Why Scalability Matters For Your Business

Businesses need to be scalable. Without having the ability to adapt to a changing market, a business will remain stagnant and have limited opportunities for growth. Implementing a scalable business model is important and can be done to any business. One of the first steps to achieve this is to employ a flexible workforce. foundU offers your business a scalable workforce with skilled staff when and where you need it.

Scalability is the ability of a business to quickly grow without being constrained by its current structure and resources. Forbes simply describes scalability as the potential of your business to multiply revenue with minimal incremental cost.

Businesses should consider two important terms; the geographic and the load scalability of the company. Geographic scalability refers to the business being able to move into new areas and find new opportunities.

Load scalability refers to a business being able to easily expand and contract its resource pool to accommodate heavier or lighter loads during busy or quite times. Alternatively, the ease with which a system or component can be modified, added, or removed, to accommodate changing market demands.

Why is it important for your business?

Some of the key benefits of having a scalable business are:

• The ability to grow profit margins or maintain them as the business responds to demand with reduced risk. Businesses need only to invest when demand is high and reduce staff levels when demand falls.
• A scalable business attracts investors as they can see the apparent potential for growth. Investors want to know a company can grow quickly, with minimal outlay and risk and has procedures in place to do so.
• A well-structured scalable company has the ability to implement automation and technology to reduce staffing costs and lead times.

How can foundU help?

foundU offers your business a completely scalable staffing solution. Have staff on jobs only when you need them, allowing you to minimise overheads and maximise profit. We bill in a one all-inclusive invoice which saves your company time and administration.

foundU can have staff working in less than 24-hours on your job and in your area. With the benefits of having a scalable business obvious, join foundU and start expanding. Be confident that you have on-call, quality staff when you need them.

Australian Trade Shortage

Australia has a trade shortage. The recently released Housing Industry Association (HIA) Trades Report says Australian construction businesses need more staff and more skilled tradesman.

The report highlighted that the HIA Trade Availability Index is negative at -0.02, this means there is a degree of undersupply in the labour market. While it has risen from 2013, -0.02 still represents a substantial undersupply.

Most states had an undersupply of labour. With the recent rise in construction projects, Brisbane has joined the list of those needing more staff.

While there is a shortage of staff in the labour market, there is a national shortage of skilled tradesman in nearly every area. The report particularly noted shortages in bricklaying, tiling, plastering, roofing and carpentry.

The Master Builders Association conducted a more general survey in July this year that found labourers had become more difficult to source for businesses. The report went on to say that companies were having moderate difficulty finding employees and sub-contractors. The survey found that bricklayers were the most in demand tradesman in Australia.

This can all be related to the recent upswing in home building activity. ABS figures show that 193,667 homes were approved for construction. Home approvals over 180,000 has only happened twice in the past 30 years.

It's clear construction businesses need more staff. They need them to be skilled, on time and available.

foundU provides an online platform where businesses can browse from suitable available candidates, set jobs and be billed in one all-inclusive invoice. Potential employees can be working in less than 24 hours. Don't get caught out, join foundU.

Get a Job. Find Staff. Join foundU.

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World Leaders

We already know Australia is the best country in the world to conduct business over the internet. Australia ranked best in the world with our excellent investment climate, internet environment, international trading environment, regulatory and legal frameworks, and e-payments readiness.

Australians' love embracing new technology and combining it with business. A recent article by Kyri Theos from Elance-Odesk, has found we are the largest marketplace in the world for online freelance talent. Online hiring in Australia alone increased by 235% in the last 3 years according to Theos.

Australian companies hire freelancers to fill skill gaps in their workforce and to have flexible staff levels. Freelancers can work when needed and are happy to work for a set amount of time whether it be for one day or a month's long contract.

While internet freelancers may have traditionally been web developers and designers the market is moving to encompass more professions and industries. Now employers can hire accountants or lawyers through online platforms.

Theos defines online work as hiring independent professionals through a website that brings businesses and freelancers together, exactly like foundU. Whilst we offer a similar platform to those discussed above, all of our candidates are employed directly by foundU. Our clients can be assured that all local statutory employment obligations are met and our candidates are fairly remunerated.

Stay Competitive 

 

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), says that 94% of SMEs are online and nearly 50% of them use cloud-based services. Australian companies are using the internet to stay competitive. They also realise the value of the internet to find staff.

foundU identified this growing trend and started an online company that connects employers with quality staff. We understand businesses need skilled staff quickly and in their location. That is why we created a platform that allows you to create jobs in your area and have candidates apply immediately.

foundU exists completely online to keep overheads low and offer cost-effective staffing solutions for clients. Our business allows you to hire freelance labourers and qualified tradesman and have them working when you want. Join the online revolution and join foundU.

Get a job. Find Staff. Join foundU. 

foundu.com.au 

Time to Build

The Australian construction and housing industry is booming with new home building forecast to exceed 184,000 in 2014 (second highest on record) according to the Housing Industry Association (HIA). The graph below demonstrates that this surge is sustained.

