News

Our Member Spotlight format is quickly becoming a fabulous addition to the SBNG calendar! Following the success of our first event at Ettalong, we brought the concept to our July meeting at Erina, giving three more members just ten minutes each to step into the spotlight, share their expertise and help us understand a little more about the person — and the passion — behind their business.

Irdzra Khairuddin-Bennett, Principal Architect and founder of Studio IKBA, took us behind the scenes of architecture and the reasons she established her own Gosford-based practice: work-life balance, creative autonomy and, importantly, the opportunity to build a direct relationship between architect and client. Through examples ranging from workplaces and healthcare facilities to residential projects, Irdzra showed us just how much thoughtful design can influence the way people experience and use a space. She also reminded us that architects don't work in isolation — their collaborators include families, builders, developers, real estate and mortgage professionals, and business owners.

Then Rory Gowers introduced us to a very different approach to something we all encounter: conflict. His message was wonderfully simple — conflict is part of life, but handling it well is a skill we can learn. Through Medianos Australasia, Rory is bringing an award-winning negotiation game to English-speaking audiences, where participants work through a real dispute together and explore how agreement can be reached without creating a winner and a loser. His vision is to make conversations around conflict fun, friendly and fruitful, with applications across workplaces, professional practice, families, schools and communities.

Finally, Bill Murch of IDM Consulting gave us permission to be a little bit lazy — in the most productive possible way! Bill hates wasted time, resources and money, particularly when we find ourselves doing the same computer task over and over again. His specialty is building smarter systems and using automation across software including CAD and Microsoft Office to help people work better, faster and more efficiently. His presentation left us with a useful question for any business owner: what repetitive task are you spending valuable time doing that your computer could be doing for you?

And that, really, is what makes Member Spotlight such a terrific format. In a short space of time we get to discover expertise within our own network that we may never have known was there. More importantly, we get to know the people behind the business — what they care about, the problems they solve and the people we might confidently refer to them. Congratulations and thank you to Irdzra, Rory and Bill for another engaging morning, and to everyone who came along to support them. We’re already looking forward to seeing who steps into the spotlight next!

What happens when you put a room full of SBNG members, family and friends together, add a Quiz Master, a healthy dose of competition and a few questions designed to test even the cleverest among us? You get one fabulous SBNG Trivia Night!

Last night, our mid-year social at Central Coast Leagues Club was a full house, with teams tackling everything from General Knowledge, Movies & TV and Music Through the Decades to questions about the Central Coast and, of course, SBNG itself. With extra games and lucky door prizes thrown into the mix, there were plenty of opportunities to win something — although perhaps the biggest prize was the laughter and banter around the tables throughout the evening.

Competition was close, but when the final scores were tallied, CCC claimed bragging rights with an impressive 63 points, narrowly beating The Best Lawyers and Videographers on the Coast on 62, while We Thought It Was Bingo rounded out the top three with 59 points. With only a relatively small spread across the scores, every team was very much in the game — including some wonderfully named contenders such as Did We Win?, And on 10 Points It Is, Pickled Squid and Tim's Harem.

A huge thank you goes to our fabulous Quiz Master Sarah Cook, our scorer Bill Murch, everyone who helped behind the scenes, and most importantly, all the members and guests who came along and threw themselves into the spirit of the night.

Our SBNG social events are about strengthening the relationships that grow through our network — getting away from business for a few hours, having some fun together and getting to know the people behind the businesses. Judging by the laughter in the room, the friendly rivalry and the feedback we've received since, our first Trivia Night certainly delivered. We suspect this one may need to make another appearance on the SBNG calendar!

Our Tuggerah meeting was another full house, with members and guests turning out to hear Craig and Amanda Giles share their vision for Central Coast Studios - an ambitious project that has the potential to reshape the future of our region.

Their presentation went far beyond film and television. Craig and Amanda painted a compelling picture of how a world-class production precinct could create jobs, strengthen local businesses, expand tourism, provide education pathways and open opportunities for countless industries across the Central Coast. It was a powerful reminder that major projects create ripple effects that benefit far more than their own sector.

