Bankstown City Council is pleased to invite business and industry representatives to attend the Energy Efficiency and Lighting Expo, including energy workshops and business networking.  The purpose of the expo is to provide the opportunity for local businesses and industry members to:

• Connect with a range of energy saving specialists;
• To gain information about how they can engage in energy efficiency improvements in their business through a variety of means including technology, metering, auditing, upgrades etc; and
• Attend short workshops for local SMEs to improve their energy literacy.

Participation at the expo is free however bookings are required for the workshop and business networking to ensure adequate catering.

Visit the expo for a chance to win $1,000 of energy efficiency products or services for your business.

Simply click here to register for workshops or functions.

Workshops:
1-3pm: Understanding energy bills and getting a better deal
3-5pm: Energy Efficiency for business

Business Networking: 5-6pm

Moderated Q&A (with James O'Loghlin) 6:15-7:30pm - Bryan Brown Theatre

The business networking and Q&A session will provide an opportunity to hear from local businesses which have undertaken energy efficiency projects and have experiences to share.  This will be held in the Bryan Brown Theatre.

Who will be exhibiting?

• Energy Efficiency auditors;
• LED and energy efficiency lighting manufacturers and suppliers;
• Energy sub-metering specialists;
• Accredited certifiers for the NSW Government Energy Savings Scheme;
• Solar voltaic and solar hot water specialists;
• Heat pump specialists
• Energy saving building services (insulation, glazing, window tinting etc);
• HVAC suppliers/technical specialists; and
• Energy efficiency training providers.
   

Who should attend?
The expo will be a fantastic opportunity for businesses and industry of all sizes to connect with specialists across a range of areas who can provide information and advice to help your business save energy and money.

Parramatta accounting practice Priestley & Morris will significantly increase its presence in Western Sydney through its merger with national chartered Accounting and Advisory firm William Buck Sydney (William Buck).

The merger will see current Partners Andrew Cordwell and Michele Nevill, and their staff, join William Buck on 1 September. 

Priestley & Morris Partner Andrew Cordwell says, “The merger allows us to provide added depth and specialist services for our clients in Western Sydney. We chose William Buck because of their collegiate approach to doing business – their partnership of business and community values is what makes this such a fantastic opportunity for our clients and people.”

“Parramatta is the CBD of the West and covers a broad geographic area and diverse business base. Many of the growing businesses in the area are looking for a high level of professional accounting services which is offered by mid-tier practices. We are now well placed to tap into this market through the merger.”

He added, “Legal, manufacturing, distribution and not-for-profit enterprises are seen as four major growth areas for the business.”

Mr Cordwell joined Priestley & Morris in 1971 and moved to the Parramatta office as partner in 1984. Ms Nevill commenced with the practice in 1989 and gained partner status in 2001.

As part of its commitment to Western Sydney, William Buck will be transitioning several key executives to the Parramatta office to service its growing presence there.

“Priestley & Morris is a well-established practice in Parramatta and the Greater Western Sydney area with a deep skills base and excellent clients. Their focus on SMEs complements our existing client acquisition strategy,” said Mr Nick Hatzistergos, Managing Director of William Buck Sydney.

“We are firmly planting our presence in the middle of a growing SME heartland and intend to become an integral part of the business community. With both State and Federal governments planning major infrastructure initiatives for Western Sydney, including a second airport and light rail project, it’s a natural fit for William Buck to expand there,” he added.

William Buck has already formed several key relationships with legal firms, banks and educational institutions in Western Sydney.

In the current financial year, William Buck Sydney will achieve a revenue target of approximately $25 million, which is up 20% per cent on the 2014 financial year. Staff numbers will climb to 150 people post-merger.

Your One-Stop Shop for the holistic management of all your employees throughout the duration of their traineeship or apprenticeship.

Latest update:

The NSW Training Awards were held on the 9^th September at Dockside Pavilion Darling Harbour,

Congratulations to Western Sydney we had two winners on the night

Steven Atkins 2014 VET Trainer/Teacher of the Year  TAFE NSW - Western Sydney Institute

Steven will go through to the National awards held in Adelaide on Friday, 21 November 2014; Steven currently teaches trade qualifications in Commercial Cookery and has practiced his trade for over 15 years in various commercial establishments.

Steven noticing that students are now more willing to engage with learning through platforms such as Facebook, developed a ground-breaking Mt Druitt College Commercial Cookery Facebook page. Steve's innovative approach to teaching has allowed him to develop highly successful events and community based functions, such as the Hawkers Market, that provide clear educational outcomes and deliver essential community building opportunities.

