There’s nothing that generates more discussion at the end of a year than a ‘best of’ list, so as 2011 winds down, take a look back at the top 10 most read stories on the VECCI Blog this year.

10. The tenth most-read story on the VECCI Blog this year concerned the (thankfully brief) popularity of ‘planking’. The internet craze saw people ‘plank’ in many unusual places, including the workplace, which got eight employees fired for health and safety breaches, prompting us to ask – should it be a sackable offence?

9. Following the example of some American restaurants which decided to ban children from their premises, we asked if Australian businesses should have the right to ban children, and the overwhelming response suggested there could be a large audience for a ‘no kids allowed market’.

8. National unemployment remains at low levels compared to other Western economies, but Australia does have issues with the number of long-term unemployed people who can’t get back into the workforce, prompting us to ask the question: how do we get our long-term unemployed back into work?

7. Many people take their computer home from work nowadays, and one Canberra public servant found out the hard way about the consequences of conducting their personal business on their work laptop, as he was sacked for viewing pornographic images online. The Federal Court upheld the sacking, confirming that the use of company IT facilities can extend to private use at home.

6. The carbon tax dominated political discourse in 2011, with the Federal Government successfully introducing the tax from July 2012. After its announcement in July, we criticised the tax for its neglect of 500,000 Victorian small businesses, which will receive next to no compensation for higher energy costs. You had your say on the topic in our reader poll, which found more than 80 per cent of respondents were opposed to the tax.

5. There was a huge response from blog readers to our story on a NSW public servant, who was disciplined after giving a colleague an ‘inappropriate’ birthday gift, after a third party complained. Many believed the punishment was over the top given the recipient did not make any complaint at all.

4. Physical retail stores had to come up with new and innovative ways to compete with online competitors this year, with the high Australian dollar making online a much cheaper and more attractive option for many. There was much debate on the blog about some retailers’ decisions to charge shoppers for trying on clothes in store to discourage people  from ‘trying in store and buying online’ and whether it was an appropriate measure or not.

3. People had strong opinions on our view that the Baillieu Government’s decision to overturn a ban on Easter Sunday trading was a positive, allowing retail businesses to decide for themselves if they should open or not. Our view was indirectly reinforced by the Productivity Commission, which later in the year called for the complete deregulation of trading hours to assist retailers.

2. Many employers could obviously relate to our second most read story for the year, which revealed the most hilarious CV mistakes and gaffes – our reader comments are just as entertaining as the article itself.

1. The most read story of 2011 was a survey that showed job dissatisfaction was hitting high new levels, as workers who stayed put during the global financial crisis looked to move on. We summarised the results and looked at the potential causes.

Who knows what 2012 will bring, but we’re sure there’ll be many more controversial topics and issues to talk about, discuss and debate on the VECCI Blog. A big thanks to the more than 92,000 visitors who came to the blog this year – we look forward to doing it all again next year.

It’s common to see stores and retailers decked out in various Christmas decorations or playing carols in their store at this time of year, but a UK researcher has found excessive Christmas cheer could actually drive stressed-out shoppers away.

Nancy Puccinelli, from Oxford University’s Said Business School and an expert in the “psychology of marketing”, has conducted research which found shoppers in a bad mood due to the pressures and demands of the Christmas lead-in were less likely to purchase from a store that was extremely festive.

“The extreme contrast between consumers’ negative feelings and the atmosphere in the store, be it festive decorations, Christmas music or overly enthusiastic staff, actually makes them feel worse and less willing to purchase,” Ms Puccinelli said.

If a shopper finds a store exceedingly festive and leaves without buying, they are also less likely to ever return to that store, according to the research, while those customers that do remain will undervalue the retailer’s goods.

The results of the research might have you thinking that Ms Puccinelli is a descendant of Dr Seuss’ Grinch that stole Christmas, but she goes on to explain there are some more effective methods for retailers to attract sales while retaining a Christmas spirit.

She recommends stores choose a more muted silver, white and blue Christmas décor instead of red and gold, play classical tunes in store instead of cheesy carols, and encouraging staff to be sympathetic towards customers who are feeling Christmas-related stress.

Implementing these tips could set retailers up for a very merry Christmas indeed.

It fills railway corridors, accompanying us on our daily commute and it covers countless bus stops, fences and walls as mere vandalism – creating a sense of abandonment and urban decay.

However it also covers the laneways of inner Melbourne, serving as a significant attraction, generating tourism revenue and international publicity; and is seen by some as an artform vital to our cultural credibility as the ‘world’s most liveable city’.

Whatever one’s viewpoint (vandalism or street art?), few issues have as an immediate and polarising effect on the urban environment and our relationship with it than graffiti.

To most businesses it is just another unplanned and unwelcomed expense, one which makes their premises look ‘cheap’, ‘unprofessional’ and as a result, effectively devalues their brand.