The HIA also released the Performance of Construction Index which rose 0.8 points to 52.6. Anything above 50 on the index means the construction industry is experiencing expansion and not contraction. 52.6 is the highest the index has reached since November last year proving the industry is growing.

Jobs in the construction sector rose by more than 3%, showing the industry needs more staff to meet demand.

Confidence in the industry is rising. The NAB Business Survey found that business confidence has hit a 4 year high. The survey found that the main reason for the high levels of confidence is the strength of the construction sector. Low interest rates have led to a rise in building construction and more growth for the Australian economy.

foundU is aware of the industry's growth and wants to provide quality staff to help the industry and your business. With our low overheads, all inclusive invoice and personally verified candidates you know you are getting the right staff for your job.

With more homes being built than ever before and business confidence high, start your project today knowing that when you join foundU you will have access to skilled staff in less than 24 hours.

Get a Job. Find Staff. Join foundU. 

foundu.com.au

Looking forward 15 years...

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has released a report that says by 2030, Australia will be short 2.3 million workers. Australia needs to find a way to address the shortfall and get people into the workplace.

The news is good until 2020, with the labour market expected to grow by more than 1.0% a year (better than the United Kingdom and America), after this supply will not be able to meet demand.
The reasons for this are varied. Australia's fertility rate is below the replacement rate which means there are not enough staff to replace retiring workers. The other is Australia's aging population. While the Government is raising the retirement age to 70 by 2035, this is not enough to replace the retiring baby boomers.

To address the problem BCG suggest:
- extending the Government's skilled migration program
- boosting skills training to lift productivity. A highly skilled workforce means a more productive one. A stronger focus from both government and the private sector on skill development would help address the shortfall. Even something as simple as making sure literacy and numeracy skills are up to scratch will help boost the percentage of the Australian population that is employed.

foundU wants to play an active part in Australia's economic future. We believe we are doing this by providing skilled staff to jobs around Australia. Our online platform gives people a chance to enter the workplace and employers to find quality candidates.
While we can't predict the future we believe we have a business model that is part of the solution.

Get a Job. Find Staff. Join foundU. 

foundu.com.au 

Unemployed or Underemployed?

Australia's unemployment rate is 6%. More positively, over 90% of Australians have a job!

Unemployment statistics are often quoted during the currently topical discussions on productivity. Within the boundaries that our legislators have set the efficient innovation and the efficient use of labour are the biggest drivers of productivity improvements.

One statistic often over-looked is underemployment numbers.

Underemployed people are staff whose labour is not fully utilised. They usually work less than 35 hours a week, would prefer and are immediately available to work more hours. In Australia about 900,000 (7.3%) people are underemployed and can't get enough work in their regular job. Many Australian businesses could improve their productivity by engaging the "underemployed".

The overwhelming majority (91%) of underemployed workers are employed part time. In Australia the proportion of employed people working part time has been steadily increasing from 15% in February 1978 to 30% in May 2010.

An Australian Bureau of Statistics study recently concluded that over a quarter of part-time workers would prefer to work more hours.

At foundU we actively encourage any candidates seeking full-time roles to pursue them. However, most of our candidates do not want to work full-time hours. Importantly, part-time work gives our candidates the flexibility to balance their work and personal demands.

foundU has candidates actively looking for more hours. Our unique client and candidate system matches staff with suitable employers quickly and efficiently. Employing candidates with our system is cost effective and improves business productivity.

foundU clients can choose staff with high availability and the right skills and have them working in less than 24 hours.

Get a Job. Find Staff. Join foundU.
 

foundu.com.au 

Australia Best Country

The best at what? The best country in the world to do business over the internet.

The recently released G20 e-Trade Readiness Index ranks countries on their e-trade readiness. It does this by looking at five key categories: investment climate, internet environment, international trading environment, regulatory and legal frameworks, and e-payments readiness. Australia came out on top with Argentina at the very bottom.

Interestingly, island nations took out three of the top five spots (Japan, UK, and Australia). This is thought to be due to their reliance on international trade and developing appropriate online infrastructure.

"Australia has affordable internet access, a well-developed regulatory framework for commerce, high usage of electronic payment methods, and high smartphone penetration," the index report said. foundU will be releasing a smartphone app over the coming months to harness Australia's high smartphone user rates.

Australia was strong in the domestic internet environment and e-payments. foundU is a business that operates in these environments and is extremely competent in them.

 

The report was particularly focused on how small-to-medium enterprises can be successful on the internet. With Australia's strengths in e-trade foundU is uniquely poised to grasp these opportunities. foundU is a complete online business. We offer businesses a scalable and flexible workforce that suits their location. With Australia's excellent domestic internet and e-trade environment all you need is an internet connection to join foundU.

Get a Job. Find Staff. Join foundU.  

foundu.com.au