“SEVEN seconds. Then, if you are lucky, another 30 seconds.” That is all the time you have to grab the attention of a potential investor, so make your pitch count.

The national chair of The Executive Connection, Jerry Kleeman, says you can catch someone's attention with a seven-second taste, move in with a 30-second pitch before your full six-minute presentation - as long as you're receiving the right signals.

"As long as you are getting that 'tell me more', you can go into more detail," he says.

Brisbane Angels founder and chair John Mactaggart says the brevity of a pitch works for both parties.

"You're not going to close the deal in the first 30 seconds but you have got to introduce the deal with a lot of enthusiasm," he says.

"Just don't take too much time. If someone says they have half an hour, they have half an hour, no more. Value that person's time."

Investor Kerwin Rae says a pitch is a taste-test - not a buffet.

"A good 'elevator pitch' is about knowing how to plant seeds in short conversations that have people wanting to know more," he says.

"Save the big talk and stories for the next meeting. This is about whetting the appetite and generating interest."

Here are four important things to remember when preparing your presentation:

What's in a pitch?

Your first option should grab attention or qualify interest.

"They really need to cover the issue, their solution and they need to get across the fact that it's a deal (investment deal)," Mactaggart says.

Your six-minute formal pitch is the whole shebang, building on your 30-second pitch.

Explain the problem you are solving, how you will fund your solution, reveal your team and their experience, risks and their management, how much money you are seeking and how you will use it to advance the business. And, of course, outline your time frames and what is in it for investors.

"Most people try to sell us a product like a customer ... We are not going to buy the product - you have to sell us on why other people will buy the product," Mactaggart says.

Investors simply need to know how they will make their money, he says.

Hitting the mark

Even the best pitch can miss if it is aimed at the wrong person, Rae says.

Ask questions to identify a person's interests that might be played upon, but always watch.

"Body language, people leaning in, seeking eye contact, nodding, curiosity, questions people wanting to know more is always a great indicator of hitting the spot," Rae says.

"The key is being able to elicit these responses in two to three minutes and in a way that leaves people saying to themselves 'I need to speak to this person again'."

Practise, practise, practise

The Executive Connection's Kleeman says people need to practise their pitch so it is brief but still powerful.

"It has to be genuine and they have to believe it," he says."But they have to practise - over and over and over and over again until they feel really comfortable with it."

Time and place

Mactaggart says business owners need to recognise that their targets aren't always "on", or open to a pitch.

"If I am giving a talk to a group of entrepreneurs or at some networking event, I'm not there to be pitched at," he says.But don't expect potential investors to tell you where you have gone wrong, he says. "We don't have that much time to go through mentoring."

Here at H&Y are continually drumming in the virtues of a proper online strategy to our clients. Even a simple stategy and outline is better than just throwing up a website. It seems that far too many businesses are not doing this:

AN INCREASE in the number of businesses running their own websites in the past three months has not been matched by online activity, a new survey has found.

Software provider MYOB in its July business monitor found that the proportion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a website has risen slightly to 38 per cent, compared with 36 per cent in March.

However, the survey of 1004 SME operators found that those using online transactions, email marketing and social media declined to 24 per cent, down from 31 per cent.

"The decline in popularity of online business activities was completely unexpected, particularly that of online marketing and social media," MYOB chief executive Tim Reed said.

He said many social media tools, such as basic LinkedIn, were free and can be used to raise the profile of a business and to communicate with customers.

However, 37 per cent of those businesses with a website reported an increase in customer leads, and 34 per cent said it improved their customer interaction.

A third said they enjoyed a better conversion from these leads to sales, with 32 per cent increasing their revenue as a result, and 30 per cent saying it enabled them to compete more effectively.

"With Australia's internet audience reaching 16.2 million in May 2012 it surprises me that so many business operators have not yet realised the value of having a simple website containing their contact details," Mr Reed said.

"Websites are a great way to attract new customers and to keep existing customers loyal, which can only have a positive effect on cashflow."

It is not surprising to see that recent survey found that business owners are increasingly turning to their own resources or friends and family to fund their business.

A CPA Australia survey found 45 per cent of businesses wanted cash, and 40 per cent of those were looking to fund growth - and friends, family and personal resources headed the list for financing options.

But there may be another way for growing businesses.

Big bucks

If you are chasing the big bucks and have your growth plans pegged out, Australia's private equity community just might be interested.

Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association Limited chief executive Katherine Woodthorpe says managed funds are looking for tech-based investments with a three to five-year turnaround.

Of course there is a trade-off. The fund is likely to take a 40 per cent stake in your company and demand board seats to both safeguard and contribute to its investment.

But Woodthorpe says businesses need to put more work into their business models to attract funds - and they need to be persistent.

"They should ask why they were rejected and ask whether it is the sales price, the product or the budget," she says.

"So they should ask 'what's wrong with me', and not 'what's wrong with them'."

Big names

Australia still has a limited industry-based venture capital industry but there are three big names solidly in the playing field: Telstra, Optus and Lendlease Ventures.

Lendlease runs a $100 million fund looking for cleantech ventures seeking to commercialise their technology.

Optus and SingTel last week announced the first start-ups for the Innov8 Seed program. It invests up to $250,000 each for companies with mobile and digital offerings - also offering a fast line to SingTel's 445 million mobile customers.

Telstra has similarly aligned its $50 million venture capital division with technologies which offer mobile and digital potential.

Sent from heaven

Finding your wealthy Australian benefactor can be a hit-and-miss affair.

