Section 1

Case study A- Tom and Steve Broad

Background

Congratulations, you have just been appointed by George and Mildred as the new consultant to handle the extra work. Whilst your major focus is to build the strategic relationships you are also expected to build your own client base using your own connections and networks.

Two brothers, Tom and Steve Broad have approached you with their desire to jointly purchase two apartments in the same building. They want to purchase them as rental properties. The building has 12 apartments. The units have 80% permanent tenants in place and the remaining 20% are used for holiday rentals. The location is a highly sought after area and all holiday periods are fully booked.

The brothers have invested together before and have experience in buying and selling property. They have sold all their other investment properties and the units will be their only investment until they can identify another opportunity. The cash at bank is mostly from the sales of other investments.

The property

The clients

Task 1a - Identify the clients' complex broking needs (1000 words)

Prepare a list of questions that you would need to ask Tom and Steve about their history and experience, and the unit purchase.
In preparing your list of questions you should ensure that you cover the following:

- The complex features of Tom's and Steve's situation and objectives.
- Potential risks and Tom's and Steve's tolerance of risk. In considering risk you should consider:
- how you would identify the risks and the criteria you used to evaluate these risks
- how you would assess their current exposure, the tools you would use in terms of probability, impact and the consequences.

Task 2a -Develop complex broking options (1000 words)
You are required to prepare a full report for Tom and Steve by outlining the process and the risks (potential and real) of which Tom and Steve should be aware.

In a suitable format, document the process that is required for them to purchase the two units as their investment properties, establishing a joint loan in the brother's names. You should also include a selection of lenders that will consider this style of borrowing.

In developing your report you should cover the following:

1. The parties to the loan including any opportunities or constraints that could impact on their application

2. The different options available and your recommendation of the best loan structure with the lender - are they using their own property as cross security or the cash at bank as deposit?

3. What various forms of titles could an apartment be registered in

4. A list of the lenders that are able to lend

5. The procedure to commence a loan for a property like this

6. The steps that will need to be in place

7. The client responsibilities, so Tom and Steve fully understand the loan

8. An outline as to the process and what the client needs to arrange

9. The documentation needed to commence the borrowing

10. The name in which the client will sign the contract/purchase/offer and acceptance. If a Family trust is involved what name would the title of the property be registered in, and advise what state you are using to base your answer on

11. The state revenue requirements

12. Which lenders may also require a personal guarantee from Steve'sspouse

13. The maximum LVR to the consumer

14. A summary of all fees and charges - including those for setup and those of the lender.

Task 3a - Implement complex loan structures (1000 words)
Tom and Steve have accepted your recommendations and have given you authority to proceed with their application.
As part of implementing their loan application you are required to prepare a formal written loan submission to the lender for pre-approval. Your loan submission must include the following:
- serviceability calculations
- the proposed structure of the loan given there are two brothers and there is a variance in income
- the loan amount
- the property style, size, use
- any other information that is relevant to the lenders requirements.
In additional to these requirements you should also include:
- your obligations under the NCCP (if any)
- maximum loan amount
- maximum loan terms
- any ATO consideration to be made
- your state legislation and OSR requirements
- your general advice restrictions
- property purchase requirements.

Section 2: Business management skills

Task 4 - Developing and nurturing relationships with clients, other professionals and third party referrers
George and Mildred now require you to write a plan to assist in developing and nurturing relationships with clients, other professionals and third party referrers.

Your plan should address the following:

1. How CCF & MB's policies and procedures and legislative, regulatory and professional codes of practice impact on developing and nurturing relationships

2. How you would use CCF & MB's social, business and ethical standards to develop and maintain positive relationships

3. The importance of confidentiality and how you would maintain it in your dealings with colleagues, clients and other parties

4. How you would adjust your Interpersonal style to the needs and situation of other parties

5. How you would go about developing and maintaining business and professional networks and other relationships to benefit the organisation, and how you would use them to identify and cultivate relationships in order to promote and market the organisation

6. How you could use and cooperate with other professionals and third parties to expand and enhance the reputation of the organisation, and to identify new and improved business practices

7. How you would build referral business through appropriate communication channels to find and secure new business relationships

8. How you would identify referral needs and provide information p about CCF & MB's relevant products and services

9. How you would secure interviews with referral business so that then needs of clients can be met.
(1,000 words)

You may use any format for your plan but it must address each of the points above. If you are unsure as to how to write a plan, you can refer to the Business Growth and Marketing topic and use the suggested SMEAC format outlined in Part 5, Section 12.

When completing this task, assumptions are permitted although they must not be in conflict with the information provided in the background information.

Student response to Task 4

Task 5 - Growing the business

Having considered how you would go about building and nurturing relationships, George and Mildred now require you to turn your attention to marketing and promoting CCF & MB's business. This requires you to develop a marketing plan for the business.

In developing your marketing plan you should consider the following:

1. Your plan should be developed in line with CCF & MB's vision statement

2. The identification of target markets using a combination of research and your own personal experience

3. The identification of your major competitors (at least two) with a competitor analysis developed for each competitor

4. The identification of CCF & MB's market position based on your research findings and analysis

5. How you would promote CCF & MB's brand and the tools you would use to achieve this

6. The provision of options for increasing yield per existing client

7. How you would implement your plan and monitor it to ensure objectives/goals/performance indicators are being met

8. How you would adjust your plan if required.
(1,000 words)

You may use any format for your plan but it must address each of the points above. If you are unsure as to how to write a plan, you can refer to the Business Growth and Marketing topic and use the suggested SMEAC format outlined in Part 5, Section 12.
When completing this task, assumptions are permitted although they must not be in conflict with the information provided in the background information.