Perhaps the most inspiring part of the morning, however, wasn't on the slides. Craig and Amanda openly shared the significant health challenges they have both faced in recent years. Rather than allowing those setbacks to define them, they have continued to pursue their dream with remarkable determination, resilience and unwavering belief in what this project could mean for the Central Coast.

Their passion was unmistakable, and it left us all with more than just an exciting business opportunity to consider. It was a reminder that every worthwhile vision encounters obstacles along the way, and that persistence, purpose and a willingness to keep moving forward are often what turn big dreams into reality.

If you'd like to learn more about the Central Coast Studios project or lend your support, you can visit their website to find out more about their vision for the future of entertainment on the Central Coast.

www.centralcoaststudios.com.au

E. amanda@centralcoaststudios.com.au

At this month's Peninsula  meeting, members were challenged to take a fresh look at one of the most important questions in business: Can you clearly explain the value you bring to your customers?

Guest presenter Paul Forrest shared his experience from decades in business development, recruitment and sales training, encouraging members to think beyond simply describing what they do. Instead, he invited us to consider the measurable difference we make for our clients—whether that's saving time, increasing revenue, improving productivity, reducing costs or creating greater peace of mind.

The key moment of the session was when Paul asked participants to develop a simple value proposition that clearly communicates the outcomes they deliver. It's a worthwhile exercise for every business owner. If you can confidently explain not just what you do, but why it matters to your customers, those conversations become more meaningful—and often much easier.

As with many SBNG presentations, the real value comes from taking one or two ideas that resonate with you and putting them into practice. If you attended the session, now is the perfect time to revisit your workbook, refine your value proposition, and challenge yourself to make it even clearer. Sometimes a single well-crafted sentence can become one of the most powerful tools in growing your business.

For more information contact:

Paul Forrest

+61(0)420466666

forrest_paul@hotmail.com

Our Erina meeting this morning was packed to hear guest speaker Brendan Rogers present on the theme of how being a foster parent taught him key skills for business growth.

Brendan is the founder of Leader By Design, helping business owners build high-performing, self-managing teams. Also a foster parent to 8 children, he's spent years understanding what helps humans grow - and then translated those principles into practical business frameworks used by leaders across Australia.

The stories he shared of a certain "Mr K" were poignant and so relevant to the emotional struggles that many of us have as we attempt to set ourselves up as business owners!

Key messages that Brendan shared include:

Brendan hosts the High-Impact Leader Podcast and is the creator of the High-Impact Growth Path™ and PEOPLE OS frameworks he shared.

For more information, contact:

BrendanRogers

Leadership Design & Team Performance Coach

Founder | Leader By Design

	+61417191409
	brendan@leaderbydesign.au
	www.leaderbydesign.bookacall

This month's networking activity at Tuggerah saw members take part in our first Referral Radar™ session – a collaborative brainstorming exercise designed to help uncover new business connections and opportunities.

Each participant wrote down their business, key services, and the types of introductions they would love to receive. The challenge for the room was then to think beyond the obvious client referral and suggest complementary businesses, strategic partners, industry contacts, and potential introduction opportunities.

As pages were passed around the room, the activity became a little lively (even a little messy!) as members moved between tables sharing ideas and adding suggestions. However, the feedback afterwards was overwhelmingly positive.

What became clear was the power of collective thinking. Members left with pages full of ideas, new connections to explore, and in many cases, offers from fellow members to facilitate introductions.

A great reminder that sometimes the best opportunities come not from who you know, but from who your network knows.

Today saw the successful launch of SBNG's new Member Spotlight format at our Ettalong meeting, and if the response from members and guests is anything to go by, it's a concept that's here to stay!

Designed to give more members an opportunity to showcase their expertise, share their stories and increase their visibility within the network, the inaugural event featured three members who generously stepped forward to help bring the idea to life. Taking the stage first is never easy, particularly when launching something completely new, and we are incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm, professionalism and courage shown by our presenters today, Sylvi Soe, Amanda Reynolds and Richard Melrose.

