What Allied Health & wellness businesses need to know (and do)
If you run a small business in the Allied Health or wellness space â whether youâre a naturopath, physio, psychologist, coach, bodyworker, or energy healer â there are big changes to Australiaâs privacy laws that you need to know about. And before your eyes glaze over: no, this isnât just about giant tech companies or complex IT systems. These reforms directly affect how you collect client details, store session notes, send marketing emails, and even manage your team.
Letâs break it all down so you can understand whatâs already law, whatâs coming soon, and what you actually need to do about it.
Why are these Privacy Laws changing?
The Australian Government is updating the Privacy Act 1988 to better reflect how modern businesses handle personal information â especially sensitive data like health records. These changes are also designed to bring our privacy standards in line with global laws like the EUâs GDPR (remember the panic when that was brought in a few years ago?) I will try to make this a little less scary for you.
The intention behind these changes is not to make your life more difficult! Itâs a protective move designed to give individuals more control over their data and to increase accountability for businesses. The problem? Many of the new rules apply equally to large corporations and tiny one-person practices, without much recognition of the realities of small business life.
So letâs look at whatâs already changed â and whatâs still on the horizon.
Whatâs already in effect (as of December 2024)
1. Stronger powers for the privacy watchdog
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) can now:
Investigate businesses without waiting for a complaint
Impose much heavier penalties (up to $50 million for serious breaches)
Demand that you provide evidence of compliance (for example, showing that you have a Privacy Policy that reflects the data you collect and what you do with it, not a generic template that has no relevance to your actual practices.)
2. Doxxing is now a criminal offence
If someone shares personal details (like an address or phone number) online with the intention of causing harm, they could face up to 7 years in prison. This doesnât change your obligations as a business, but it highlights how seriously personal information is now being treated.
Whatâs coming soon (and what you need to be ready for)
1. The right to sue over privacy breaches
Starts: By 10 June 2025 Clients will soon be able to sue your business for serious invasions of privacy â even if they canât show financial loss. That means something as simple as a poorly handled mailing list or shared email address could expose you to legal action. Worse, it opens the door to class actions. If a group of clients all had their data exposed in a breach, a law firm could bundle their claims and sue you together.
2. Transparency about AI & automation
Starts: December 2026 If you use any kind of automation to make decisions â think chatbots, appointment schedulers, or software that triages client queries â youâll need to disclose it clearly in your Privacy Policy.
3. The possible end of the small business exemption
Proposed:Â likely in 2025 Right now, businesses under $3 million in turnover are largely exempt from complying with the Privacy Act unless their services relate to peopleâs health and wellbeing. Thatâs set to change. If the exemption is removed (and itâs looking likely), all businesses will have to follow the same privacy rules â regardless of size or industry.
What it means for you
Hereâs what the changes add up to for small allied health businesses:
Youâll be legally responsible for how you collect, store, use, and share any personal data â even if youâre just a solo practitioner with a Gmail address and a Wix site.
You can be sued for privacy breaches, even if no one lost money â itâs the invasion of privacy that counts.
Youâll have to stop hoarding client data âjust in caseâ and be able to explain exactly why youâre keeping what, where, and for how long.
You need proper consent â vague opt-ins or pre-ticked boxes wonât cut it.
Eeek! I know, that sounds terrifying, but donât worry â Iâve got some practical tips you can implement easily that will help protect you.
The five biggest privacy pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
1. Collecting more than you need
Donât ask for info just because a form builder lets you. If youâre not using a clientâs date of birth for any real reason, donât collect it.
â Tip: Audit your forms, questionnaires, and client intake processes.
2. Dodgy consent practices
You must get freely given, specific, informed consent â and it must be easy to withdraw. If someone subscribes to your newsletter, you canât assume they want SMS reminders too.
â Tip: Check your email marketing platform is set up for explicit opt-ins.
3. Poor data retention habits
Check with your professional association to see if they have specific retention requirements, but general best practice for health practitioners has long been to retain treatment notes for 7 years after the last appointment, or 7 years after a minor turns 21 â whichever is longer.
You can keep information for longer, but make a note in the file explaining your reasoning. For example: âClient disclosed complex trauma history and has indicated a likelihood of returning for future treatment; notes retained for clinical continuity.â This kind of documentation shows youâve thought it through and arenât just defaulting to hoarding everything forever.
â Tip: Set calendar reminders to clean out inactive client records every 12 months.
4. Weak data security
If youâre storing health records in unsecured cloud systems, sending sensitive info over email, or not using multi-factor authentication, youâre asking for trouble.
â Tip: Enable encryption wherever possible and use secure client portals, especially for sensitive information.
5. Overlooking staff data
Even if youâre under the $3M threshold now, employee data already falls under different workplace laws. That means your payroll files, leave forms, and even internal notes must be handled with care.
â Tip: Treat staff info with the same privacy protocols you use for clients.
What you should do now (practical steps)
If you want to stay ahead of these changes â and avoid fines, lawsuits, or the headache of a regulator poking around in your business â hereâs your starting point:
1. Do a privacy audit
Map out every point where you collect data (forms, bookings, emails).
List what you collect, why, how itâs stored, and who has access.
