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Regional Business
By Juliet Duffy
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Regional Business owners are proving to be the best practice leaders in the area of business sustainability. Increasing pressures on resources has proven to be the catalyst for this change. In a series of interviews over the coming months, some of our proactive business leaders will be sharing their successes and innovative approaches to business sustainability. This month I talk to Richard Noonan of BARNSON to discuss the concepts and benefits of business sustainability. |
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Environmental
Three years ago BARNSON internally launched a team comprising of three environmental consultants to kick start “BARNSON Eagles.”
The Eagles’ function was to proactively minimise environmental impacts through such initiatives as monitoring paper usage, implementing office recycling, and encourage the reduction of energy consumption both within the office environment and for fleet vehicles.
They also participate externally in the community by sponsoring such activities as Plant a Tree Day. The Eagles team has been allocated its own annual budget and they decide where the environmental spending priorities are.
Social
BARNSON has the philosophy of being a transparent organisation, where employees see how much is earned and individual targets and budgets are set and agreed to, this gives ownership to all employees.
With this arrangement comes flexibility, within reason, to balance family and the working life, as performance is the key measure as opposed to watching the clock.
They have a social club with an allocated budget and generally have a function every quarter, including a staff retreat out of town to review the last year’s performance and to plan for the next 12 months. All of the staff attend the Rhino’s, which is the local business awards in Dubbo, run by ABL and the Chamber of Commerce.
With active ownership and participation absenteeism is low, apart from specific individual case management problems; staff retention is good as well, with BARNSONs generally maintaining new graduates for 4 to 5 years.
Career progression occurs from within, when appropriate, and most of their senior staff came into the organisation with minimal experience and move up the chain to manage branch operations or specific disciplines or there is even the scope for Directorship and therefore ownership opportunities.
In relation to the community, “It can’t be all take, you have to give back”. Such local support includes Meals on Wheels, Group Blood Donations, Plant a Tree Day, support of local business associations, the Vietnam Vets and they assist sporting associations with design, planning and DA applications free of charge.
Succession Planning
Richard is 39, and plans to retire in about 15 years. In 5 years time he will start to plan for the final 10 years to exit the organisation and would personally prefer to see the organisation remain as employee owned.
Economic Benefits
BARNSON Eagles have been established for 2 years and they are in the process of developing Key Performance Indicators to measure how much they have saved. From a business profile perspective it has been a positive branding experience within the community.
What do you see as the top impediments to Regional Businesses?
Skills shortages.
Telecommunications is a shortfall, we always seem to be 2 to 3 years behind metropolitan and this will influence the decision of businesses who may consider relocating.
Transport with better road linkages between the regions and the coast.
What future opportunities do you see for Regional Businesses?
IT, a lot of businesses in the regions will benefit.
Property Development will feature prominently as people start to shift from Sydney for cost reasoning and for quality of life.
Sustainable Management Practices in Agriculture in regard to water usage.
Looking back would you do it again, and what would you change and what advice would you give to start up businesses?
“Of course I would do it! It has been great, it’s not easy all of the time, and I wouldn’t change too much, things happened for a reason but it is part of the learning curve”
Don’t overcapitalize, start small and be conservative.
Have a mate, it is much easier to have a business partner to bounce ideas off each other and it is extremely valuable.
Don’t get discouraged, you’ll get a few knock-backs, don’t dwell on the negatives… Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Provide a good service to your clients and differentiate your product or services. Don’t replicate what someone else is doing you will only be competing against each other on price.
Need More Information?
Juliet Duffy is the Managing Director of Wireless Marketing Pty Ltd and can be contacted on (02) 6885 5361 or by email on juliet@wirelessmarketing.com.au.
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