Have you been wondering whether you should engage an employee or a contractor? I’m here to help you make this important decision today.

As our businesses grow, our needs will change. We must remember that what suits us right now may not suit us later on so we have to make our decisions with the future in mind.

In this episode, I’ll explore the differences between engaging an employee and a contractor, and which one would be the best fit for your business.

We’ll look at what you want to achieve in the role, exclusivity, delegation and how we want this team member to operate in the long term.

Take this time to reflect on exactly what you need from the role. Do you want them to only work for a few hours a week? Do you want them to be a long term team member and grow with your company? We’ll run through more questions you can ask yourself to build clarity around how you envision this new person fitting into your team.

I’ll also discuss the legal aspects of exit strategies and written agreements to make sure you have thought it through and covered everything. It may surprise you to learn that in some cases it’s more beneficial to hire an employee than a contractor when you need to end the agreement.

By the end of the episode, you’ll have a very clear idea of which one you want to engage to suit your business needs in the long run.

LINKS:

Resources mentioned: 

• Blog & Resources | Business Legal Advice — TM Solicitor

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website: tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

This week and last week’s episode are all about honest communication in business. Open and transparent communication is the best prevention so you don’t need a cure. 

In today’s episode, I’m answering a question that I get asked frequently, can I make an employee redundant? The answer is yes as long as it is a genuine redundancy. 

I’ll explore exactly what a genuine redundancy is and the steps you can follow to make an employee redundant under the law. 

Most importantly, you can’t use redundancy as a side step to letting someone go if you just don’t want to go through the process of terminating them for performance or behavioural issues. You can’t replace someone with someone else. The role has to be genuinely not needed in the business anymore, this can be due to new technology, uplevelling, or restructuring. 

Remember you can face an unfair dismissal claim if you terminate an employee under the guise of a redundancy when it wasn’t genuine. So make sure you follow the correct procedures I outline in this episode that depend on the reasoning behind your decision. 

LINKS:

Previous episode mentioned: 

• How do I protect myself against an unfair dismissal claim? Rise Up In Business

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

How can I protect my business from an unfair dismissal claim? 

In this episode, I’m going to talk about things you can do to protect your business from unfair dismissal claims. 

You may be thinking that small businesses are exempt from unfair dismissal claims. But employees can still start a proceeding against you and you will need to respond to it. 

You’ll be successful if you raise an objection based on jurisdiction AND if you’ve done the things that I’m talking about in this episode - write them down! 

I have a great team, do I even need to? 

Yes, you do. People are unpredictable. We can’t control what people do or how they feel but we can take steps to protect ourselves so that the business won’t be embroiled in an unfair dismissal claim and you won’t have to go through the stress of defending yourself. 

Communication is the most important thing with your employees. The absolute highest risk scenario is where an employee is taken by surprise and reacts out of emotion. Always make sure you take the time to meet with the employees where performance is an issue and give them the opportunity to discuss their needs. 

I’ll run you through how to avoid having a disgruntled employee in the first place and then how to position yourself in the best possible position to defend a claim if necessary.  

LINKS:

Resources mentioned: 

• Small Business Fair Dismissal Code 2011 (fairwork.gov.au)

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

What legal documents does my business need?

Unfortunately, there’s no one size fits all answer to this question. It will depend on your business structure, the way you sell your services/products, and what stage of business you’re currently in.

In this episode, I explore the different legal documents you’ll need at different times in your business. I’ll talk about service-based and e-commerce businesses, and share the core documents you absolutely MUST have in your business to be covered.

It’s very important that these documents are updated regularly to include any new service offerings and any amendments to current services. We’ll go over employee contracts, written agreements for outsourcing and terms and conditions for your business and website.

After listening, download my free Annual Legal Checklist to know which documents need to be updated and covered so you can breathe a sigh of relief in your business. 

LINKS:

Previous episodes mentioned: 

• How Ts and Cs work with your business processes & systems
• No Business Ts & Cs? What's the worst that can happen?
• Business Ts & Cs, and the Australian Consumer Law
• When your agreement is not in writing
• Don't copy other Website Ts & Cs - here's why!

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

Welcome to season 6 of the podcast!

In this season I’m sharing solo and guest episodes that address all of the questions that I get asked, advice that I give repeatedly and the guidance I’m often providing to clients. 

I can’t wait!

In this episode, I’m talking about influencers. There has been a lot of hysteria around working with influencers in your business because of the new rules the TGA has introduced around influencer marketing. 

If you’re working with an influencer AND selling therapeutic goods (eg. wrinkle cream) then the new rule changes will impact you. Influencers can no longer be paid (or given products) to provide testimonials on your products.

As a result, I’m frequently asked if it’s possible to keep working with an influencer? 

How?

What if I’ve worked with one previously and have social media posts from them, do I have to take them down? 

I’ll talk about how these rules affect you and your business and answer all of these questions to help give you peace of mind and ensure that you’re compliant with the law. 

LINKS:

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

We’ve been talking all about what’s next for your business in season 5 of the podcast and it’s time to wrap it up. It’s been such a delight to share these episodes with you. I’ve delivered key guests and topics that add the most value to your business at a stage where you’re coming up for air and thinking about what’s next.  

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for tuning in and reaching out and to share some of my favourite episodes and highlights from the season. 

As I reflect over the season, some of the episodes that really stood out to me discussed the value of niching, outsourcing, email marketing and taking the time to review your processes and systems. 

The episodes on digital overwhelm and spirituality in business were absolute game changers for me and I can’t recommend these highly enough. If you haven’t already, make sure you go back and check these episodes out.

