If you’ve started thinking about your digital strategy for your small business, it’s important to actually check out what you’ve currently got going on your site, and what necessary changes might need to be made. Remember to conduct your website audit from the user’s perspective – it’s not all about measurable technicalities or online marketing.

Here are a few key questions to focus on when conducting your site audit:

1. Is your website ‘bloated’ with content? If there is too much content flooding the site and it’s badly organised, users are not going to read it. Use web analytics to do an inventory of popular and dead content (we’ll go into more detail on web analytics in an upcoming blog). Ensure that there is not too much copy on any one single page, and that longer portions of text are broken up into subsections with subheadings.
2. Do you use direct and clear navigation and messaging? What have you identified in your business plan as the main call to action? That is, would you like your users to request a quote, or call you, or head in store? Is this clear? If your main goal is to get users to sign up for your newsletter or ‘special deals’ emails, then this messaging should be prominent right from when users first land on your page. In addition, the sign up process itself should be quick and simple. A good test to check if your site is easy to navigate is to see whether you can get to the key content (e.g. a purchase page, or your company’s contact details) in 1 to 2 clicks. If you can’t, it might be time to streamline the journey for the user.
3. Is your website optimised for search engines? ‘Search engine optimisation’, or SEO, is about making sure users can find your site via a search engine. This can get technical, but a good starting point is to look at your content and website layout. Does your content contain keywords and phrases in the headings and titles that users may type into a search engine when looking for a product or service? Do the titles of your pages give users a good idea of what they’ll find when they click on that page? Abstract titles can be ‘fun’, but not so good for SEO. For example, why give a page a title like “stories about us and our amazing people” when you can just say “company history”?
4. Is your website optimised for mobile? Chances are, if you’ve had your site up and running for a few years, it hasn’t been optimised for mobile usage. People are continually on the run and mobile internet usage is on the rise, so make it easy for them to access your content and products. We’ll touch more on mobile sites in our upcoming blog posts.

Completing an in-depth site audit can get increasingly complex – but as a starting point, keep simplicity at the front of your mind. In our upcoming posts, we’ll cover how to best use web analytics tools to optimise your website and your overall digital strategic plan. 

What other things do you think are important when you’re conducting a site audit?

This May marks one of my favourite times of the year at CommBank – the launch of our 2013 Community Grants Program. Since 2007, we have been awarding grants to community organisations across Australia that support the health and wellbeing of Australian children.

Our Community Grants Program is supported by our Staff Community Fund, the oldest workplace giving program in Australia. Running since 1917, almost 11,000 of our people now donate to the Fund on a fortnightly basis, and CommBank matches those donations dollar for dollar. As a result, in 2013 we are awarding $2 million in Community Grants of up to $10,000 each.

However, the program itself is only possible because of the fantastic work being carried out by generous individuals and groups across Australia, who devote their time to making a difference to the lives of young Australians. Applications come from a diversity of organisations, supporting people with disabilities, keeping kids off the streets and building life skills, getting youth involved in community activities and much more. With more than 1000 organisations applying each year, we hear so many inspiring stories.

One such story is from the Life Changing Experiences Foundation. Through the grant they were awarded in 2012, the Foundation was able to fund their SISTER2sister program, which seeks to empower girls by providing them with support, guidance and advice through Big Sister role models.

With so many deserving causes applying for grants, choosing the successful recipients is certainly not an easy task for our staff.

Applications are now open for our 2013 Community Grants Program. Help us spread the word by sharing this link, www.commbank.com.au/grants, with youth-focused organisations in your community. Applications close on Friday 14 June 2013, and successful recipients will be announced on 28 August 2013.

This week is National Cyber Security Awareness Week, an initiative run by the Australian Government to help Australians understand how to stay safe online. With over 7.5 million NetBank customers, the Commonwealth Bank deals with a significant number of hoax or phishing scams claiming to be from the Bank, so I thought now would be a good time to cover how to spot a hoax and what to do if you have responded one.

Take the above email for example. The CommBank logo and ABN makes it look official right, but when you take a closer look, there a few giveaways that reveal it is a hoax:

• The biggest giveaway is that CommBank will never send you an email requesting you to confirm, update or disclose your confidential banking information and certainly not via a link.

• The reasoning does not make sense – why would we need you to secure your account because of a future upgrade?

• The poor punctuation and spelling, for example “Fom” instead of “from”.

Other giveaways to keep an eye out for include attachments (we won’t send you any) and fake web addresses (URLs). The picture below shows you a fake URL – it looks like it will direct you to Google however if you hover over it you can see it will actually direct you to Bing, a rival search engine.

Hoaxes don’t just come in e-mails either. They could be an SMS, a phone call or perhaps even an automated voice recording asking you to punch in your account details. I recently received a hoax SMS alerting me that I had won a UK lottery…Lucky me! As it turned out most of my friends had also won, so we deleted it straight away.

