns out to be incorrect. Okay, dont spend too long doing that because youll only embarrass yourself. ... Weve all been guilty of it on more than one occasion and each time it happens we promise ourselves never ever to do it again; but of course it does. Im not sure that we will ever overcome this flaw completely, but if you have a good system of delegation in place, then at least you have a fighting chance of limiting the number of occasions when it will trip you up. I just created a short video where I investigate this just a little further.

15.01.2022 Dont be the smartest person in the room While it is always been my policy to try and avoid being the smartest person in the room, there may be occasions where, by accident, you do find that you are the most knowledgeable and/or the smartest in the room. If that does happen my tip is to keep quiet about it. ... Why? Because if you make it known, then one of two things will happen: someone will spend the rest of the meeting trying to outdo you, or everyone in the room will defer to you, because of your superior knowledge. Neither of these outcomes will benefit you, so its best to keep quiet. I explore this situation a bit further in this short video.

13.01.2022 Getting your staff engaged. As a business, if we are ever going to achieve our vision of a highly successful business, then we need to work through our staff. The second most common pain point that comes up in our survey of clients and prospects, is the question of disengaged staff. ... You cannot possibly achieve your vision if you cannot get your staff to engage in your vision. In this short video I discussed some simple and inexpensive ways of achieving a fully engaged workforce. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

13.01.2022 Whats the secret of effective delegating? If we are to build a business, as opposed to just a job, then we must learn the art of effective delegation. When consulting with clients, what I often find is that they are delegating jobs to team members, but not very effectively. In fact, in many cases, its being done very poorly and creating great stress within the business. ... In this short video I explain the steps necessary in effective delegation. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

13.01.2022 Maintaining up-to-date financial records. Far too often when I’m talking to SME owners, and I start to quiz them about the financial performance of the business, I find that they are still relying on the annual management reports produced by their accountants. While there is nothing wrong with what the accountant produces, most times they are of little use because they are so far out of date. ... It is not unusual for them to be getting their management reports in April or May of the following year. How can you possibly make sensible decisions on such outdated information? Anybody who wants to survive in today’s tough business climate, needs to get their financial reports at least every month. Fortunately with the modern online bookkeeping systems, this is not hard. Take a moment to listen in on what my experience has taught me with regard to financial reporting

13.01.2022 Its Okay to Be Different. With a name like mine, Id have to say that wouldnt I .. ... ..but Ive spent over 70 years, proving that statement to be true. We were made to be different. If you look at nature, see how diverse our planet is. Even plants of the same species all have their differences, no two are the same. So we should be embracing what makes us different, as long as those differences are not destructive. What is appealing to me, will not necessarily appeal to you and vice versa. There are some that find these posts helpful and informative. But there is also a bunch of people for whom I have absolutely no appeal at all and thats O K. Ive explored this a little more in my next post, if this subject does interest you, then check out my video below where I think Ive explained it a bit better than I have in this text. Kindly Like and Share with your network! Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

12.01.2022 When I did my last post, John Hartigan commented about the need for discipline and he's right, of course. However, discipline is one of those subjects that I find extremely interesting and I tend to read a great deal of research about the subject. One thing that I have learnt is that our level of discipline is not a fixture. By that, I mean that it can vary not only from day to day but from hour to hour, possibly even minute to minute. Discipline is one of those resources tha...t can be eaten up during the course of the day, much like our strength or energy. Knowing this, I make sure I schedule my most important tasks for first thing in the morning, before someone drains away my discipline. I try and get the most important tasks done before I check emails, engage with staff (other than the usual courtesies), even clients. I try and get my agenda off and running before someone sucks my self-discipline away. See more

11.01.2022 I've been thinking about New Year's resolutions and why for many people they never work out. From my own personal experience, it's because we try and change too many things at one time. A long time ago, somebody gave me some good advice about this sort of topic and while it was aimed at getting a positive result out of attending a conference, I think it can be applied just as effectively in this situation. Their advice was to decide on one or at the maximum two, strategies I ...was going to implement and then implement them within the next 24 to 48 hours. I've been the beneficiary of some great advice over the years and this was another example of the sort of advice that made a significant difference in my life. The only thing that I can take credit for is that I listened and then applied the advice. Which in itself is a good piece of advice. See more