Outline how clients can access or correct their data
Include how you handle breaches
âTip: Make it easy to find â link it in your footer, booking forms, and onboarding emails.
3. Review your Terms & Conditions
These protect your business if things go wrong â not just for privacy, but for refunds, cancellations, disputes, and boundaries.
âTip: Think of T&Cs as your clinicâs informed consent form, but for the business side. They help everyone understand whatâs expected, whatâs included, and where the boundaries are.
4. Create a Breach Response Plan
What happens if someone hacks your booking system or your phone is stolen with client notes?
You need a clear, calm process that covers:
Who to notify (including the OAIC)
How youâll communicate with affected clients
Steps to prevent it happening again
â Tip: Document it now so youâre not scrambling under pressure later.
5. Train your team (or yourself)
Anyone handling client info â even your outsourced marketing agency, VA or bookkeeper â needs to know the basics:
What counts as personal data
How to keep it secure
What to do if something goes wrong
Include this in your onboarding and update regularly as laws change.
Why itâs worth the effort?
These reforms might feel overwhelming â especially if youâre juggling work, client care, admin, and, you know⌠being a human. But donât think of it as intrusive demands for compliance. Approach it instead from the perspective of building trust.
Privacy isnât a bureaucratic box-tick. Itâs a powerful signal to your clients that their safety matters to you â not just physically, but digitally and emotionally too.
Thatâs part of the integrity you already bring to your work. The law is just catching up. And if youâre not sure where to start, donât panic. Start small, stay curious, and get support from someone who can turn legal complexity into calm, confident clarity.
Want a second set of eyes on your privacy practices or help drafting Policies and Terms & Conditions that actually make sense?
Reach out to our trusted legal contracts expert Michelle Whitehead from Carefree Counsel, the guest blogger responsible for this article. She speaks fluent legal, and promises never to drown you in jargon.
As a trusted lawyer, I work with businesses that don’t fit in boxes: the change-makers, the rebels, the healers, the visionaries. The ones who colour outside the lines. The ones who want to tame dragons & ride unicorns into the sunset. You deserve to stand strong as the confident, empowered, compassionate business owner you are destined to be, and your clients deserve the clarity, certainty and consistency they get when you caringly communicate your bold boundaries.
Are you building a business that supports the lifestyle you love, without sacrificing yourself, your integrity, or your relationship with your clients?Â
I am here for YOU!
Versatile Marketing and Carefree Counsel collaborate to provide their clients with plain English, legals and craft Contracts that Careâ˘, as an affiliate, if you book here, you will be supporting Versatile Marketing, as we support you:
With aligned ethics and purpose, and even backgrounds in contracts law, Deb and Michelle love providing a creative, caring, genuine, professional service to you.Â
Why Google Business Profile is a smart move for health and wellness businesses
In todayâs digital age, a strong online presence is essential. For Allied Health and Wellness practices in Australia, standing out in a crowded local market can be challenging. This is where Google Business Profile (GBP) comes in. Properly optimised, GBP can boost your local visibility and attract local ideal customers, making it easier for potential clients to find your practice when they need it most.
This blog is relevant to all Allied Health practices: whether youâre a physiotherapist in Perth, an Osteopath in Sydney, a Kinesiologist in Canberra, or a Dentist in Cairns, GBP is a smart marketing move.
When potential clients search for health services like yours, Google Business Profile increases your chances of appearing in local search results. Optimising your GBP with accurate service details, reviews, offers and photos positions you as a trusted and accessible provider in your area. This leads to higher visibility and engagement with the right clients at the right time.
How does my ideal client find my clinic?
Consider how your ideal clients typically find out about your practice.
The four common marketing avenues are:
Digital Search â This includes Google, social media, directories, and email marketing.
Referrals â A vital strategy, but weâll discuss this more in a future blog.
Physical Signage & Print Media â Brochures and handouts still have value.
Public Speaking â Speaking engagements at schools, conferences, or networking events.
Today, we focus on one aspect of digital search, and perhaps one, if not the most prominent way local customers will find you and your practice! Google Search, and more specifically your Google Business Profile, plays a significant role in helping clients find your clinic through local search.
According to Stat Counter, as of July 2024 Google remains the leading search engine in terms of market share in Australia at 93.95%. Bing follows second at a measly 4.48%.
How to get found on Google
For local clients to find you, focus on these two key digital assets:
An AHPRA-compliant, search engine optimised (SEO) website.
An active, well-optimised Google Business Profile (Local SEO).
Of course, there are other factors for local and general optimisation, like social media, directories, podcasts and basically all other ways youâre connected online. Simply said, the more online presence you have, the easier it is for people to find you. Therefore, hopefully they will also begin to know, like and trust your brand.
Why is it so important to have a digital presence?
According to RedSeach, âAussies spend 6.8 hours EVERY DAY searching the webâ. They use it to shop, research, and look for which provider suits their health concern, and also to locate specific service providers in their local area to help with various physical and mental health concerns. So, if you donât have a website or GBP⌠youâre missing a HUGE market of potential clients.
Still not convinced your Aussie Allied Health or wellness business needs a fully optimised GBP listing to attract local ideal customers? No worriesâŚgrab a cuppa, and read on, as I share why itâs fab for your practice.