To local residents, it is a menacing nuisance (especially to the elderly); with graffiti vandalism identified by 26 per cent of Victorians as the third most pressing problem in their neighbourhood (following dangerous driving and household burglary).

And to government it is both an expensive and recurrent ‘social ill’, one which costs Victorian taxpayers an estimated $260 million per annum in clean-up costs, insurance claims, police resourcing and preventative measures.

Conversely, graffiti to many is a sincere form of artistic expression, “a unique part of Melbourne’s urban fabric…. which attract(s) a huge amount of visitors and contribute(s) to the city’s vibrancy”. From this perspective, it would be inconceivable and even undesirable to attempt controlling such a fluid artform in a democratic society.

Arguments aside, graffiti will remain an issue well into the foreseeable future and as a result, many business owners are wondering how they may control its negative effects whilst perhaps even harnessing its positive possibilities (as street art).

The key to dealing with graffiti as a business owner lies in asking yourself what kind of image do you wish to project to your target audience? If you operate a bar, café, fashion boutique or other lifestyle-related business, an artful, commissioned ‘graffiti wall’ at the front or side of your premises may deliver strong market differentiation; attracting curious passers-by and a self-selecting demographic from which you can grow your customer-base.

But if your business relies on a reputation for cleanliness, precision and professionalism, you would be well advised to remove graffiti vandalism (tagging) soon after it occurs whilst considering applying graffiti-resistant coats to your premises’ walls.

Either way, graffiti is another dynamic challenge for business to deal with – presenting both dangers and opportunities. How it’s dealt with will define its eventual impact and social influence.

Where do you stand on the graffiti debate – do you consider it street art, or just a bunch of scribble? Has it been helpful or harmful to your business? We’d love to hear your views.

With 45 per cent of all Australian workers in a job where they spend most of their time sitting, physical activity outside of work or during breaks is of great importance for a healthy body and mind.

However new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show more than 60 per cent of all Australians spend little or no time exercising, and full-time workers were more likely to be inactive than part-time colleagues.

Professor Adrian Bauman of the University of Sydney said the increased instances of inactivity can be largely attributed to the “sitting culture” Australians are adopting, both within and outside of work.

While labourers and tradespeople spend the majority of their time standing and walking at work, 84 per cent of clerical and administrative workers spend the most of their working hours sitting – as do a majority of managers and professionals.

Some medical studies suggest the answer to some of this increased inactivity is as simple as standing up on the job instead of sitting down.

People who spend a majority of their time sitting are at an increased risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, while people who stand more often burn more calories, as they’re using many more muscles. Depending on your size, standing up can burn up to 50 calories more per hour than sitting down.

Additionally, even if you do your 30 minutes of gym work in the morning, you can still be at risk if you spend the majority of the day sitting down at your desk, so it is important to be in motion throughout the day.

Some novel ways of increasing standing activity are answering the phone standing up, setting reminders in your email program to get up at regular intervals, and even holding a ‘walking meeting’!

With new stats showing that employees who walk 10,000 steps per day are worth up to an extra $2500 of productivity per year, it’s plenty of incentive for employers to play their part and (literally) take steps to reversing a worrying trend.

Free, confidential, 15-20 minute WorkHealth checks aim to improve the health and wellbeing of workers and reduce the risk of chronic disease among Victoria’s working population. To find out more, please contact John Wigg (8662 5132) or Katie Chancellor (8662 5326) at VECCI. 

Do you encourage your employees to be active during work hours and if so, how? Let us know!

Positive public relations is essential for building your business. Why not gain free publicity for your achievements or expertise through the media? If you don’t know where ― or how ― to begin, read on.

What makes you special?

Before you approach a media outlet, you need to be able to recognise what makes a good story―why journalists would be interested in your business. You need to be able to pitch an ‘angle’, so think about what makes you stand out.

Perhaps you have a great start-up story to tell or your business is the first of its kind. You may have won a prestigious award or have an exceptional employee. Maybe you can offer relevant ‘at the coal face’ commentary on a timely issue, be it the conditions in your sector, a new trend, or a change in government policy.

Do your homework

Save time and effort―and dramatically increase your chance of success―by doing some quick research about a media outlet before you make your approach. Does its audience align with your customer base?  Does the idea you’re pitching fit with the style of the media outlet?

For example, a story that is very industry specific would be unlikely to interest a major newspaper unless it had serious ramifications that were likely to affect the wider community. But an industry publication or trade magazine would be a perfect fit.

Also, find out the best person to contact. Is there a specific reporter who covers your industry? For example, major newspapers have journalists assigned to specific areas such as small business, retail, resources, manufacturing, etc. If not, it’s best to contact the chief of staff or news editor.

