News
Tasmanian Business Mentor "Retires" after 25 years of volunteering.
Posted on Tuesday, 18 May 2010 | Permalink
After more than 25 years volunteering as a business mentor in Tasmania, Geoff Fader is “retiring”.
Mr Fader has been with Business Mentor Services Tasmania since its inception in the early 1980s and has mentored many small business operators over that time.
Graham Marshall, general manager of the O Group’s Business & Employment, operator of Business Mentor Services, estimates that the economic value of Mr Fader’s contribution over 25 years would be well in excess of $1 million.
Mr Fader said he was not retiring in the true sense of the word. “But as you get a bit older the time comes to focus on other things,” he said. “I still have a number of other business interests I would like to pursue.”
Mr Fader has enjoyed a long, diverse and successful career in Tasmanian business and is one of Tasmania’s most recognisable business leaders.
He headed up advertising agency Leo Burnett for 20 years, operated his own marketing consultancy and was the CEO of the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania. He is also a past State and Australian President of the Australian Marketing Institute and is a Life Member. Mr Fader continues to work today as the chair of the Tasmanian Small Business Council, executive officer of Group Training Australia – Tasmania Inc. and as chair of the family owned business Tasmanian Shipping Supplies.
Though he is “retiring” to concentrate on these other activities, he said working as a business mentor was one of the most enjoyable things he had been involved in.
“You meet really genuine people who are committed to their business and what they are trying to achieve,” he said. “I never found it difficult to assist them and it was never a struggle or a strain for me to give up some time to talk to them about their respective issues or problems.”
“It has always been enjoyable and extremely rewarding when you see these people successfully come through whatever issue prompted them to seek mentoring in the first place.”
Confidentiality issues associated with the mentoring service prevent Mr Fader relating to specific clients however he is happy to reflect on some success stories.
“One small manufacturing business with a wide range of products and specialty items was almost continually in turmoil around production deadlines and on time delivery,” he said.
“The owner manager was hands on and so keen to make every customer happy that production schedules got changed almost daily just to respond to the customer with the loudest voice. The impact was devastating on employees, efficiency and the bottom line.”
“We found a simple solution right inside the business.”
“The business owner’s wife and business partner was highly skilled in administration and scheduling control, skills learned from her previous employment.”
“We simply put her in charge of all production scheduling and encouraged the business owner to concentrate on his skill area – technical production.”
Mr Fader said many small businesses were husband and wife partnerships and it is very important to get business out of the bedroom.
“You simply have to separate your personal life from your business life, especially when things become tough in business.”
“I have helped both male and female business people to find ways to separate their business and personal lives so that any passing business difficulties do not impact on the family.”
Mr Fader encourages anyone who had accumulated business or trade experience to enquire about becoming a mentor.
“Mentoring is easy, fun and very rewarding and you are making a huge contribution to the community in which we live and work.”
Business Mentor Services Tasmania is a member of the O Group which also includes Business & Employment, CHOOSE Employment, findstaff.biz, NGT and Developing Potential Australia.
Photo caption.
Business & Employment general manager Graham Marshall, Geoff Fader and Andrew Windle, of Business Mentor Services.
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Business Mentor Services was nominated for the Business Enterprise Award at the 2009 Community Achievement Awards
Posted on Friday, 27 November 2009 | Permalink
Lead by the recently retired Bruce Maddock, a team of 6 Mentors, O Group representative Tim Richie and Robert Tilley recently attended the 2009 Tasmanian Community Achievement Awards held at the Hobart Grand Chancellor Hotel . In the final run to the line Business Mentor Services were pipped at the post by the chocolate factor, D’Anvers of Latrobe. However, it certainly was a very proud moment for all those involved in mentoring and suitable acknowledgement for all the thousands of businesses that our mentors have helped over many years of service to the Tasmanian community.
Parent Company O Group named as Employer of Choice in Tasmania
Posted on Wednesday, 11 November 2009 | Permalink
Tasmania’s O group Inc. was added to the Honour roll of Employer’s of Choice in a ceremony lead by Hon. Lisa Singh, MP Minister for Workplace Relations in Hobart Nov 9 2009.
O group is the first Not for Profit (NFP) organisation to receive this award and they join past winners - Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Ltd, SEMF Pty Ltd, Hazell Bros Group Pty Ltd, WHK Group-Tasmania, Fairbrother Group and for 2009 Austal Shipping, Launceston City Council and Sinclair Knight Merz P/L.
O group Inc. is the collaboration of a range of well known, prolific Tasmania NFP businesses and companies including Business & Employment, NGT, Findstaff.biz, Developing Potential Aust, Business Mentor Services Tasmania and Choose Employment. O group has some 160 direct employees and more than a dozen locations across the State providing employment, recruitment, training and business help services. They also provide training to a diverse range of clients on mainland Australia.
CEO Andrew Billing places his staff squarely as the reason the organisation has been well recognised.
“It started as a journey in 2003 when we had chronic staff turnover – from that date to now we have “put our ears on” and listened to staff and even pushed them for feedback, comments, suggestions and engagement. “We do not implement everything but we try to give everything a fair hearing. We also treat staff as individuals when it comes to being able to address their work/life balance needs, which seems at odds with a large employer but clearly, it works for us”. Billing went on to say that the organisation got a signpost result they were on the right track in 2007 when they won a National Work & Family Award in Sydney. “The State EOC award is a tremendous boost to our staff and organisation that strives to achieve more for Tasmanian jobseekers, employers and businesses said Mr Billing.
Enquiries
Exec Manager Corporate Services - Gail Wilson
gail.wilson@ogroup.org.au
2009 heralds a new era for Business Mentor Services Tasmania
Posted on Friday, 6 February 2009 | Permalink
Business Mentor Services Tasmania is now part of the O Group of businesses and have access to all the benefits that collaboration provides.
Perfectly positioned to “Plan a brighter future for your business”, with support from the other O Group companies (Business & Employment, Findstaff.biz, NGT Tasmania and CHOOSE Employment) Mentor Services has access to a multitude of vital small business services; business consultancy, Australian Apprenticeships, training, group employment, fee for service recruitment, Job Network services and the Disability Employment Network.
The launch of our NEW website, designed to make it easy for you to access our services or become a Mentor, is just the beginning of more exciting and new developments at Mentor Services.
If you have any ideas about or feedback on our NEW website or our services we would love to hear from you, after all it’s your business success that we are interested in.