The event attracted a fantastic turnout, with many supporters attending to cheer on the speakers. In fact, numbers exceeded our expectations and for a short while there was some uncertainty about whether we'd fit everyone into the room! Fortunately, the welcoming spirit that SBNG is known for was on full display, with members happily making space, pulling up extra chairs and ensuring everyone felt included.

What made the morning particularly special was the fresh energy in the room. The Member Spotlight format created an opportunity for attendees to gain a deeper understanding of the expertise, experiences and passions that exist within our membership. It also sparked conversations, connections and opportunities that continued well beyond the presentations themselves.

As a committee, we couldn't have asked for a better start. Our inaugural presenters have set a high standard for future participants and demonstrated exactly why visibility, connection and collaboration remain at the heart of what makes SBNG such a valuable business community.

Thank you to everyone who attended, supported the speakers and embraced this new initiative. We look forward to bringing more Member Spotlight presentations to future meetings and continuing to showcase the remarkable talent that exists within our network.

We're spoilt really, with the breadth and depth of knowledge that Grant Pavett brings to his annual EOFY series of presentations ... this year following the theme of Plan Now, Profit Later.  

These presentations were held across all 3 venues on the following dates: Tuggerah on 10th April, Ettalong on 1st May and today's meeting at Erina.  And it's great to hear participants saying that they pick up new information each time Grant speaks - which goes to show that you should pay attention to your accountant!

Key points to note:

• Make sure you book a Tax Planning session with your accountant well in advance, so you can execute the strategies before 30th June
• Keep up to date records (use Xero/QuickBooks or similar)
• Keep all invoices & receipts - you can upload these into your accounting software to reduce paper clutter
• Keep diary evidence eg logbooks, for your car, phone, laundry etc
• Crypto currency ... keep all records from when you started - it gets taken into account each year it's traded
• Shares ... keep everything you get

For a free 15 minute consultation, contact Vizion Accounting on

(02) 4367 0698

Grant Pavett

Director, Vizion Accounting

grant@visionaccounting.com.au

reception@vizionaccounting.com.au

There was a moment at our Tuggerah meeting today where Steve Barry actually threatened to turn the internet off .... Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat???  Yep, there it was, a small box, sitting on the bench ... and the only thing that showed us it was working was the flashing red light.

All jokes aside, Steve took us for a trip down memory lane today as we explored the internet's origins which date back to 1967, with the concept itself coming from back in the '50s.  Some of us were alive back then!

The key thing to remember is that it's all about data.  Everything is data.  And it's not floating in a 'cloud', it's sitting on someone's server somewhere ...

So what precautions do we need to take to protect our data, as small business owners?

• Speak with a specialist
• Keep your software/plugins updated
• Don't trust everything you see online
• New and shiny tools don't mean safe and secure

If you'd like any help with your online presence contact:

Steve Barry

Terrigal Web Services

0428 075 705

steve@terrigalwebservices.com.au

There’s something really powerful about being asked, “What do you actually need?”

And right now, small business owners across NSW have that exact opportunity.

The NSW Government has announced a new advisory service designed to support small businesses with practical skills to run and grow, and they’re inviting business owners (that’s us!) to help shape what that looks like.

This isn’t a tick-box exercise.  They’re genuinely seeking input from real businesses across different industries, stages, and locations, to ensure the support offered is actually useful, relevant, and accessible.

They want to understand:

• What support would make the biggest difference to your business
• What skills or advice are most valuable at different stages of growth
• How you prefer to access support and guidance

And honestly … this is where your lived experience matters.

Because you’re the one navigating the day-to-day realities:    the juggle, the decisions, the risks, the growth.
You know what’s missing ... and you know what would help you.

This is your chance to speak into that.

The survey is short, and your input will directly contribute to shaping a service designed to better support businesses like ours.

️ Consultation closes: Sunday 19 April 2026 at 11:59pm

If you’ve ever thought, “I wish there was better support for small businesses…”
this is the moment to help create it.

This is the link.

Let’s make sure our voices are part of the conversation.