Your Google Business Profile isnât just a listingâitâs a gateway for Allied Health and wellness businesses to connect with local clients, build trust, and drive meaningful growth. In todayâs digital world, visibility starts here. Deborah Ricketts
Why should your practice be on Google Business Profile?
Well, for starters, in this financial climate, weâre all looking for the best return for least investment, and GBP has you covered here â itâs free! And you will have a distinct advantage over more than half of the business population, as 55% of Australian local businesses havenât claimed their GBP listing. I know right!?
1. Enhanced online visibility
Google Business Profile allows clients to find your practice based on location via Google Maps. It shows essential details like phone number, address, and reviews, making it easier for clients to connect with you.
2. Improved local SEO
Optimising your GBP improves your local SEO, boosting your chances of appearing in search results when potential patients search for relevant services in your area. It looks at factors like relevance (to the search query), distance from the searchers location, and prominence, which is basically how well youâre known online, liked and trusted, which can be determined by scanning the quality and quantity of reviews, content, connections, directory listings, well optimised websites, podcasts, books, webinars etcâŚ
3. Credibility through reviews
GBP allows patients to leave reviews and ratings. Client reviews provide social proof, building trust and credibility. Google favours businesses with positive reviews, which can also influence new clientsâ decisions. Managing your reviews effectively can provide great opportunities for social proof. Encourage your clients to leave a review by copying the review link and sharing it via an email or place it on your invoice. It not only boosts your authority but also improves your ranking in local search results.
And yes, letâs talk about the elephant in the room. AHPRA compliance in relation to testimonials. As this is a big and relevant topic for all allied health professionals, and to give it the airtime it so rightly deserves. Testimonials and Google Reviews complying with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency will be addressed in its own dedicated blog. This will give you the know-how to confidently use the platform without breaching regulations. Because no one wants that!
Fun fact you may not know ⌠Google Maps is the preferred navigation app for 67% of customers. So not only is Google Search the most popular form of search, but Google Maps is the most popular navigation app. See why you need to be on this platform?
Is it worth the time to keep my profile updated?
Absolutely! Google rewards active profiles. Regular updates, such as adding new services, sharing posts, responding to reviews (where appropriate), and a keyword rich description, signal to Google that your practice is active and engaged. This improves your rankings. Active management of your GBP is a powerful way to stay ahead of competitors who may not be doing the same. And because I love providing you value⌠here are some post and photo ideas for your profile:
What does keyword rich mean?
A keyword is a word or phrase that people use when searching for something online. For example, if someone is looking for a physiotherapist, they might type âphysiotherapist near meâ into Google. âPhysiotherapistâ is the keyword in this case. Keywords help search engines understand what your content is about and show it to the right audience. Using the right keywords in your website, blog, or ad helps people find you, as theyâre looking for services like yours.
Here are some popular sites to help you obtain keywords for SEO:
Google Keyword Planner (itâs free â Itâs connected to Google Ads, but donât worry, you donât need to proceed with the Google Ad Campaign) Itâs best for researching paid keywords and understanding search volume.
Moz Keyword Explorer A great all-around free (try for free for 30 days) tool for keyword research, offering insights on keyword difficulty and SERP (search engine results page) analysis
Semrush A comprehensive tool for keyword research, competitor analysis, and tracking rankings
When youâre typing a query in Google, you may type âexperienced Chiropractor in Balmainâ, but when using a voice search, you are likely to use more of a conversational tone â âHey Google, who is the most experienced Chiro near me, for back pain?â This example demonstrates the use of slang âChiroâ, when spoken, and terms like ânear meâ and âback painâ, that werenât in the typed search example.
So, when optimising your GBP, use your questions and answers section, and do it wisely. Consider the most frequently asked questions your clients ask you. Then consider how they may ask (or better yet, research it, by asking your ideal and existing clients questions). What language do they use? Take note of key questions you receive about your services, this is valuable information.
 Hot Tip: You can add your own questions to the questions and answers section on GBP. You donât need to wait for a member of the public to ask. You can, and should also, answer all questions (with plain language and keywords).
What if my clinic already gets referralsâdo I still need Google Business Profile?
Referrals are crucial, but consider GBP an additional touch point where potential clients verify your reputation. Even those referred to your practice are likely to search for your clinic online, so an optimised GBP reassures them with positive reviews, location accuracy, and updated service offerings. There are changes to the platform all the time, with new features and removed features. For example, if you had a website using this platform, it no longer exists, messaging also gone or going depending on where youâre located.
Can Google Business Profile help increase client bookings?
Yes! An optimised profile allows clients to directly book appointments, call, or visit your website from your listing. With features like the âBook Nowâ button or integration with scheduling platforms, it simplifies the booking process, reducing friction and turning searchers into clients faster. You can post special offers and events here too!
Organic click-through rate is 39.8% in 2024, and paid searches decreased to 1.6 for the first paid position. If youâre wondering what these stats suggest, Iâll help you out⌠basically using keywords and SEO methods, rather than paying per click, is a long-game play which WILL pay off! So, my allied health and wellness founder friends, Google Business Profile is something you should add to your marketing efforts.