09.01.2022 Selecting the right staff. Let me say right up front that I do not have any particular HR skills. However, as a small business owner I do have the responsibility to hire and fire. Firing people has never been something I am completely comfortable with, so I try to get the appointment right first up. That doesnt always happen, but I do try hard. The key for me in getting the right staff member is to pay less attention to their skills and more attention to their attitude. ... We can always train for skills, it is extremely difficult and costly to train for attitude. People tend to either have the sort of attitude that you are looking for or they dont. When hiring I pay more attention to their covering letter than I do than their resume, as resumes are frequently prepared by someone else or theyve used a template. Covering letters generally are their own work and you can see how much effort they put into their preparation. I also ring all of those that I short list myself, because I want to hear how they answer the phone, when they dont know whos on the other end of the call. After that is all down to the interview and my assessment of their attitude and how well they will fit in with existing team members. In the video I do cover some other aspects, outside of what Ive written here. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

09.01.2022 The importance of having clear processes. Successful businesses attract repeat business by having a consistent customer experience. For your business to have a consistent customer experience, then you must ensure that you have set out very clear guidelines, processes and procedures that are followed each and every time. ... These all need to be documented in some way to avoid team members having to ask you to make a decision on matters that should be embedded in your processes. In this short video I talk about how you can go about setting up your processes in a simple, effective and short timeframe. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

07.01.2022 Be Yourself - But Not at The Expense of Others. There has been a great deal written and spoken by the need to be authentic. And I certainly wouldnt disagree with this notion. I still remember very vividly the eighties where there was has great push to turn us into this sort of chameleon, where we were meant to become all things to all people.... I hated that era and so I constantly refused to be party to it. So, while I endorse the concept of authenticity, I do believe it needs to come with some warnings. The idea that its okay to belittle people, or take our anger out on them, simply because that is who we are and were being authentic, is not what the proponents of authenticity are suggesting. In this short video following, I briefly discuss some of my thoughts on the subject. Kindly Like and Share with your network! Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

07.01.2022 The power of reflective listening. I spoke in last video about the necessity for really listening to people. One of the greatest tools I found in this regard was strategy called reflective listening. ... In this short video I gave my explanation of how to use reflective listening and why it is so powerful. If youre interested in building strong relationships, both inside and outside the business, then just take a couple of minutes and listen to what Im talking about.

07.01.2022 You are never too old to learn. When Im consulting with SME owners, most of whom are baby boomers, I get incredibly frustrated when they tell me that they are too old to learn some new technique or piece of technology. Were only too old to learn, when we accept that notion. ... Accepting that youre too old to learn, not only denies you the excitement of learning new things, but it also cost you money. Dont allow yourself to become a prisoner of the past, open yourself up to all the new ideas, software, technology thats out there. If you do, youll find it a challenging, but exciting journey. Watch this short video I created to explore this idea.

06.01.2022 How can I maximise my usefulness to the business? In todays tough business world our businesses cant afford to carry any passengers. Every member of the team needs to be operating at their optimum level, to maximise the performance of the business overall. So, if we are a member of that team and in most cases we will be, then how do we maximise our usefulness to the business. What is our skill set? How can we make best use of those skills? What new skills do we need to ac...quire to best serve the business? In this short video I discuss how we can achieve this outcome. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

06.01.2022 Ive been thinking about New Years resolutions and why for many people they never work out. From my own personal experience, its because we try and change too many things at one time. A long time ago, somebody gave me some good advice about this sort of topic and while it was aimed at getting a positive result out of attending a conference, I think it can be applied just as effectively in this situation. Their advice was to decide on one or at the maximum two, strategies I ...was going to implement and then implement them within the next 24 to 48 hours. Ive been the beneficiary of some great advice over the years and this was another example of the sort of advice that made a significant difference in my life. The only thing that I can take credit for is that I listened and then applied the advice. Which in itself is a good piece of advice. See more

05.01.2022 Planning. Over the years Ive been in business I have employed people who have developed planning to an art form and I have employed people who just like to wing it. I dont think either of the extremes are particularly useful, to see each of their flaws. ... I think somewhere in the middle of these two extremes is where we want to place ourselves. Somewhere where we can take advantage of the 5Ps; that is proper planning prevents poor performance (yes, I know there is usually an extra P in there, but in the interest of being polite Ive left it out). Yes, I know there are some people who are brilliant at performing off-the-cuff, but they are vastly outnumbered by those who only think they are brilliant. You dont have to set everything in stone, but you should at least have the framework laid out under which you are going to operate. Anyway, spend a few minutes having a listen to my video.