Daniel Brown 2014 Phil Darby Memorial Award - Encouragement Award for an Apprentice or Trainee

Phil Darby would have proudly supported Daniel in completing his apprenticeship. As a school-based apprentice, Daniel had a number of employers and endured some periods of unemployment, but despite this, he persevered to complete his apprenticeship.

Daniel is philosophical about his experience, believing he has benefitted from working with a number of employers. This experience has given him the understanding of how important it is to look after and mentor apprentices and above all how important it is to listen to the needs of the employer and younger apprentices.

He will be a great mentor for young apprentices who find the pathway to completion difficult and his philosophy is "it can be done if you have support and mentoring".

If you would like more information on how we can facilitate the completion and lodgment of training contracts and incentive applications, and provide mediation and dispute resolution for apprentices and trainees contact:

Sandra Richardson sandra.l.richardson@det.nsw.edu.au  0142 082 651

A company's stable of intellectual property (IP) rights can arguably be viewed as a barometer of how innovative a business is – and it seems a lot of economic activity is currently associated with IP intensive industries.

Recent studies to determine the economic impact of IP intensive industries in US and European markets suggest that businesses have been transforming and restructuring to make IP rights their primary on-book assets.

To remain competitive, local businesses and manufacturers need to be able to generate company value outside a traditional fixed asset type business structure.  By providing monopoly-style access to local and overseas markets, which is especially important in highly competitive industries, IP rights are hot property.

The rise of intangibles

Intellectual property rights are traditionally referred to as "intangible" assets, as in many cases, they lack the real and tangible characteristics of a fixed asset. These include a huge range of things from brand names to industrial designs, proprietary production processes to database rights and many more.

Current research shows that over the last few decades, the centre of corporate wealth has been shifting from tangible, physical assets and capital, to "intangible" or knowledge-based capital.

Charting this shift, a comparison of Standard & Poors 500 companies shows that in 1978, the asset distribution of corporations was 95% tangible assets and 5% intangible assets.  In 2010, however, this distribution had been turned on its head, with 20% tangible assets compared to 80% intangible assets.

While an 80/20 mix of intangible versus tangible assets may not be appropriate for all businesses, a regular IP review might assist a business to follow and manage a similar asset shift. 

Whether it's the reputation of the brand, or a new design for a time-saving piece of factory machinery, an IP review can identify potential areas where investment can be made to capture or establish new IP for the business, and generate increased economic activity.  Indeed, valuation of IP rights is now a regular function of major accounting practices.

Intellectual Property as a financing mechanism

Intangible assets can have enormous value - Microsoft recently purchased Nokia's mobile phone business, and a suite of IP rights, for $7.2 billion; and Apple was awarded $1 billion in damages against Samsung in the 

US for infringement of IP rights.  But value doesn't have to come through buying and selling, or contentious Court action.

IP rights can be used to generate regular income through sales or licensing. Consider the revenue generated from the Cochlear Implant or the ladder and access systems produced by Hedweld Engineering Pty Ltd. Or other forms of IP rights such as the broadcast rights of major sporting events or the sale of a proprietary product, such as the Dyson vacuum cleaner or a pharmaceutical.  Pfizer has made tens of billions of dollars from Viagra.

Securing local and international markets

Several mechanisms can assist companies locally, while improvements to the IP system in China and a new Global Patent Prosecution Highway program are good news internationally.

Government funding, grants and R&D tax incentives are all available to assist Australian businesses to foster and develop their knowledge-based capital, both locally and overseas.

In China, once a safe haven for infringers and counterfeiters, an overhaul of the IPR enforcement system, and an increasingly affluent population – a major consumer market in itself – means that China is now emerging as an important destination for protecting intellectual property.

Filing patents overseas was made easier this year, with 13 countries, including the US EU and UK , signing the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) which fast tracks the examination process for corresponding applications across participating patent offices, minimising the costs associated with protracted international patent prosecution.

The business value of IP rights internationally is significant and businesses should be taking steps to review their IP rights (IPR) portfolios and strategies.  To remain competitive and viable, companies should be investing more in development and innovation.

Integrating an IP strategy into the business can increase local market share and open more secure options for international markets.  Although not a definitive measure in its own right, the more IP intensive an industry is, the more likely it is to be trading internationally.

For more information on this article, contact:

Damon Henshaw Partner and Patent Attorney at Davies Collison Cave

T  8869 6200

E  dhenshaw@davies.com.au

Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are the engine room of the Australian economy. They account for 96 per cent of businesses and employ more than five million people. 

