All posts by Chris Ashmore

Business Essentials 1st Edition 1984

This is the opening of the very first edition of Business Essentials, the world’s first and longest-running monthly business audio program.

This first edition presented by founder Michael Schildberger was distributed on Beta, but the monthly subscription model in those very early days alternated between Beta tapes and audio cassettes.

After only just a couple of months, enquiries came in from subscribers asking whether they could subscribe to the audio cassettes only.

Why? As Michael Schildberger explains in his autobiography A Sorcerer’s Apprentice:

“They loved the videos, but didn’t have time to watch them, but the tapes were perfect for the car. We listened to our customers, dropped the videos, reduced the price and offered 12 audio tapes a year.”

Those audio tapes are now gone, obviously, but most of our subscribers today still listen in the car on CDs and mobile devices.

More than 30 years after that first edition, Business Essentials still provides the very best practical and timely advice and tips to thousands of business operators.

Listeners have described this audio series as “inspirational”, “invaluable” and “addictive”. Many say their businesses have grown as a direct result of ideas and advice they’ve received from Business Essentials.

For more information or to subscribe to Business Essentials, please contact BE Media Production.

T: 1800 039 098
E: info@be.com.au
W: be.com.au

New app is cleaning up the market

WHIZZWhile the taxi-alternative Uber has made in-roads to the Australian market, a home grown company is using similar app technology on the cleaning industry.

WHIZZ entered the Sydney market earlier this year and already has seen phenomenal growth. Customers who are looking for reliable, professional and on-demand residential or office cleaning services can now access hundreds of cleaners – in much the same way commuters can search for Uber taxis.

We spoke with WHIZZ’s co-founder and CEO Mark Bernberg for the May 2015 edition of Business Essentials on the technology as well as the inspiration and early successes of the business.

Click here to listen to the interview in full.

Business lessons from Antarctica

James Tuckerman in AntarcticaEarlier this year, more than 100 entrepreneurs and business people from around Australia braved the cold and isolation for a ‘think tank’ in Antarctica.

James Tuckerman was one such entrepreneur embracing the once-in-a-life-time chance to talk to other leaders from a range of different backgrounds and industries.

He says it was the perfect setting to form business connections and appreciate what matters most in business and in life. We spoke with James for our April 2015 edition of Business Essentials. He explains the lessons he took from the journey.

Click here to listen to the interview in full.

Protecting Your Business From The Risks Of Terrorism

TerrorismLet’s hope it never ever happens, but with all the awareness now around terrorism and terror attacks, have you considered what you would do if your business was targeted?

We spoke with Professor Greg Barton of the Global Terrorism Research Centre at Monash University for our March edition of Business Essentials. The chance of attack is tiny, but it’s well worth being prepared. For example, are doors that are supposed to be locked, actually locked? Are doors that should be open, open?

Click here to listen to our interview in full.