Write it down, send it out

Nowadays, a huge amount of media content is generated by press releases. But because newsrooms are inundated with reams of material, it’s important to make yours stand out.

The general rule is keep it short, snappy, and, above all, to the point. And don’t forget your contact details! It’s also important to follow through with a phone call. Check whether the release was actually received and gauge if there’s any interest. For an extensive ‘how to’ guide for writing press releases, click here.

A picture (opportunity) is worth a thousand words

The reality is that offering a great photo opportunity can make or break your pitch. You may have created the world’s most innovative pet product, but the reality is that the story is going nowhere without a cute dog to photograph! It’s also important to recognise that your story won’t get a look-in with television journalists unless they have something to film.

Have you succeeded with your public relations strategy? Do you have any advice? We’d love to hear your stories.

Melbourne can once again rightly claim to be the world’s most liveable city after we overtook Vancouver to go to number one on The Economist Intelligence Unit’s liveability ranking.

The latest edition of the index, which is released quarterly, put Melbourne back on top for the first time since 2002, with a rating of 97.5 out of 100, pipping Vienna (97.4), Vancouver (97.3) and Toronto (97.2), and beating Sydney (6^th), Perth (8^th) and Adelaide (9^th).

Melbourne achieved perfect scores in the healthcare, education and infrastructure categories, and near perfect scores in stability and culture & environment, only being narrowly marked down for prevalence of petty crime, climate and cultural recreation options.

The authors noted that the high number of Australian and Canadian cities in the top ten is partly due to the low population density in both countries, which can “foster a range of recreational activities without leading to high crime levels or overburdened infrastructure”.

The survey ranks 140 cities worldwide on factors including safety, quality of healthcare, weather, recreational options, social or religious restrictions, education and essential infrastructure.

Melbourne has always marketed itself on its ease of living, and can be proud of its number one ranking – a ranking we’re sure all Melburnians will be striving to retain!

Our recent story on whether businesses, especially restaurants and cafes, should have the right to ban children from their premises got a great response from our readers.

The story stemmed from an American restaurant which banned children under six years of age from dining there; a decision that was well received by local customers.

It seems many Australians would be keen on the idea of a kids-free restaurant judging by the results of the reader poll we ran with the story.

A whopping majority of 92 per cent of respondents said they thought restaurants should be able to ban children if they wanted to, with only eight per cent believing banning children would be wrong.

We also had a great range of views in our reader comments section:

• “If you want to teach your children how to eat in a restaurant then do this in a family restaurant, children are not being disadvantaged by being banned from fine dining,” said Brooke. “If I was waiting for a table in an expensive restaurant and a table with kids were being seated I would leave, quite simply.”
• “It’s my business, it’s my land … shouldn’t I retain the right to say who or what can enter my property?” asked David.
• “An outright ban is too reactionary and caters to the growing trend of people not tolerating children and they usually don’t have any themselves, or theirs have grown up and they don’t want to go back through it again,” said Michael.

Thanks to all who had their say on this topic!

If you’re a regular diner at restaurants, you’ve probably encountered a crying, screaming or misbehaving child at least once, and wished they weren’t disrupting your meal. To counter this, some restaurants (and other businesses) are taking it into their own hands and banning young children from their premises.

A restaurant in the American state of Pennsylvania has recently taken this step, banning all children aged six and under in response to complaints from other diners.

The owner of the restaurant, Mike Vuick, says his issue isn’t really with the children, but with their parents, who are “gradually diminishing” their cooperation.

After informing regular customers of his decision to impose a ban on children, Mr Vuick says he was deluged with emails – overwhelmingly in favour of his decision.

Customer Stephanie Kelley, mother of an infant child, was not one of the majority, labelling the policy “ignorant”, but Mr Vuick says local laws allow him to make his decision and he expects absolutely no drop in custom once the ban is implemented this coming weekend.

Other restaurants have implemented similar bans in recent times, arguing there are more suitable family restaurants for parents to take their young children to eat at, however many parents argue that such bans are discriminatory and should apply to noisy and loud adults as well, not just children.

Food blogger for The Guardian Simon Majumdar argued last year that such stances should be applauded, because if “I kicked off in my local bistro, other diners would, quite rightly, want me to be removed until I settled down”.

“I don’t think it is too harsh to ask the parents of wailing or misbehaving children to do the same,” he wrote.

It’s not just restaurants getting into the act either. Malaysian Airlines recently banned babies from travelling in first class on some of its flights after complaints from passengers, while some hotels have banned children too.

In Australia it’s much tougher to implement such a rule due to various anti-discrimination laws and policies – in 1994, a Melbourne restaurant turned away a couple with a five week old baby and were found to have discriminated against them.

The anecdotal evidence however suggests there may be quite a large market for the next business that dares to say ‘no kids allowed’.