Why partner with Versatile Marketing?
Optimising and managing your Google Business Profile may seem overwhelming, but thatâs where we come in. At Versatile Marketing, we specialise in marketing for Allied Health professionals, including AHPRA compliant social media management and GBP optimisation, ensuring your practice gets noticed by the right clients.
Donât miss new opportunities. Let us help you enhance your online presence. Book a free discovery consultation with Deb today. Support Leads to Success.
Follow these 10 growth mindset strategies for small business success
It doesnât matter how skilled you are in your area of expertise, if you get in your own way, you may not be achieving the success you so rightly deserve. You see your mindset actually impacts both yourself and your business positively or negatively. I should knowâŚitâs a battle I win and lose daily.
You see, I know you have made a bunch of sacrifices to create this small business, and of course success is the desired outcome⌠Setting healthy systems in place to support your mindset is advantageous. So while this may sound a bit woo woo to some, hear me out and you may walk away with something that will help your personal mindset and business growth.
1.   Frame challenges as opportunities.
Letâs face it, itâs not business without experiencing some hurdles along the way. However, dwelling on a problem can cause unnecessary stress and actually hamper your productivity. When faced with a challenge, it is important to take a step back, and process it, without acting on your emotions in the first instance. Simply asking âWhat? Where? When? How?â can lead to resolutions to issues and new approaches if faced with it again. If emotional, talk with a business peer for perspective. Remember to frame challenges as opportunities to learn, grow, improve and adjust.
2.  Look for the positive in every situation.
Did you know that our brains are hard-wired to look for threats and focus on them? This survival mechanism served us well eons ago, when we were hunters and gatherers, as there was a real threat of being killed by something or someone. Obviously, our natural instinct did not evolve as quickly as we did. Therefore, maintaining positivity is a daily challenge that requires concentration and attention. Be mindful of staying positive to overcome the brain’s tendency to focus on threats.
The good news is that the old adage “fake it till you make it” can be applied, and soon you will focus on positive things without even trying. If you focus on your vision and practice gratitude for a few minutes a day, that will help.
Vision
Ask yourself what your vision for the year is, your âwhy’, it will naturally lead you in a healthy direction and attract people to you.
Have you read the book âThe Secretâ by Rhonda Byrne? If not, it’s worth a read. Visualisation is one of the most powerful mind exercises you can do.
The law of attraction is forming your entire life experience and it is doing that through your thoughts. When you are visualizing, you are emitting a powerful frequency out into the Universe.
Whether you believe that or not, I suggest you try a vision board, preferably at the start of the year. This will help you through the more challenging times, by looking at your goals, vision, and positive focus areas for your business and personal life.
Gratitude
Practising gratitude is also a powerful growth mindset tool. A simple mantra or daily affirmation can help shift your mindset from a negative or fear based mindset to a more positive outlook.
Here are a few of mine to inspire you:
I have grit and I donât quit
Growth happens when I step out of my comfort zone
I listen to my intuition and trust my inner guide
My mind is full of brilliant ideas
I make a positive difference in the world by simply existing in it
I am enough
Mistakes are an opportunity to grow
I am grateful for the life I am living
I am grateful for every opportunity that comes my way
I am grateful for my mentors, friends, collaborators and supporters
I am grateful for my inspiring clients and being their behind the scenes secret weapon
3.   Seek feedback from people you respect.
Everyone has an opinion, some opinions will help you grow, some will not. So choose someone you respect, like a mentor or peers, to give you feedback, and remember you are not seeking their approval, youâre looking for growth opportunities. Every piece of feedback you receive is an opportunity for growth.
4.   Learn something new every day.
By learning something new every day, it breaks our normal behaviour patterns, gives us a range of perspectives to draw upon, helps us adapt to new situations, feeds innovation, builds confidence, and creates new neural pathways for our brain to grow.
Ralph Waldo Emerson words it beautifully:
Knowledge is when you learn something new every day. Wisdom is when you let something go every day.
Let go of the things that donât serve you, and remember learning is a lifelong journey, not a destination.
5.  Compare yourself to yourself, NOT to others.
The poem Desiderata was stuck on the inside of my bathroom door when I was a child. Since this was a place where you were naturally forced to stop and sit, I read it every day, and I have to say my mum was on something…
There is a line saying:
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”
To this day, I find much comfort in this statement.
To support and encourage others is such a powerful thing. To be inspired by others, to learn from others is too. But when it comes to comparisons, do it with yourself. Where were you one year ago? Where do you want to be in one year, and how do you intend to get there? What worked? What didnât? Track progress, change approach as needed, and celebrate the wins.
6.  Hold yourself to account. Plan, Commit, Do.
Set yourself a SMART goal, place it somewhere you can see regularly, and track your progress. I use a Trello Board and Google Calendar. Be disciplined, the best way to do this is to find a regular time that works for you, and make it achievable. I am currently working on personal fitness goals with a morning walk, while listening to personal growth audio books simultaneously. Two birds with one stone. It’s only for three days a week currently. I will maintain this until it feels natural, and I WANT to do it. Then I will build on it, by adding days. Possibly when Iâm fitter, I could hold some business meetings on the move⌠At this stage, this is unrealistic, as Iâm pretty sure my clients don’t want to hear my unfit heavy breathing on the other end of the phone!
