B2B relationships can often be fleeting, even transient. But not at VIPS International – the business is continuing to go from strength to strength, with an impressive history of client retention. 

The Australian company boasts big-name clients including retail household names Estee Lauder, Nestle, Sportsgirl and Sussan, who have all been partnering with VIPS International for at least a decade.

Since taking over the company in the 1990s, executive director Douglas Dick has turned the business around, expanding to South Africa and New Zealand in recent years.

Stress is common, yet it is seldom given the recognition that it deserves. Research has proven that 70 per cent of stress injury claims were directly caused by workplace relations. Often people do not even realise that they are stressed, as the signs vary amongst individuals and can be difficult to determine. 

Are you out of emotional balance? If you are experiencing a period of change in your life, or feeling under pressure, listen to your body to determine if there are any irregularities that you have noticed.

Even if you acknowledge that you are stressed, you cannot mentally block it out. Your body is clever and it turns stress from an emotional reaction to a physical problem. To individuals, stress can be seen as a heightened state of emotion while, to doctors, it can be any combination of anxiety, mood changes and low energy levels. Therefore, it is important to seek a professional diagnosis and avoid the temptation to self-diagnose.

There are some key symptoms and behaviours that suggest you are out of emotional balance and may need to take treatment-focused steps.

Sleep problems are a clear sign of stress and chronic sleep deprivation is a serious health issue. Early morning wakening can be linked to depression, while the inability to fall asleep, is often linked to anxiety.

Stress and anxiety can also lead to changes in behaviour such as a loss of libido and greater reliance on alcohol or recreational drugs to lift moods and relax. In addition, an increase of risky behavior, including gambling, binge drinking and sexual promiscuity are signs of amplified stress levels. High levels of stress can deplete the immune system which increases the frequency of colds and flus, particularly during the colder months.

The first and most important step is to exclude high blood pressure. It is a common misconception that anxiety and stress can cause high blood pressure when the truth is, that high blood pressure (which is usually hereditary) can cause feelings of stress. If untreated, high blood pressure significantly increases risk of strokes and heart disease.

Type 2 diabetes is another ailment which may go undetected with symptoms that appear similar to stress, causing mood changes, irritability and tiredness.

While stress can be crippling, there are some simple measures that can be introduced to your daily routine to help to improve your sense of inner balance and cope with emotional stress. An increase in aerobic exercise (a minimum of 20 minutes of sustained exercise such as walking, biking or swimming) is the most potent and effective stress reliever. It provides the added benefits of lowering blood pressure, weight, glucose and cholesterol levels, as well as boosting natural endorphins. Activities such as meditation or yoga can relieve inner tensions, while also building overall strength, both mentally and physically.

Through improved sleep hygiene, the potential for a restful night significantly improves. Alcohol and recreational drug intake affects the quality of your sleep and may impact upon your emotional state.

Pressures from family, work and finances have the tendency to cause stress for us all. However it is the way in which you respond to stress that is important. The most critical step is to listen to your body and recognise that stress is a normal human reaction to life’s challenges and it is ok to ask for help. The best place to start is your local GP.

With medical knowledge spanning more than 30 years, Dr Michael Olenski specialises in preventative medicine and early disease diagnosis at Iris Medical. He has practiced as a general practitioner since 1984, taking on a preventative approach to medicine over the past 10 years. In addition to working in a medical practice, Dr Olenski has also previously hosted a national medical talkback program on Triple M in 1993, winning an award from the AIDS Council of Victoria for his interview with an AIDS patient. He is also currently the backstage doctor for international performing artists at Melbourne’s top venues including the MCG, Rod Laver Arena, AAMI Stadium, Etihad Stadium, Palais Theatre and Festival Hall.

This story originally appeared in the Dec 2012/Jan 2013 edition of Australian Business Solutions magazine.

Founded in 1982, thirty years of solid industry experience has seen freight forwarding company VISA Global Logistics catapult from strength to strength. 

Opening doors with the primary focus to ship containers from Italy to Australia, the company is now one of Australia’s largest privately-owned international freight forwarding firms.

Today, as the name suggests, VISA Global Logistics delivers fully-integrated solutions in global freight forwarding, customs brokerage, smart parcels, warehousing and transport & distribution services. 

From the Italy to Australia trade route of yesteryear, the company’s network has grown, today spanning a well-established worldwide market in Australia, Europe, Asia and the US.

A crucial element to the success of any business is to ensure your team stays engaged and driven to achieve. Without good people, you will likely have no business. You need to be on top of your game!

Incorporating the franchises Mr. Whippy, Cold Rock, Pretzel World and Nut Shack, the Franchised Food Company CEO’s experience across business in general and the franchise sector in particular, is extensive. Stan has a deep appreciation for the challenges with which employers can be faced in providing and maintaining a desirable workplace for staff.

The savvy South African born, Australian entrepreneur offers these top tips on how to get the best out of your employees, and reminds us that most of the time… it’s the little things that count.

Becoming an architect was a childhood dream come true for Melbourne designer Amnon Weber. While most children were dreaming of becoming firemen, superheroes or football players, he found himself constantly penning houses and buildings in his spare time.

Twenty years later, Mr Weber heads his own award-winning architecture and design firm, specialising in utilising cutting-edge technology for high-end residential and commercial projects. He still thinks back fondly on his high school days where he would put pen to paper and sketch out drawings.

Melbourne entrepreneur Nathan Krake may be surrounded by high-tech equipment and IT software all day, but doesn’t see himself as a member of the technology industry.

The director of The Right IT provides technology solutions for small to medium-sized businesses and has trained his staff into recognising that the customer is always number one.

Owning an overseas property has been made easier thanks to one-of-a-kind Melbourne lending firm Loans USA.

The Sandringham-based company was founded by entrepreneur Stephen McClatchie in 2010, supplementing multi-property investment lending firm Loans Australia.

Loans USA provides finance options for purchasing American properties, which are now increasingly affordable after a dramatic drop in the US market.

Overworked corporate men don’t look after themselves as they should. Jonathan Jackson spoke with Dr Michael Olenski to find out what men should be doing to maintain their health.

It would seem that health takes a back seat to business. It’s not something that any man should be proud of; if anything, health should come before corporate takeovers, boardroom meetings and profit margins. Healthy life, healthy business, isn’t that how it goes? So the question is, if senior executives are responsible for the health of the companies they work in and every part of the organisation undergoes stringent analysis, checks and evaluation to ensure that it is working at its optimum performance level, why are men not paying the same attention to your health?

Dr Michael Olenski has dedicated his practice to helping men understand the importance of regular health checks.

As the chief operating office of a small business, eB2Bcom’s Adam Neale is highly familiar with the challenges facing entrepreneurs in this day and age.

The Melbourne-headquartered software master reseller works with innovative software vendors from around the world, meaning that they are also dealing with fellow business starters who are seeking to pave their way in the industry.

“We’re best-described as a value-added distributor of specialist IT products or software and are primarily focused on identity management and security solutions,” Neale said.

en∙tre∙pre∙neur
A person who organizes and manages any enterprise,especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

The term “entrepreneur” has existed since the 1700s and was coined by Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Since then, thousands of people have started off on their own and turned their small start-up into a success story. While their backgrounds and types of businesses differ vastly, all successful entrepreneur share a number of characteristics and commonalities.