Management Blog

Healthy is hot for franchisees

A study of the nation's fastest growing food franchises has found healthy cuisine is becoming big business, The Australian reports.

Rather than consisting mainly of traditional fast food brands, a recent league table of fast growing franchises was dominated by names like Healthy Habits, Sumo Salad and Noodle Box.

The growing prominence of healthy food options is no surprise to franchise consultant Tim Dixon who claims public discourse over obesity is providing an obvious marketing platform for franchisees.

Fast growing franchise Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar offers an example of the trend. The company recently achieved the Heart Foundation tick and received an abundance of glowing publicity in the process.

Workforce 'casualisation' hurting Australia?

The growing trend of employing casual staff is reducing productivity and intensifying the skills shortage, a work/life balance academic has told The Sydney Morning Herald.

The University of South Australia's Barbara Pocock says many of our two million casuals are going to work when sick, a move that can hinder productivity amongst both causal and full time staff.

In addition, many causal workers are deferring preventative health care because they don't have control over their time.

Pocock says the casualisation of our workforce is contributing to the skills shortage because casual workers don't have time to up-skill and employers are unwilling to invest in non-full time workers.

Pumped up for the perfect shake

A good handshake is a form of communication that's well worth getting right, etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore recently explained to BusinessWeek.

Whitmore says the most confident approach is to connect the web of your hand (the area between your index finger and thumb) firmly with the other person's and pump two or three times.

To avoid giving a bad first impression, it's suggested the following handshakes are avoided at all costs:

Rubber Glove - covering a person's hand with your left hand while a handshake is in progress

The Queen - when a person only offers their fingertips, an approach that conveys superiority

Terminator - shaking and then turning the other person's wrist downwards

Wet fish - a limp, lifeless shake that screams lack of confidence and weakness

Review calls for more innovation support

A recent Federal Government review has found increased support is necessarily to facilitate the commercialisation of research and development, Smart Company reports.

The review identified Australian small business owners as being natural-born innovators who are being held back by a lack of Government support.

To help innovators who aren't necessarily business people, innovation think-tank Innovic say increased business skills training programs should also be on the Government's agenda.

BlackBerry use linked to high performance

BlackBerrys have been receiving a lot of bad press lately, however a new study has found the ubiquitous PDA is good news for business productivity, news.com.au reports.

The University of New South Wales research project claims BlackBerry use can help organizations by increasing individual performance, staff motivation and customer loyalty.

The study, which focused on the law and finance sectors, indicates BlackBerry users tend to be more aligned with their company's goals and more coordinated in terms of processes and ideas.

On the flip side, the study claims any advantages can be diminished when workers are in continual contact with work, a situation that results in over-involvement, addiction and diffusion.

Introducing the eco-PC

Dell has unveiled a new ecologically sound personal computer it hopes will be an attractive proposition for green consumers.

According to Trendhunter, the yet to be named eco-PC is 81 per cent smaller than standard computers and uses 70 per cent less energy.

Energy savings aren't the only green benefit. The unit is manufactured from recycled materials and features a slick curved outer casing that's made from bamboo.

Rumour has it the eco-PC will be released later this year; it's expected to be priced from between US$500 and US$700.

Nap time for US workers

A nap during the day releases 'brain food' that makes workers more productive, a US study has found.

The Harvard Medical School study found a 45 minute nap can enhance the ability to perform tasks that call for memory use in the short term and in the longer term can reduce heart disease risks.

The Washington Post claims a growing number of US businesses – especially those with younger workforces – are setting up sleep rooms or allowing staff to nap at their desks.

One of the first cities to embrace the trend has been New York where sleep salons offering a bed for between 20 to 40 minutes are growing in popularity… so much for the 'city that never sleeps'.

It's Facebook or the door

Thinking about banning Facebook or MySpace at your workplace? The move could put off prospective employees and cause some staff to resign, a new study has found.

The Deacons study indicates nearly 50 percent of respondents who use social networking tools during work hours would refuse to work for an employer who bans Facebook or MySpace use.

In other findings, the study claims the majority of survey respondents believed social networking improved productivity as it allowed them to network with coworkers, customers and suppliers.

Tourism still going strong

New statistics indicate the Australian tourism industry is enjoying its strongest growth in almost a decade, The Age reports.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the industry is now worth $85 billion to the economy, an increase in 7.8 per cent on 2005-2006 figures.

Domestic consumption increased by 6.8 per cent while international tourism grew by 9.8 per cent over the period.

Despite the encouraging figures tourism experts say the industry must continue to innovate in order to remain strong during difficult international economic conditions.

Getting SEO right

Many SMEs believe the internet can help their business to grow but are not devoting enough time and effort into marketing their site, according to a recent Daily Telegraph article.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) expert Jasmine Batra says there are a range of measures SMEs can take to compete with larger competitors in the online domain.

Batra's first tip is to check your site's key words. It's suggested SME operators put themselves in the shoes of their consumers to find the most relevant search terms.

Another way to increase visits is to constantly check web statistics via Google Analytics to see where visitors come from and how they navigate around your site.