CD - Australian Fitness Network
CD - Australian Fitness Network
CD - Australian Fitness Network
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AUTHOR’S BIO<br />
SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
GROW YOUR BUSINESS:<br />
MERENDI HEALTH AND<br />
WELLNESS CENTRES<br />
Grow your business features fi tness professionals sharing their personal journeys of growing their business.<br />
Business consultant and accountant Heather Smith talks to Merendi Leverett-Bowler, founder of Merendi Health<br />
and Wellness Centres based in South-East Queensland.<br />
Heather Smith<br />
HEATHER SMITH: CAN YOU<br />
TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR<br />
BUSINESS?<br />
Merendi Leverett-Bowler: I started my<br />
company fi ve years ago when my boys<br />
were only a few months old. I decided<br />
that I needed to work for myself rather<br />
than go back to being employed, so I<br />
started running ‘mums and bubs’ classes<br />
along with more general fi tness stuff and<br />
I also started moving back into what I was<br />
originally trained to do – injury rehab and<br />
chronic disease management. Three years<br />
ago we opened up our Merendi Health<br />
and Wellness clinic, a multi-disciplinary<br />
clinic, and in addition to personal training<br />
and exercise physiology, we started<br />
off ering more services and programs to<br />
our clients, because that is what we felt<br />
was needed.<br />
HS: IT IS A BIG DECISION FOR A<br />
SMALL BUSINESS TO TAKE ON<br />
ITS FIRST EMPLOYEE. WHAT<br />
MADE YOU THINK IT WAS THE<br />
RIGHT TIME?<br />
M L-B: When I was fi rst pregnant we<br />
thought I would go back to work, but<br />
after we found out I was expecting twins<br />
I thought ‘I don’t think it is actually going<br />
to be possible to go back to work full<br />
time’, so I made a conscious decision<br />
early on to employ an extra person. The<br />
boys were only a year old and I wanted<br />
to spend as much time with them as I<br />
could, but it was hard because I was just<br />
starting up my business. I was working<br />
10 to 12-hour days, whereas I only<br />
58 NETWORK WINTER 2010 www.fitnessnetwork.com.au<br />
Heather is on a mission to improve the fi nancial literacy of business by empowering business owners to produce<br />
accurate and meaningful management reports in a timely manner. She is a commerce graduate, an ambassador and<br />
fellow of the ACCA, a MYOB Certifi ed Consultant, a writer and keen advocate of technology and social media. For more<br />
information, visit www.aniseconsulting.com, e-mail info@aniseconsulting.com or tweet T:@ANISEConsulting<br />
wanted to work three days per week. I<br />
was spreading myself thinly, covering<br />
Brisbane through to the Sunshine Coast,<br />
and I realised that I needed someone<br />
else to help cover the workload. Getting<br />
another exercise physiologist on board<br />
enabled Merendi Health and Wellness<br />
to keep serving other areas without me<br />
having to keep travelling.<br />
HS: WHO DID YOU SEEK ADVICE<br />
FROM ABOUT TAKING ON YOUR<br />
FIRST EMPLOYEE?<br />
M L-B: I looked within my own<br />
professional area of exercise physiology,<br />
within professional associations, and I<br />
spoke with other EPs. A lot of EPs run<br />
their own business, and I asked them<br />
questions about how they employed<br />
people, and whether they kept them on<br />
contract, casual or permanent.<br />
I went to the ATO and also looked<br />
at the clauses regarding what was<br />
required. At that time I was self-<br />
employed, and so I looked at what<br />
was required to put on a contractor. I<br />
also looked at WorkCover legislation,<br />
because there is a lot of discrepancy<br />
about what constitutes a contractor or<br />
employee. If you put someone on as<br />
a contractor, but they are using your<br />
premises or equipment, they may be<br />
classed as an employee. So, I did that<br />
little bit of research, but other than that<br />
I did not do much else other than asking<br />
other professionals in the industry.<br />
HS: WAS THE PROCESS<br />
EASIER OR HARDER THAN YOU<br />
EXPECTED?<br />
M L-B: I think it was easy in terms of<br />
fi nding someone; I did not have to<br />
actively advertise in the newspaper or on<br />
a job site, I found her through word-ofmouth.<br />
When it came to setting up the<br />
contract, though, I found that quite hard.<br />
I had worked as a contractor previously<br />
and I used that experience to help me<br />
initially write up a contract or employee<br />
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TIPS<br />
Insurance and WorkCover<br />
Each state has its own WorkCover scheme, a compulsory insurance for<br />
workers compensation. Contact them directly as each state has different rules<br />
and regulations. Typically the insurance payment is calculated based on an<br />
estimate of annual salaries. The business may also be required to have a written<br />
workplace safety policy. Also notify existing insurers of your new recruit/s.<br />
E mployee/contractor decision tool<br />
The ATO provides a tool for small business owners, to determine if the individual<br />
worker is an employee or a contractor. This will assist in complying with PAYG tax<br />
and superannuation obligations.Find out more at<br />
www.ato.gov.au/businesses/content.asp?doc=/content/00095062.htm
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