St George Bank recognises the important role SMEs play to the nation and is passionate about supporting them with a number of innovative initiatives.

The Kick-Start Pop-Up initiative is the latest of these, and will see a number of small business owners across the country set up their business in a high-traffic retail space, funded by St.George.

The retail spaces will be set-up in select Westfield shopping centres in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth during October and November 2014, with further sites to be announced as the program builds momentum into 2015. 

The Pop-Up program adds to a range of Kick Start initiatives launched by St.George in the past 12 months, including the Kick Start Business Hub, a series of $10,000 grants to aspiring small business owners and an additional $2 billion allocated to small business lending.

St George is encouraging Australia’s entrepreneurs enter the new Kick Start Pop-Up initiative for a chance to win a retail space in one of Australia’s busiest shopping malls.

Each Pop-Up shop will include

• Exclusive use of a 3m x 5m pop-up shop in a high-traffic Westfield shopping centre for seven days: Parramatta in Sydney, Carousel in Perth and Carindale in Brisbane
  
• A fit-out for the pop-up shop including personalisation to the winner’s brand
  
• A marketing workshop with creative and strategy experts at GPJ 
  

Novotel Sydney Parramatta is excited to announce the refurbishment of all 11 multipurpose conference and event spaces all rooms directly facing the hotel’s beautifully sunlit atrium and its pillarless ballroom, is the largest in Parramatta!

The refurbishment will create a modern and fresh feel for your next event with the installation of new wall paneling, fresh carpet, state of the art AV equipment, banquet tables and furnishings to compliment. The modern technology and features in the rooms provide an unforgettable experience for your guests and clients. The major improvements will carry on to the bathrooms on ground floor and level one, uplifting the area and complementing the contemporary vibe and look of the hotel.

Michael Daviss, General Manager of Novotel Sydney Parramatta says "I am looking forward to being able to deliver a new meeting and events product to our loyal client base and new business partners along with special events such as weddings as the new space delivers the 'wow' back into Parramatta"

Novotel’s pillarless ballroom which accommodates to 550 people is a versatile conference and event space fit for anything from training seminars to weddings. This space along with the other conference areas will be refitted with new HD format projection equipment with HDMI compatibility and more.  Guests at your next event, can also take advantage of the high speed WIFI internet facilities, provided by the newly installed and dedicated 20/20 pipe allowing up to 600 conference guests usage at one time, using just one password! The pre - function area and atrium allows for endless opportunities and can seamlessly be transformed to suit an exhibition event in the day to social events in the evening.

This exciting change will be completed in full come, November, and Novotel want to invite you to experience this spectacular space for yourself. For any of your event enquiries, please contact the hotel’s conference and events team on h8787-sb4@accor.com or 02 9890 0859. Keep in mind; you could be having your Christmas party in one of these fabulously transformed spaces! 

Students at University of Western Sydney (UWS) now have an opportunity to gain real life work experience under a new partnership with Bankstown City Council.

This follows today’s official signing of the partnership between the two organisations after working together informally on previous occasions.

One of the first projects to roll out of the partnership involves students from the Graduate School of Management who are assisting Council’s Bankstown Business Advisory Service (BBAS) with research into the local food services industry.

• The establishment of an e-food guide for Bankstown;
• Establishing links between the different food businesses in this sector;
• Create a network where like-minded businesses can share ideas;
• Identify opportunities for local food businesses to tap into the export market; and
• Helping businesses access services provide by BBAS to support local businesses.

Mayor Khal Asfour said the project enables students to gain life experience with real outcomes.

“Our students are our future leaders and the winners in this partnership,” Mayor Asfour said.

“They will be out in the field talking to companies and coming up with real strategies that will benefit Council and our local business community.

“But from a strategic city-wide perspective, this partnership will ensure we can facilitate discussions between local businesses and UWS so courses are tailored to meet the real needs of employers and therefore genuinely improve the job opportunities for graduates.”

UWS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barney Glover, said the partnership will support the economic, cultural and social development of the City and broader Greater Western Sydney region.

"UWS has had a long-standing, productive relationship with Bankstown City Council and, following today’s announcement, will see our two organisations work even more closely on initiatives that will have a positive impact not only on our teaching and research, but the broader community,” said Professor Glover.

“The partnership will involve collaboration across a variety of areas but with a particular focus on promoting local business and industry and creating new opportunities for knowledge-based employment.”