Hello and welcome to this weeks episode of The Australian Small Business Show.

In this episode, Matt and Kristy-Lee tackle a big question many small business owners are asking right now, is employee loyalty dead? Drawing on their own experiences and observations of the next generation entering the workforce, they explore how the traditional idea of loyalty as a trade for long-term job security has shifted. With changing expectations, generational differences and the lasting impact of the pandemic, the old rules around work and loyalty no longer seem to apply in the same way .

The conversation dives into why job security is no longer the primary driver of loyalty, and how employees are increasingly taking ownership of their own careers. Matt and Kristy-Lee discuss why modern loyalty looks less like a lifetime commitment and more like being engaged, committed and aligned while someone is part of your business. They also unpack how leadership, development, flexibility and feeling valued now play a far bigger role than simply a pay cheque.

This episode is a must listen for business owners who are struggling with staff retention or feeling frustrated by changing workforce expectations. Matt and Kristy-Lee share practical insights into how employers can reset their mindset, evolve their leadership approach and build genuine loyalty that works for today’s workforce. Loyalty, as they explain, is not dead, it’s just different.

Connect with Us:

If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe to The Australian Small Business Show newsletter by visiting our website here: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Hello and welcome to this week's episode of The Australian Small Business Show.

In today’s episode, Matt and Kristy Lee dive into one of the biggest challenges facing small business owners right now hiring the right people in a rapidly changing landscape. With 2026 firmly on the horizon, they explore how the rules of recruitment are shifting, why hiring mistakes are more costly than ever, and how business owners need to adapt their approach to attract and retain great staff in a competitive market .

Kristy shares her expertise in recruitment, unpacking how AI is impacting both sides of the hiring process. From AI written resumes and cover letters to smarter use of technology in screening and job ads, this conversation highlights why business owners need to be more discerning, faster in their processes, and clearer than ever on what they actually need from a role. They also discuss why cover letters are losing relevance, the importance of speed in hiring, and why passive candidates are often your best option.

The conversation also looks beyond the hire itself, emphasising the importance of always on recruitment strategies, using platforms like LinkedIn effectively, and ensuring your online presence genuinely reflects what it is like to work in your business. Matt and Kristy also talk about hiring as a retention strategy, the need to reassess roles before replacing them, and why onboarding should begin the moment a job offer is accepted.

If you are planning to hire in 2026, or are already feeling overwhelmed by recruitment decisions, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you hire better, smarter, and with confidence.

Connect with Us:

If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

We’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe to The Australian Small Business Show newsletter by visiting our website here: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

Today we have a returning guest - James Brown from BizTach Guru. James is a Certified Master SYSTEMologist® | SME Technology Expert | Time-Saving Specialist | Business Systemisation Pro.

James stands at the forefront of business operation simplification, with a rich 20-year history spanning from manufacturing to tourism, currently specialising in construction and building trades.

Through his venture, BizTech Guru, he introduces business owners to SYSTEMology and works closely with David Jenyns, the founder of systemHUB and the SYSTEMology movement, diving deep into the methodology and building out course curriculums.

James has presented to over a thousand people about SYSTEMology and has worked directly with over a hundred business owners himself to implement this methodology.

Today we talk with James about when it might be time to outsource and get support systemising your business and how you might go about doing that.

James helps us understand when our businesses need help systemising, what that means and how to go about getting specialist help.

We have a look at how to identify the signs that your business needs some help, how to determine if a task is better to be outsourced rather than trying to do everything yourself and what the steps are for engaging a systems expert like James.

Your business might be making good money, but you feel like you just don’t have your head above water. That may be the time to start thinking about improving your systems.

If you’d like to connect with James, you can find his website here:

https://www.biztechguru.com.au/

Or connect with him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/systemologist/

Want to hear more from James? Listen to our previous chat on Episode 52 - The Core Systems Every Business Needs with James Brown from BizTech Guru | Podcasts

Connect with Us:

If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

We’d love to hear from you!