05.01.2022 Attitude, advice and listening. In this short video I share a very personal and embarrassing story relating to personal attitude, plus the ability to seek advice, listen and then adapt it to your own particular circumstances. I dont think Ill say any more and just let the video tell the story. I love to know whether anybody else has a similar embarrassing story.

03.01.2022 Sharpen your axe. This post is aimed at you the business owner. Far, far too many business owners do not take the time out to look after themselves. They do not take the time out to sharpen their skills. They just do not take sufficient time away from the business to make themselves and the business run more effectively and profitably. In the following short video, I discuss different aspects of this. ... Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

03.01.2022 Effective staff management - avoiding micro-managing. If you are going to have a fully engaged team of employees, then you must find a way of managing their activities, without resorting to micro-managing. There have been a number of studies that have proved that staff who feel they have some discretion on how they go about organising their day, perform better and with much lower levels of stress. ... In this short video I talk about how you can achieve this delicate balance between your control and some freedom for your staff. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

03.01.2022 What should I be saying NO to? Very often our problems regarding achieving what we want to each day is that we seem to have lost the ability to say no. As a businessman owner, the word no should be an important part of our vocabulary, as it will save us from being dragged into tasks and issues that others should be dealing with. ... In this short video I talk about how we go about assessing what we should be saying yes to what we should be saying no to. Kindly Like and Share with your network! https://www.yourbusinessfreedom.com.au/ Contact us via Facebook or give us a ring 0477 778 399

03.01.2022 Policies, procedures and standards. Whenever we survey our clients and prospects for their top three pain points, staffing issues always comes within those top three. In fact once we consolidate all the figures it comes in at number two. However, when we start to dig a little deeper with clients as to the root cause of these staffing problems, what we find is that the problem lays not with the staff but with us. ... Let me explain what I mean. Too often we give somebody a job or a task to do without clearly setting out the process or methodology by which the task is meant to be done. Equally as bad, we dont explain to the staff member what the job should look like when it has been done properly. In this short video I give some tips on how to very easily overcome this issue.

02.01.2022 Don’t Assume. Just stop for a moment and think about all the times where you have got yourself into real trouble, simply because you assume something which later turns out to be incorrect. Okay, don’t spend too long doing that because you’ll only embarrass yourself. ... We’ve all been guilty of it on more than one occasion and each time it happens we promise ourselves never ever to do it again; but of course it does. I’m not sure that we will ever overcome this flaw completely, but if you have a good system of delegation in place, then at least you have a fighting chance of limiting the number of occasions when it will trip you up. I just created a short video where I investigate this just a little further.

02.01.2022 Keeping up-to-date with technology If you are a baby boomer, who also happens to own a business, then you really need to make sure that you keep up-to-date with modern technology. Now I know many in my age group find that technology is intimidating, but dont allow that to happen in your case. ... You dont need to know every last detail on how the software works, but you should make sure you stay abreast of what technology is out there and how it can help you run your business more effectively. I do go into this in a little more detail in this short video.

02.01.2022 Building a network of successful people. One of the things that I learnt very early in my business career, was the need to build a network around myself of successful people to whom I could turn for advice when I was struggling with the problem. It started with an old boss of mine, who, whenever I approached him with a problem, always reached for his Teledex, (for you young people, you better Google what a Teledex was) look someone up and then give them a call. It seemed to... me that there wasnt a problem for which he didnt know somebody who could solve it. In todays world we seem to build these vast networks of people with whom we have a loose connection, but how many of them can we call upon in our time of need. In this short video I just explore the importance of building a trusted network of successful people.