7.  Do the HARD thing first.
How rewarding is that feeling when you action a challenging piece of work, and know itâs an easy street for the rest of the day.
As Mark Twain phrased it:
Eat the frog first.
If you action the biggest and most important task first, there is no opportunity to procrastinate over it later, and youâve set yourself up for success, leading to happy hormones and increased productivity for the remaining work day.
8.  Find a Mentor or join an accountability group or both.
A mentor helps you to identify your strengths, set your goals and strategies to help you grow, and hold you to account, so action occurs.
The same can be said for an accountability group. Peer accountability increases productivity and leads to higher achievement through inspiration, motivation, support and empowerment. An accountability group helps you stay on track, provides different perspectives, which can help innovate, and most importantly, they can celebrate your wins with you.
9.  Avoid shiny object syndrome
Shiny objects are so alluring that we tend to chase them without forward planning, but rather dive straight in. Generally, this leads to loads of unfinished projects, as a new and better idea entices you.
While growth mindset encourages embracing change, shiny object syndrome means you chop and change too often without enough evaluation of benefits, planning and goal setting. Let me give you an example. A review group advised me that an app would be the best thing for my business. Shortly after, Google implemented a new tool to create an appâŚooh so shiny⌠but⌠is this what my customer avatar wants or needs? What value will it add? What would it contribute that my website does not? SoâŚit is currently sitting in the cool ideas bucket, along with many other shiny things, and will remain there until a need arises and an evaluation of benefits proves it’s worthy of implementation.
10. Grow at your own pace.
You are the only person who leads your life, with your distinct circumstances. So to compare yourself to someone elseâs pace is an injustice, especially if it is not motivating, but rather makes you feel inadequate, or that youâre not achieving success. Remember your why and swim in your own lane.
Ultimately, developing a growth mindset will help you to plan for the future and avoid common pitfalls. A growth mindset improves productivity and performance, so you can gain a greater sense of who you are, what you stand for, and where you want to go in business and life.
Versatile Marketing provides outsourced marketing support for small service based businesses. Book in a discovery call today, to learn how we can support your business towards success.
Do you want to use blogging as part of your small businessâ marketing strategy, but unsure where to start and how to blog effectively?
Here are 3 hot tips to improve your small business blog. So you too can share your brands, services, knowledge and skills in an informative way, while optimising your visibility across various platforms.
First letâs discuss â Why blog?
Itâs proven that marketers who prioritize blogging efforts are 13x more likely to see positive ROI. Thatâs a big deal.
There are some key benefits of blogging:
1) Blogging is important in business to engage with customers on a personal level. Blogging is an inbound marketing method that builds a long-lasting relationship and a loyal customer base. People buy from people, and they need to know like and trust you before they will do this.
2) It builds your brand, helping you to position yourself as an industry influencer, while creating key pieces of content for your business, addressing customers frequently asked questions, pain points and demonstrating your unique value proposition.
3)Â It improves your search engine optimisation (SEO) â This simply means it increases your chances of organically (not using paid advertising) being seen in search engines like Google.
TIP 1 â Know your business mission/vision.
Do you have a crystal clear vision of why youâre in business? How you operate and present the brand? And who you want to do business with? If you answered âyesâ to this question, fabulous! If not, then itâs likely you need to write or re-write your mission statement. But what has this got to do with blogging?
Your mission statement can offer inspiration and guidance for your businessâs content and brand voice. It communicates the direction and values of your organisation. Clear and inspired mission statements communicate to customers, investors and employees the solution you will provide to them by identifying the problem you solve.
Letâs look at a couple of examples.
IKEA
Our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. The Brand states âour business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.
There is no uncertainty who IKEAâs audience is, nor the problem they solve for their customers. I mean⌠who here doesnât own a piece of Ikea furniture? Their blogs can address sustainability, design, who the designers are, feng shui, product benefits and so much more.
VERSATILE MARKETING
Our mission is to provide caring, flexible and customised virtual business management and outsourced marketing support services to established small to medium business owners. We offer our clients a collaborative, behind the scenes secret weapon, providing the trust, structure, tools, and expertise that allows business owners to confidently outsource their work. We do this to create the space for our clients to increase productivity, reduce overwhelm and scale their business.
Before I plan out my content for the next quarter, and before I write the blog I ask myself one question⌠How does this help my audience/customer avatar?
I look to my mission which addresses my customer avatars pain points:
Do they feel they can confidently outsource?
How can they increase their productivity?
How do we help to reduce the feeling of overwhelm?
What can we do to help to scale their business?
Does the tone show care, demonstrate trust, look structured and share useful tools and expertise?
If I answered YES to any of these, then the blog is aligned to the business mission. By addressing my audienceâs needs and pain points, Iâm providing them with a solution, and hopefully information valuable to them. The blog will also reveal my business brand and unique value proposition (with hope!).
TIP 2 â Dedicate time to blog.