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

Today we are discussing our words of the year and why a word of the year can be more powerful than a New Year Resolution. It is not about perfection; it is all about direction.

How you choose your word of the year will be personal to your journey as a small business owner. It should solve a current problem and help guide your decision when things get busy or messy.

Your word of the year, like a New Year's Resolution, should make you fee slightly uncomfortable. So some thought is needed to ensure that it motivates change. Some prompt questions could be – What do I need more of this year?, What has been missing?

In this episode Kristy-Lee and Matt share their own words of the year. You will be surprised how different they are.

Connect with Us:

If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

We’d love to hear from you!

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

Today we are discussing the importance of slowing down to speed up in business, and why we all find it so hard as entrepreneurs and small business owner to take a break, re charge, refill our cup and take the time we need to pause.

When we don’t take time to slow down, pause and rest, it’s very easy to get stuck in the weeds, and feel like you’re constantly chasing everything and everyone – and getting nowhere.

Taking a break, pausing, slowing down can lead to feelings of guilt, worry and concern about the business – but the reality is the reward is far higher than the risk.

When you pause you recharge your battery, both physically and mentally. This allows you to make better decisions, innovate, be creative and strategize better.

In this episode Kristy-Lee and Matt share their own experiences and strategies of how slowing down to speed up has helped them in their businesses.

Connect with Us: If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

We’d love to hear from you!

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

In this episode we’re joined by returning guest Anthony Hopson. When we last had Anthony on the podcast he was talking about his work as a Finance Broker with his business Urban Brokers and today he is back to talk about how he supports business owners in an entirely different way – through teaching Breathwork.

As Anthony shares today, how we breathe impacts our work performance, stress management, decision making and emotional regulation. Put simply, our state of being affects our breath, and our breath affects our state of being.

Being unable to emotionally regulate can affect our quality of life – relationships at home, work, school, and social interactions. Breathwork can help with this.

How we breathe can influence our stress response and how we can regulate from stressful events.

In business, this can help with things like decision making, navigating difficult conversations, analysing information and pretty much all aspects of running a business.

Breathwork and Ice/cold water immersion can be used therapeutically to: down-regulate and heal from chronic stress’ and trauma; managing anxiety including workplace stress/ task overwhelm and burnout; up-regulate out of depression and enhance energy production; improve sports and workplace performance through achieving higher focus – making more consistent coherent, balanced and emotionally regulated decisions.

If you’re interested in learning more and working with Anthony you can contact him on Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/the_urbanbroker/

Connect with Us:

If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

We’d love to hear from you!

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

In this episode Kristy-Lee and Matt are talking through their 2025 years in review, from the lessons learnt to what went well. For many of us it’s been a tough year in business, so we’re not going to sugar coat it, this has been one of those years. Expectations have been high, budgets have been low and tensions have emerged.

Then we turn our minds to 2026 and what we have on the horizon, both for the Australian Small Business Show and in our respective businesses, and life in general.

Connect with Us: If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

We’d love to hear from you!

Exciting news: our website is live – check it out at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.

Welcome to this weeks’ episode of The Australian Small Business Show!

In this episode Kristy-Lee is sharing a simple but really helpful reflection practice that she does at the end of each year to help her start to map out how she will start the year ahead.

And to show we walk the talk, we’re going to walk through this exercise live with you.

There are 3 questions to ask yourself before the year wraps up:

1) What will you stop doing in 2026?

2) What will you keep doing in the new year?

3) What will you start doing next year?

You can ask these questions of yourself for your business as a whole, every part of business, your health, your relationships, or just life!

Connect with Us: If you're an Australian Small Business Owner, we'd love to connect with you on socials. You can give our Facebook Page a like here: https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliansmallbusinessshow

Or follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aussmallbizshow/

We’d love to hear from you!

To sign up to our newsletter, head over to the website at: https://www.theaustraliansmallbusinessshow.com.au/

* Disclaimer: The information shared on The Australian Small Business Show is general in nature and does not constitute professional advice, legal or otherwise. We recommend consulting with your advisors on your specific circumstances.