Should businesses have the right to impose a blanket ban on children, regardless if they’re noisy or not? Would you support a business which imposed a ‘no kids’ policy? We’d like to hear your thoughts.

A leaked internal Westpac document, revealed in The Age, describing Melbourne as a “provincial” community, has caused quite a stir, but we suspect is a slightly misworded attempt to describe Melbourne’s renowned parochialism.

In short, it is a storm in a teacup, and a classic example of the media magnifying a minor detail to become the story.

The document relates to Westpac’s planned re-launch of the ‘Bank of Melbourne’ brand in Victoria, which will be rolled out from 25 July, replacing the St George Bank.

The Bank of Melbourne was a trusted bank. It was taken over by Westpac in 1997, before eventually the brand name was phased out in 2004. Now it is returning as an autonomously managed, Victorian-based bank, to replace Westpac’s St George Bank branches.

This will provide an undoubted economic boost to Victoria with:

• 800 new jobs
• 100 new branches and a new Melbourne-based call centre
• Local management (including a Melbourne-based CEO and COO) and advisory board
• More small business lending opportunities

The internal document recognises the strength of the Bank of Melbourne ‘brand’ in Victoria in winning customers from other major banks, but comes with a warning for caution, as “Melbourne is a provincial global community and many feel that they own the brand”.

As a vibrant and liveable city of 4 million people, and many forecasts predicting Melbourne will again become Australia’s largest city in a generation, the document does accurately portray how Victorians are protective of ‘one of their own’, as they were with the Bank of Melbourne.

Whether it comes to sport, culture, and entertainment or, in this case, business, Victorians are proudly parochial and differentiate themselves from Sydney. You need look no further than the religious fervour with which Victorians celebrate the AFL and Australian Rules football, a sport born and bred in Victoria.

But Melbourne and Victoria is also very much a global city and state, as evidenced by our embrace of other cultures and foods, and our desire to stage (and keep) big international events like the Comedy Festival, or the Australian Open tennis.

The closest equivalent would be a Chicago, a Montreal or a Barcelona, and how they are consciously and proudly different to a New York, Toronto or Madrid.

In this environment, some will prefer a ‘local’ brand.

It’s all part of the melting pot which makes Melbourne what it is today.

A wide-ranging report of Australians’ use of social networking websites has found small businesses are lagging well behind the general population, with only 14 per cent of all small businesses utilising social media. So why is this so?

The Sensis Social Media Report is a comprehensive study of when, where and how Australians use social media, and how many of them interact with businesses. The whole report is well worth reading, but there are key statistics that should be noted by anyone in small business.

• About 62 per cent of all internet users have a presence of social media, and 30 per cent are active every day.
• 97 per cent of these internet users have a Facebook profile, 9 per cent are on LinkedIn (substantially higher for people aged over 30) and 8 per cent use Twitter (with a higher proportion of users aged 30 to 39).
• 34 per cent of social networkers access their sites on their phone, and 22 per cent access social media at work.
• Importantly for businesses, 15 per cent use social networking sites to follow a business or brand, 12 per cent research travel options and 12 per cent research other products and services (most commonly fashion, electrical goods and home accessories).
• 36 per cent of all Australian Twitter users follow a brand or business.

The stats are definitive proof not only of the sheer number of Australians active on social media, but also how many use it to engage with a business, whether it’s just to learn more information, read another user’s review, or make a purchase.

With this information, it’s surprising to see so few small businesses utilise this cheap and easy medium to promote to and engage with clients and consumers.

The primary reason, according to a report earlier this year, is time, or more specifically a lack of it – 60 per cent of businesses not on social media say they simply don’t have the time for it.

“Small business owners and managers are often required to work long hours simply to keep their business functioning,” said Ram Kangatharan from the Bank of Queensland, which conducted the report.

“The concept of taking more time to not only communicate via social media but to simply understand its potential is a barrier that is obviously too great for most Australian small business owners right now.

“The risk of course is that if small business owners aren’t using social media tools to interact with their customers then their big business counterparts or SME competitors who have become early adopters of the new technology may be gaining a competitive advantage.”

The Sensis stats also show that small businesses that use social media devote about 8 per cent of their marketing budget to it, and the small business owner/manager is responsible for social media 82 per cent of the time (compared with 36 per cent at medium sized businesses).

Perhaps most tellingly, the vast majority of business owners surveyed believe their investment in social media will lead to an average increase of sales of 5 to 10 per cent in the next 12 months.

Sensis’s Simon Betschel told SmartCompany the results showed there was a “need” for businesses to enter the social media space, and if they learned to listen to and participate in a two-way engagement, they could reap many benefits.

VECCI runs social media training courses at a beginner and an advanced level – click on the links for more information. 

Are you a small business owner who has or plans to establish a social media presence? We’d like to hear your experiences!