Did you know that according to WordPress, nearly 409 million people view more than 20 billion web pages each month? So clearly blogging is a clever and relatively inexpensive marketing tool, which helps level up small business in the online world.
But a successful blogging requires time, commitment to blog consistently, and some strategic planning. According to a survey of more than a thousand bloggers, a typical blog post takes nearly four hours to create.
As a blog takes some strategic planning, itâs important to allocate and block out time in your calendar to draft blogs with purpose. Thereâs no point writing a sub-standard piece of prose to keep your web page current⌠it needs to be useful, well written and speaking directly to your audience.
Or if you have no time to allocate a minimum of 4 hours a month, then consider outsourcing your blogging. We would love to assist you!
TIP 3 â Consider the blog structure.
They say âcontent is Kingâ, which is fair, it IS important, but you donât want to let it down by having it be too text heavy. Readers absorb content quickly these days, if it doesnât capture their attention with a catchy heading, and easy to digest content, it doesnât matter how amazing the content is, it will not be consumed. So you donât just need the king, but the whole royal family!
The aim is to make it as easy to read as possible. Here are some ways to do this:
1.  How easy is it to read?
Did you know itâs best to write at an 8th grade reading level? Leave out the jargon, abbreviations, complicated words and long sentences. Writing a blog at a simple reading level isnât to insult anyoneâs intelligence, it simply helps make your point quickly, efficiently, and effectively. I use the Hemingwayapp, which is free, to ensure my writing isnât a challenge to read.
2. How visually engaging is the post?
There are several ways to make your blog visually engaging and easy to read, here are a few:
Images We read with our eyes first, so we tend to look at images before we read the text. A feature image is vital â it will be the visual that will be seen on your website before someone clicks into your blog, or on socials and other platforms. For WordPress, the optimal featured image size is 1200 x 628 pixels. Consider adding high quality, clean and simple, consistently sized images every 400 words or so, into your blog. Ensure the image supports the written content. The image should have a purpose and add to the written content. Ensure the images are consistently sized. Consider an infographic, or a picture enhancing the tone or feeling youâre talking about. Compress the images to optimise SEO and name them with keywords and descriptive titles.
Headings Are you put off by big blocks of text? If you answered âyesâ, youâre not alone. Short paragraphs, separated by headings are easy to digest. So break them up with headings and sub-headings.Heading 1 is for your blog post title. Heading 2 for the next sub-heading. Then if you nest other sub-headings under that, youâd use Heading 3 and so on. This not only helps with readability, but with SEO.
Lists and bullet points By breaking your content into lists or bullet points, they become easier to digest, creating more white space on the page. This blog is a case in point â pun intended.
Links and statistics By placing inbound hyperlinks to your blog, it adds diversity to the text. What I mean by that is; firstly, a hyperlink is a different colour on the page, so visually it will draw the reader in. More than that, someone can read further on a particular topic that interests them by following the link to either another blog post or page on your website, or to a third party site.You can see in this blog post, when I reference statistics, there is a link to the source. This is polite, and ethically the right approach to acknowledge your sources. It also adds credibility and shows your audience that you refer to other industry leaders and information relevant to the topic.
When youâre writing your blog, or outsourcing it, itâs important to remember that blog writing isnât simply putting words on a page. Thereâs actually a lot to consider when planning content and drafting a blog. We didnât even really touch on the importance of SEO. So prepare your time accordingly, write the content so itâs easy to digest and relevant to your service offerings, while adding value to your existing and potential customers. Blogging is an awesome way to build trust with your target audience, and increase your visibility.
Looking for someone to plan content and write your blogs for you?
Deb and her team at Versatile Marketing support small service-based Allied Health and Wellness businesses with copywriting and outsourced marketing support. Book in a complimentary consultation today, so we can become your behind the scenes secret weapon.
Why you need a service agreement in your business toolkit
Youâve landed a new client and excited to get stuck into providing your awesome service. As a business owner, itâs tempting to forget formalities of service contracts, and seal a deal with a simple handshake, to get on with the work. After all time is money.
Yet, it only takes a slight misunderstanding or miscommunication for a healthy business arrangement to go sour. This is not beneficial for either party. Consider the impact to your business brand. A client service agreement is an important legal document, which defines the business relationship, reducing uncertainty and providing protection between your business and its clients.
As a law graduate who previously worked as a National Contracts Manager, this topic is something Iâm passionate about sharing with you. Having the foundations of your business firmly grounded (like your standard operating procedures, business plan and contracts), will allow you to confidently scale and communicate effectively and with ease.
Often people donât formalise agreements because of the perception that legal contracts are expensive and confusing to understand.
So, this blog will explain not only why itâs prudent business practice to have a service contract, but also how you can obtain one for your business, with the ease and at low cost.
How I met Michelle?
When I first started my Virtual Assistant business and drafted my service contract, I wanted a virtual lawyer to review it for me, I wanted someone who genuinely cared about customers as much as I did. I was also looking for someone who had strong ethics, and who didnât want to confuse the âlayâ person with complicated unnecessary legalese. A business owner friend suggested I contact Michelle.
