In this third episode of our season about disruption and innovation, I talk with start-up gurus Steve Glaveski and Simon Quirk about the Mills Oakley accelerator, our own foray into the next wave of legal technology.

But don’t worry, this isn’t a technical discussion about legal processes!  Instead, we focus on the proven strategy of established businesses not engaging in disruptive innovation for themselves, but rather to invest in innovative businesses outside the four walls of their successful, traditional business.
As we have heard in earlier episodes, it can be particularly challenging or even impossible for the owners of established and successful businesses to innovate.  This is because it often entails cannibalising or re-thinking the very things that made them successful in the first place! 

We set up our own “legal tech” accelerator about a year ago and have certainly reaped the rewards, both in terms of new exciting technology that we now deploy in our business, but also in the sense that we are now known as an innovative and forward-looking law firm. 

Is an accelerator something that you should consider for your business? Listen to this episode to find out more!

Season 7 Episode 3: Is an accelerator something your business should consider?

Many of my business owner clients like to invest in start-ups.  And, these days there are certainly a lot around to choose from! But how do you know where to allocate your valuable investment dollars?

In our final episode of this season about disruption and innovation, Steve Glaveski and Simon Quirk reveal some of the common mistakes that investors make and how you can avoid them.

Season 7 Episode 4: Common mistakes when investing in a start-up and how to avoid them

In this new season of the podcast I am joined by my colleague Ross Higgins, one of Australia’s pre-eminent tax lawyers, to discuss tax issues for business owners.  But don’t worry, we will try our very best to make a complex subject interesting!

Kicking off our first episode, we talk about how to protect your family home from creditors and other claims.  Conventional wisdom says that you need to hold your family home in your personal name, in order to avail yourself of the “own residence” CGT exemption.  However, for business owners this poses a conundrum, as of course you may then expose this valuable assets to claims which are made against you.  

Ross offers some useful practical guidance for business owners in this position, and also discusses various other aspects of the “own residence” exemption which will likely surprise you!

Season 8 Episode 1

In today’s podcast episode I interview my tax partner, Ross Higgins, about superannuation for business owners. 
 
Whilst it can get technical at times, I find this a fascinating subject for business owners. The imperative to build assets outside your business is a pet subject of ours here at the Business Owners Podcast, and as Ross explains, superannuation can be a fantastic vehicle through which to do this.
 
Whilst you may all be familiar with the favourable tax treatment of superannuation, in this episode you will also find out:
 
- How superannuation can be a core plank of your asset protection strategy
- How to discharge your duties as the trustee of a self-managed superannuation fund
- What are in-house assets and how to avoid them!
 
If you would like some further information about any aspect of superannuation for business owners, you are very welcome to contact either myself or Ross for a confidential discussion.

Season 8 Episode 2

In this episode of the podcast, I interview founder of Uncle Jack Watches and one of Smart Company’s Hot 30 under 30 entrepreneurs, Robbie Ball. 

I pick Robbie’s brain and get to the gooey-nougat that is the entrepreneurial mindset, where we discover:

•	Seizing opportunities in the market
•	Marketing a brand successfully
•	How to launch a brand using social media  

If you are thinking about starting up your own business and would like some practical legal advice, you are very welcome to contact the Mills Oakley private advisory team for a confidential discussion.

Robbie Ball: Uncle Jack Watches - The Business Owners Mind

In our first ever video recorded episode of the podcast, I interview founder of GRG Momentum and author of The Smart Business Exit, Geoff Green.

I ask Geoff to break down all the important factors that business owners may overlook when thinking about the sale of their own business, including the rather ominous sounding Baby Boomer business exit Tsunami. We also find out:

When the time is right to sell your business
The questions you need to ask before you sell
Macro-economic factors that could affect the sale of your business

If you are thinking about selling your business and would like some practical legal advice, contact the Mills Oakley private advisory team for a confidential discussion.

The Business Owners Podcast - Geoff Green The Smart Business Exit

Finlay Sturzaker is a whiz when it comes to social media. And this emerging entrepreneur has a few lessons to teach those middle-aged business owners who frankly just don't get it sometimes. 

We're pulling back the veil to uncover all the mysteries behind social media and learn:

•	How it can be used to help grow your business
•	Which platform is best for your business
•	We even find out what an 'Instagram Story' is. 

If you would like some practical legal advice for your business, you are very welcome to contact the Mills Oakley private advisory team for a confidential discussion.

The Business Owners Podcast Finlay Struzaker

Julie Hyde is a disruptor and a powerful people enabler who helps leaders make big things happen. After almost three decades in corporate finance roles and coaching execs in the big end of town, Julie knows a thing or two about leadership and how to empower people to truly perform.
An author and highly sought after speaker, Julie empowers audiences with practical, game-changing success strategies that challenge what you thought you knew about leadership. 
In this episode, Julie is challenging our definition of the word ‘busy.’ She’s shedding a light on what many people use as an excuse in their everyday lives. And she’s using a rather clever analogy of dancefloors and balconies to do so. We’ll learn:
•	Why we need to change our definition of busy
•	Why being busy can be detrimental to your business
•	Steps you can take towards more productivity
If you would like some practical legal advice, contact the Mills Oakley private advisory team for a confidential discussion.