Look for successful entrepreneurs in your field who may have spare cash and knowledge to invest in a new business or informal "matching" services such as the Australian Investment Network or the Australian Small Scale Offerings Board that aim to link investors and entrepreneurs.

Alternatively, you may wish to tap into Australia's growing Angel Investor network.

Chief executive of the Australian Association of Angel Investors, Ruth Drinkwater, says the strength of angels remains their expertise.

Most will look for investments in their geographic area (organisations tend to be city-based and are listed on the AAAI website), moving beyond the boundaries only if there is a strong personal link with the entrepreneur.

But investors are looking for the same thing, she says: a good concept, a good solution, a good product that solves a problem, something that is scalable with customers willing to pay for it.

Even a rejected pitch can be of value, she says.

"A good angel investor will give you good and constructive feedback," she says.

Remember, the consultants at H&Y have years of experience finding investment for our business clients and know what the process is, and what is required. Contact us if you would like to know more.

“The Australian Human Resources Institute says people leave because they are bored in 34 per cent of cases, a lack of promotion (32 per cent), poor pay (27 per cent) and poor work-life balance (25 per cent)”, News Ltd reports.

This leads to the list of seven things SME’s can look at to improve staff retention:

Close to home

Allsop says people may opt for a smaller business, and even take a smaller pay packet, if it saves time commuting.

Less commuting means more time with family and friends - not to mention public transport and car maintenance savings.

Work-life balance

The phrase is overdone but Allsop says there is no doubt employment decisions are made on the basis of people trying to maintain a job, study, lifestyle and family. With more women likely to be in the workforce, and the expectation that the man of the house will contribute to family life, downshifting is not unusual.

Flexibility

Another appealing aspect of the smaller businesses is more flexibility. Smaller businesses mean less protocols, quicker decisions and a greater flexibility with work hours.

Recognition

You may be just a cog in a wheel in a big business but have a very real role to play in a small business, Allsop says.

The onus is then on the business owner to make sure their employees know they are valued - and plan to step back and allow their most capable workers to grow.

The head of business strategy consultancy Acorro, John Downes, says this can be an indicator of loyalty.

He says many of his small business clients hand out movie tickets, shout staff to sporting events and throw barbecues to keep staff happy.

Feel good

It might be environmentally sustainable, socially motivated or philanthropic. Staff might turn their back on a bigger pay packet if they share the passion.

Career paths

Allsop says some smaller businesses offer opportunities for career advancement and potentially a shareholding or ownership of the business - a move also likely to benefit owners looking for a way out.

"Several people within my network sold their businesses to employees or bought their bosses out," he says.

Communicate well

A 2009 survey by the Australian Human Resources Institute found 60 per cent of employers saw improved retention by improving their induction program. And while higher pay was used in 43 per cent of cases to keep good people, it was outweighed by training (54 per cent) and improved employee communications (58 per cent).

Downes says good business leaders communicate the strategy and objectives of the business to their workers.

"Staff need to feel that they are part of the journey, valued to participate in the future of the business, that there is a grand plan (or any plan) and that their faith in the employer is warranted to stick around for," he says.

Aim to retain best workers

The Herald Sun has reported that its own traditional revenue outlook is bleak.

ONLINE consumer spending is expected to be the biggest revenue driver for Australia's media sector over the next five years, overtaking advertising by a factor of three.

PricewaterhouseCoopers' annual Outlook report, released today, forecasts consumer spending will jump from $18.95 billion in 2011 to $24.1 billion in 2016, an annual average growth rate of 4.9 per cent.

Internet businesses, including media companies' online offerings, are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries, almost doubling from $6.4 billion of consumer spending to $10.2 billion.

The sector is also expected to boast an annual growth rate of 12 per cent for its advertising revenue as it grows from $2.6 billion to $4.7 billion.

The report canvasses the broad spectrum of global media, including books, magazines, films, interactive games, music, internet and subscription television.

It comes as advertising revenues are down across traditional media, with Seven West Media embarking on a $444 million capital raising and Network Ten going to investors for $200 million to compensate.

"In the face of sweeping change and uncertainty, the E&M (entertainment and media) industry has spent the past few years seeking effective business and operating models for the new world, through a cycle of constant experimentation, ongoing innovation and targeted analysis of the results," it says. The report says the rise of consumer spending also stresses the need for quality content most at risk if not regulated.

"As the bedrock of advertising and consumer revenues, content cannot be taken for granted," PwC technology, information, communications and entertainment leader David Wiadrowski said.

This is a point often missed by online start-ups. Content is still king, and your users should not be taken for granted.

MGI Boyd principal Sue Prestney says small businesses often presume people are contractors and not employees - a presumption often pierced by the tax office.

"Contractors are driving them nuts," she says. "People may think they're a contractor if they have an ABN but they may be sitting in the office, accepting instructions and acting as an employee. You still have obligations for payroll tax, workcover and super."

She says businesses should review the people contributing to the business. Common law may declare a person to be an independent contractor but legislation may require superannuation payments be made if their contract is wholly or principally for their labour and they are not paid to achieve a particular result.

A discretion as to working hours may take a person outside the common law definition but super must still be paid.

Prestney says some areas should always ring alarm bells - the use of trusts, times when personal drawings exceed available profits and personal items that may fall within Division 7A requirements. The answer - put yourself to an audit to see how you cope.

The onus is on the employer to get this right, so I you are employing contractors make sure the arangement is structured correctly.