Iâm so glad I did. Michelle Whitehead (who amongst other talents is a Lawyer who graduated with first class honors, offered a simple and fast turnaround for my contract review. I further engaged her to advise me around a new interstate client concerning some primary contract terms. I became so impressed by Michelleâs service, I decided to become an affiliate for her contracts that care. She is my only affiliate to date as I do not choose affiliates lightly.
I interviewed Michelle to share with you some insights around legal contracts. Some watch outs and why contracts are a necessity for businesses of all sizes.
Why do small business owners need service contracts as part of their business toolkit?
âThe more clarity and certainty you provide for your clients and those you work with, and the firmer your borders are â in writing, with their signature or acknowledgement that they have read it â the less likely people are to question it, push the boundaries, or try to argue their way out of agreed commitments.
By giving them a contract, you have empowered them to take responsibility for the obligations they have agreed to. It also strongly sets your intentions (visualising the clients you want to work with), so you attract clients who respect those boundaries! There are four situations where I think a client agreement is a necessity â and this goes for pretty much every type of client relationship:
where there is a lot of money invested in the transaction
when a lot of time is invested in the transaction
where thereâs a significant risk of harm to the client if misunderstandings arise (personal, physical, financial, emotional); or
where having a client agreement would make either of you feel more comfortable.â
What are some risks by not having contracts in place?
Michelle explains:
âYour contract gives your clients certainty, so they know what to expect. Without one, there is more likelihood that they will feel anxious about working with you.
If you donât have important policies (such as your payment terms, refund policy, cancellation policy, missed and late appointmentsâ policy) clearly spelled out and provided to your clients in advance, you wonât be able to rely on them or enforce them when things donât go according to plan.
If your contract doesnât set out what you are responsible for and where your responsibility ends, you risk having to deal with scope creep, where your clients keep expecting more and more from you, and you risk liability for foreseeable dangers that they need to be warned about, so they can make informed decisions. Intellectual property ownership and confidentiality requirements can have far-reaching commercial consequences if not dealt with and agreed on upfront.
Finally, if your contract doesnât have a strong alternative dispute resolution strategy, you risk being sued when thereâs a problem, instead of keeping court action as a last resort in case you canât work things out between you after making a genuine effort to do so.â
How can I get some assistance with setting up service agreements?
âTo ensure all Australian business owners have access to professional documents, Iâve created a range of affordable DIY options for many commonly used legal documents and Iâm creating more all the time. These are not generic one-size-fits-all templates. They are comprehensive worksheets that walk you step by step through the process of writing your own legal documents from scratch. If youâre not confident in your ability to get this done, I offer a range of accountability and editorial support services to make sure you can cross this important task off your to-do list.â
Why did you create Contracts that Care�
âI created my Contracts that Care⢠DIY Packs to meet the needs of intelligent, creative entrepreneurs. These businesswomen and men wanted to give their clients the certainty and confidence that comes from strong boundaries and solid foundations. But they did not want to tie them up with barbed wire. I wanted to create highly customisable documents that would be suitable for diverse businesses that did not fit in traditional boxes, and that would allow my clients to take ownership of their legals, instead of feeling alienated from them.â
What makes your contracts stand out from the rest?
âThrough my DIY Packs (and in my custom drafting work) I prioritise writing contracts in language that feels natural and comfortable â the same language that my clients use for their marketing â so their clients are more likely to read and understand them.
My aim is to support my clients in creating contracts that come from the heart of their business and which do such a good job of managing the relationship between my clients and their clients that misunderstandings and problems are less likely to eventuate.
My clients often tell me how much they love their contracts, which is not something lawyers often hear. My DIY Packs are also unique in that, instead of being one-size-fits-all templates, they are questionnaire worksheets which guide you through every step of the contract creation process. In addition, I provide a range of support services, from the free 1-hour Accountability Action Session that comes with every DIY Pack, to my Review, Done for You and VIP upgrades.â
So, if your business is lacking the safety of a well drafted, client service agreement or possibly a different type of contract, like Website T&Cs, Privacy Policy, & sub-contract agreement, then donât delay.
Manage priorities, not time.
Larry Winget.
HOT TIPÂ â Michelleâs DIY contracts will be going up in price in the new financial year. Save yourself more than once by clicking this link. If you purchase a DIY pack (without navigating out) you will be supporting my small business, at no additional cost to you. From me to you, a big thank you in advance.
Do you want to get your business out of your head?
Regardless of the size of your business, standard operating procedures are an essential ingredient for successful outcomes. SOPs make running a business simpler for all involved, from contractors and staff to directors and government bodies, and most importantly clients/customers. They assist with providing quality, productive, consistent outcomes, efficient work practices, and training materials or friendly reminders to the small business owner juggling multiple tasks. They are a key ingredient to help scale your business.
So letâs look deeper into the what, when and why when it comes to creating SOPs.
What are Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)?
I mentioned that every business needs an SOP. And yes, itâs true. But what exactly is an SOP and why do you need one? An SOP is essentially a step-by-step guide for executing recurring tasks in your business.
It specifies when, how and why you do a particular function in your business. E.g how to perform a particular process, or how a system is to be used.
Examples of Standard Operating Procedures
For a small business SOPs might cover areas like:
New customer/client onboarding:Â This will show the steps you take to bring on board a new customer/client.