Task 6 - Identifying risk and applying risk management processes

George and Mildred have become very concerned about the potential risks that could jeopardise CCF & MB's business operations. They were very impressed with your growth and marketing plans for CCF & MB so they have now moved you into more of a general manager's role with expanded responsibilities, including managing CCF & MB's risk. As part of your new responsibilities you are required to develop a risk management plan.

In producing this plan you are required to:

1. Establish the context for CCF & MB's risk management plan

2. List and explain the tools you will use in assessing the risks you identify

3. Identify the stakeholders you would consult in establishing context and the tools you would use in identifying CCF & MB's risks

4. Identify at least two risks that CCF & MB could face for each of the six categories of business risk including strategic risks, compliance risks, financial risk, operational risks, market and environmental risks and reputational risks with an appropriate risk statement for each identified risk

5. Conduct a risk analysis and risk evaluation for the risks you have identified

6. Identify treatments for them

7. How you will monitor and review them in your risk management plan.

When you are defining the risk criteria you intend to use you are required to create your own risk matrix to address likelihood and consequence.

Document your risk treatment plan using a risk register.

You may make any assumptions in producing your plan but these should be documented either in the body of your plan or separately before you produce it.
(1,000 words)

Task 7- Improving the business

Over the last few months business for CCF & MB has been very good with a number of new clients coming on board as a result of implementing your business growth and marketing plans. However neither you or the business owners are satisfied with maintaining the status quo; as you and they are committed to a program of continuous improvement.

You all feel that CCF & MB's competitive advantage needs to be strengthened and a SWOT should be undertaken to establish CCF & MB's strengths and weaknesses including benchmarking the business against the industry. You now decide that you will carry out a diagnosis of the business including a SWOT analysis and a benchmarking exercise to improve CCF &MB's competitive advantage and its business. You are to produce a document covering your diagnosis which will be distributed amongst CCF & MB's key personnel.
As a minimum your document should cover the following:
1. The data you have used as part of your diagnosis to identify CCF & MB's competitive advantage
2. A SWOT analysis to identify CCF & MB's strengths and weaknesses, its threats and opportunities
3. How you identified and sourced relevant benchmarking data
4. How you selected the key indicators (and who you consulted with) for your benchmarking exercise
5. A consolidated list of the areas for improvement you have identified with a cost-benefit ratio established for each of them
6. Recommendations on the changes that may be required that will affect existing workflows or CCF & MB's organisational structure
7. A high-level action plan that will implement and monitor the recommended changes to be made.
(1,000 words)

In addition to the material on your Subject 2 learning guides the following links give you access to a step-by-step guide to benchmarking and determining competitive advantage:

Task 8 -Managing people performance

One of your key responsibilities as general manager is to develop and implement ways to improve the performance of CCF & MB's consultants and other staff members.
Answer the following questions:

1. Why is it important to consult with stakeholders when allocating work? What are the possible consequences of allocating work without consultation?

2. Describe the process you might follow when developing quantitative and qualitative performance criteria. You should explain how you ensure that the criteria relate to CCF & MB's objectives and how to motivate staff members to achieve these objectives.

3. Describe the different ways you might gather information about a staff member's workplace performance.

4. What are the benefits of evaluating and monitoring staff members on a continuous basis?

5. Describe how you might do this in CCF & MB.

6. Why is it important to document the performance management process? Explain the possible consequences of not retaining appropriate records of this process.

7. How can reward and recognition influence the work output of employees? Describe non-financial ways of motivating employees.
Your answers should be 250 words for each numbered question above.

8. Design a high-level performance management process for CCF & MB to be rolled out to all staff members.

9. Who should you consult when designing the performance management process? List who you would consult and the reasons why.

10. Develop a checklist for delivering regular performance appraisals, including a section for team leaders and supervisors to complete a section for team members participating in the performance appraisal process.
(800 words)

Martin and Luis are working together on project involving the preparation for a loan application for one of CCF & MB's most influential clients, a property developer. Martin missed a deadline and the whole project is now behind schedule by a week. This is the third time in a month that he has missed a deadline. Martin has had problems with meeting deadlines in the past and has already had a written warning.
As the general manager you have been monitoring Martin's performance over the past month, providing informal feedback about his role in the project. Although he has made several improvements regarding his performance, his inability to meet deadlines has forced the delay of the client's development a further month. CCF & MB made a commitment to the client that the loan application would be with prospective lender two weeks ago.

The client is not happy that his he does not yet have an approval and is considering cancelling the agreement he has with CCF & MB and going elsewhere.

11. You have arranged to meet with Martin to talk about the project and his input. How would you go about providing constructive feedback to Martin?
(500 words)

Task 9 - Showing leadership in the workplace

Leadership is defined as the ability to influence others. This assessment task requires you to reflect on your own ability to positively influence others in the workplace and the negative aspects of poor leadership.

1. Reflect on a situation where you have had a positive impact in the workplace. Please include in the reflective writing the skills, decisions and or behaviours you demonstrated that contributed to this positive change and what the impact was for the team, clients and the organisation. (400 words)

2. Reflect on a situation which was or could have been damaging to the organisation. Please include the behaviours, standards or values that were demonstrated and explain why they were detrimental. (400 words)

3. In your role as the general manager of CCF & MB create your own personal performance plan.

You may use your own personal performance plan or alternatively you can use the example below. In developing your personal performance plan you should ensure that your personal KPIs reflect CCF & MB's goals and objectives and how you can help in building CCF & MB's integrity and credibility.

What are my development objectives? Priority What activities do I need to undertake to achieve my objectives? What support/resources do I need to achieve my objectives Target date for achieving my objectives Actual date of achieving my objectives

Review date:

4. Feedback from colleagues, staff and management may be gathered informally and formally including performance review feedback. Why is it important to analyse and interpret all feedback? (400 words)