I’m excited to be moving into season 6 which will focus on your questions being answered. I’ll be sharing the advice I give to my clients all the time and you’ll also be hearing from some of my clients firsthand about their experience working with me.

My mission is to enrich lives by empowering business owners to rise up and take control in their businesses. If you have any questions that you’d like me to answer in season 6, make sure you reach out via Instagram or email me at [email protected]. 

LINKS:

Previous episodes mentioned:

• #52 How I built a multi 6 figure business in 2 years
• #58 Let's talk email marketing, with Sam Waterworth
• #61 How to deal with Digital Overwhelm, with Dr Kristy Goodwin
• #63 Does spirituality have a place in business, with Ruby Lee
• #64 Doing Accounting Differently, with Andrea Pearce
• #65 Reviewing Your Processes & Systems, with Kristy Robinson
• #66 The biggest mistake business owners make

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

In my experience, when we come up for air around the 3 year mark, the issues of self belief and self doubt are forefront in the thinking for so many business owners. 

My guest today is the wonderful AJ Davis. AJ is a Rapid Transformation Hypnotherapist and coach who is here today to help us have this conversation around self doubt. AJ specialises in eliminating limiting beliefs and helping women move from self-doubt to self-trust, change neural pathways and feel truly worthy of living their best life.

In this episode, AJ shares how RTT can help you up-level your business and life. Rapid Transformation Therapy (RTT) allows us to access the subconscious mind. AJ discusses how we all have our own limiting beliefs that are often rooted in childhood. We often have no awareness of how they’re holding us back and by using RTT, we can rewire pathways in the brain to get rid of them. 
 
We don’t have to stay stuck in our business journey. There are tools you can use and amazingly, you may only need one 2 hour session of RTT to make a very real impact on your thinking. 

Up-levelling can be uncomfortable but self-doubt and limiting beliefs are paralyzing. This conversation is valuable for all entrepreneurs to investigate what’s holding them back and stopping them from reaching that next level in business and life. 

LINKS:

Connect with AJ: 

Website: https://changeyourthoughts.com.au/ 

Instagram: @changeyourthoughts_au

Download AJ’s 7 top tips to smash your self doubt!

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

Have you been playing with the idea of working with a business coach but don’t know what to look for? 

The market is absolutely full of every type of business coach under the sun and it can be very difficult to know who will be a great fit for you before you outlay an investment. 

To help you filter through the options, my guest today is Emma McQueen. Emma is an incredible business coach who works with women across industries and sectors, from those with their own businesses to women working in the professional services, corporate and not-for-profit sectors. 

This episode explores what to look for in a business coach, where to start, and how to know if you’re aligned. After all, if there’s no fit - there’s no point. Emma shares her own process to ensure that her new clients will match her coaching style and how to know if the feeling just isn’t there. 

Controversially, I also wanted to fill you in on what to do if you’ve engaged a business coach in 1:1 coaching for a fixed period of time and then decide you no longer want to work with them. Don’t worry, there are options! 

This episode is full of value whether you’re looking for a new coach or deciding if your current coach relationship isn’t aligned the way you thought it would be. Emma shares all of her insight and experience to help you make your next decision and embark on your next exciting business journey. 

LINKS:

Connect with Emma: 

Website: https://www.emmamcqueen.com.au/ 

Instagram: @emmarmcqueen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmamcqueen/

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

I’ve worked in litigation for the first 12 years of my career. I’ve seen businesses and livelihoods destroyed because of preventable mistakes. I’m on a mission to save you from these same mistakes and not fall into the 60% of small businesses that fail in the first 3 years.

In this episode, I’m sharing the biggest mistake I see business owners make again and again.

Thinking you need to do everything yourself!

Things start falling through the cracks when you’re trying to do everything and wear all of the hats all of the time.

But don’t worry, I’m here to help! Managing risk is part of our job as business owners and by addressing this big issue you’ll be able to protect yourself and your business from potential lawsuits and disgruntled clients.

Take this opportunity to reflect on how you’re running your business and how you can improve it dramatically by building a support network and asking for help.

Remember, no matter how great you are - you’re not multiple people. Get help from the experts in their field and sleep easy knowing you’ve got everything covered. 

LINKS:

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor

My guest on the show today is the amazing Kristy Robinson. Kristy is a business coach and consultant specializing in helping small business owners scale and build sustainable businesses through strategies and systems. 

In this episode, we explore reviewing your processes and systems to build a sustainable business that will still be running effectively in the long term. Kristy is an expert at the messy middle and is here to share her experience and advice with you on growing and scaling your business without falling into a big pit of overwhelm. 

Kristy advises you to reflect on your operating model. Begin with your current offers and your service delivery. Remember, just because you’ve always done it one way doesn’t mean you always have to. Refine and restructure your business to work for you and the lifestyle you want to create. 

Your personality as a business owner has a great impact on how you lead your business, so take a moment to slow down and think about how you’ve structured your processes and systems and if it’s working for you. 

Grab a pen and paper and write down Kristy’s insights and tips for building a business that suits your skills and passions so you’re still enjoying it 10 years down the road. 

LINKS:

Resources mentioned: 

Book: The One Thing by Gary Keller

Where to find Kristy:

Website:https://www.kristyrobinson.com.au/ 

Instagram:@kristyrobinson_consulting

Podcast: Run Your Business Like A Boss

Check out my course Getting Paid Made Easy here

Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here

Website:tmsolicitor.com.au

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tmsolicitor/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/traceymylecharanesolicitor