Updating your website: Branding guidelines, steps for uploading information, links, videos and photos, programs integrations, updates, changes to company policy or public notices to customers/clients, compliance updates etc.
Sales calls:Â a guide to handling the tricky sales calls
Invoicing and bookkeeping:Â steps from sending an invoice and the variables in pricing, to receipting payments, entering customers into the financial management system, reconciling accounts, and running reports.
Blog management:Â Instructions on how or where to draft the post, searching for keywords, posting on your website, style and format of posting, frequency and time of posting, how to promote new blog posts
Once you have a collection of procedures for different business activities, you could compile them into a user manual for yourself or any contractor or employee you bring into the business to handle specific business functions.
7 Benefits of Standard Operating Procedures
As a small business, following standardised operating procedures can save you time and allow you (and your team) to be more productive. They reduce errors, and improve compliance with industry guidelines. Here are 7 reasons why every small business should have SOPs:
1. Setting standards and structure within your business
A successful business can act quickly on leads and opportunities, this can be done effectively if the relevant operational information is easily locatable, relatable and transferable.
2. Reducing error rate
Having a documented procedure provides a brilliant level of quality control. There is no ambiguity or creative divergence, a simple and concise process to follow. Train new employees or Virtual Assistants and other contractors knowing that a consistent approach will be followed.
3. Saving time
We all want our businesses to operate smoothly, and Iâm not going to lie, SOPs take time to implement. This time, often many small business owners struggle to allocate. However, it can be done gradually, as you are doing the work, document as you go. Consider it a short-term time investment, for a long term gain. If left undocumented, your stress levels and time wasted trying to find how you wrote a particular sales pitch, or where you saved that file you urgently need, will continually hold you back from structure, efficiency, clarity and growth.
4. Preparing for delegating / outsourcing
Once youâve drafted and tested your SOP, you can outsource work to a virtual assistant with ease. Or write that job description with clarity about the core tasks and skills required for the role. Outsourcing frees you up to go on that holiday youâve been planning, or to do the higher level tasks to build the business.
5. Assisting with training
If you have a written SOP manual it can be used as a tool to help train and onboard VAâs, or a new employee. It will ensure consistency, and provide a starting point to introduce the business. It also serves as a reference tool when the information overload hits. While making it clearer where the responsibilities for each task lies.
6. Supporting high level customer service
Your customers/clients wonât see your SOPs, but theyâll certainly benefit from, and feel the positive impacts of you following them. They ensure each team member has clarity around expected outcomes. Customer service like ending with a positive phrase at the end of a phone call e.g. âThankyou, for calling, is there anything else we can do for you today?â Or possibly its following an internal escalation process, to ensure the right person is handling the level of customer interaction, suitable to their role.
7. Leading a path to regular reviews, efficiencies and continuous improvement
By systemising or documenting your processes, you can then visually see where they fit together. This will likely lead to streamlining any processes which may overlap or seem superfluous. It may highlight areas where automation can replace repeated tasks. Because after all, maximising efficiency within your business is a genius move.
How do you document Standard Operating Procedures?
There are various ways you can document SOPs:
From formal templates, with document registers
Video demonstrating a process
Steps in a checklist on a program like Trello
Another option is to ask your VA to type the processes piecemeal as you are training/providing processes to them.
When it comes to documenting, no one size fits all. Find what works best for your business systems and resources.
To start you off, Iâve added a link to a free template you can use at the bottom of this blog. Feel free to adapt it and make it your own. I use this template with links to processes (e.g. on-boarding, marketing, blog writing, website etc) stored in Trello.
TOP TIP:  Ensure consistency with your procedures. Font size, H1,H2, colours etc⌠This will (with hope) become your business handbook, and once all compiled, youâll want it to appear uniform and professional.
When and where to start?
Thereâs no time like the present! Why not start writing your SOPs next time you do the actual task?
The other option is to start with the processes which you dislike the most, or the processes which take the most amount of your time, or are not frequently used but challenging or hard to remember. Simply open the template supplied below and start recording your processes. Save it to your SOP library. This is the beginning of your handbook or manual. Itâs prudent to get someone else to test it and provide feedback. Update as required, and review every 6-12 months.
By documenting your processes and procedures, not only will a weight lift, as you start paying yourself forward. Youâll be more organised, reduce errors, make brilliant use of your time, be able to outsource or delegate and scale effectively, therefore increasing profitability and productivity. Sounds great doesnât it?
If youâd like to talk about preparing your business to outsource, planning out your socials and blogs or if youâre ready to outsource your digital content marketing or administration, please feel free to contact Deb for an obligation free consultation.
The five biggest privacy pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
Why is it so important to have a digital presence?
Well, for starters, in this financial climate, weâre all looking for the best return for least investment, and GBP has you covered here â itâs free! And you will have a distinct advantage over more than half of the business population, as 55% of Australian local businesses havenât claimed their GBP listing. I know right!?
Here are some popular sites to help you obtain keywords for SEO:
Set yourself a SMART goal, place it somewhere you can see regularly, and track your progress. I use a 
TIP 2 â Dedicate time to blog.
What are some risks by not having contracts in place?