Most internet security software can significantly reduce your chances of receiving hoax e-mails. If you don’t already have an internet security package that blocks hoax/spam e-mails, we offer our CommBank customers a free 6 month subscription to McAfee Internet Security.

If you do receive a hoax email claiming to be from CommBank, please let us know by sending the email as an attachment to hoax@cba.com.au, then delete the email from both your inbox and deleted items. If you have responded to the hoax or clicked on any links in the email please give us a call immediately on 13 2221.

You can find more information and examples of hoaxes at www.commbank.com.au/security-privacy/online-security/latest-security-alerts.html.

We love to hear from our customers about what they think of NetBank. We use this feedback not only to create new features and functions, but also to improve existing ones.

Earlier this week we ran a poll asking our Facebook friends which NetBank feature they found the most useful, such as updating Tax File Numbers (TFN), changing card PINs, ordering statements and a couple of our personalisation features. By an overwhelming majority and taking out more than half the votes, the winner was ‘Choosing and changing card PINs’.

This comes as no surprise to me as PIN changes are one of our most popular self-service features on NetBank, with over 140,000 PIN changes in April. That’s equivalent to the entire population of Darwin changing their PIN! I’m also proud to say that, given its popularity, we recently added this feature to CommBank Kaching.

The runner up in our poll was ‘Nicknaming and grouping accounts’. I have a little story that demonstrates one handy way you can use this feature – I have a friend who, more often that she should have, gave in to the temptation to transfer money from her savings to buy shoes. Our nicknaming feature helped her overcome this. How? She nicknamed her savings account ‘DO NOT SPEND!’. And if you wanted to take it further you can even hide your accounts so they’re out of sight and out of mind.

Personally, I find that customising quick links makes my NetBank experience a breeze. Since I login to NetBank every day and have a few tasks I perform frequently, like checking transactions, transferring money and paying bills, this feature allows me to access the pages I use most often with one easy click.

What’s your favourite NetBank feature that makes your banking easier? Tell us in a comment below.

I remember counting down the months until I was legally old enough to get my first Saturday job. I also remember how proud I was when I got my first pay.

Looking back, it probably wasn’t that much, but it felt like a fortune because it was mine, earned fairly and squarely.  I even had a Tax File Number to prove it!

Working for the first time as a teen, whether it’s a weekend job or a holiday job,is a crucial step on the path towards financial independence. And it teaches plenty of life skills along the way.

Thinking ahead

To ‘do-it-now’ teens, the wait to be old enough to get a job can be agonisingly long . But that time can be well spent gaining useful experience. For example, if they want to work in a cafe, they can practice carrying full plates of food or ‘serving’ at the family table.  Or they can set about learning a relevant skill such as enrolling in a one-day barista course to earn a qualification that can boost their chances of being employed and give them an edge on other teenage applicants.

Resilience

Finding a first job is hard. It requires a thick skin, determination and grit, as well as a level of organisation and self-motivation.  They need to work out where to look for a job, how to approach an employer, how to prepare a CV, how to follow up on a promising lead and, above all, how not to take knock backs personally.

Social skills

A positive attitude, willingness to learn and the ability to work as part of a team are crucial to a potential employer.  Teens also need to be realistic about themselves and what they can commit to.  For example, they may play sport on Saturdays, but wouldn’t mind giving up Sunday mornings.

It’s far better to know your limits upfront than to let your employer down.

The value of saving

A weekend job means that teens suddenly have money in their pockets.

They immediately experience the satisfaction of buying little treats for themselves, but they’re also able to target the more expensive items like festival tickets, designer clothes or a car.  There’s nothing quite as motivating as a specific savings goal!

Savings simple

My advice to teens is to bank half of their earnings each week and keep the rest as spending money.  If you look around, you’ll find that some savings accounts are more geared towards teens than others.  CommBank’s Youthsaver account is a great way for young people to get into the habit of saving. Every month they deposit their pay into a Youthsaver account and don’t take any money out, they’re entitled to bonus interest as a reward for being a good saver. They don’t have to worry about tying their money up for a long time. A Youthsaver account gives them access to their funds whenever they want, including Keycard access when they’re over 16. For more information about a Youthsaver account, click here.

Lessons for the future

As a parent, there’s a role for you, too.  If you have a teen at home who’s raring to join the job market, put on your most encouraging smile.  You’ll almost certainly notice an improvement in communication skills, interpersonal relationships, financial responsibility and reliability, to name just a few of the benefits that will equip them for the future.

Best of all, a menial Saturday job is the perfect incentive for teens to work hard at school to get the grades for the career they really want.

And you don’t have to say a word.

Important Information: The above article contains general advice. It has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of that, you should, before action on the advice, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances.

No one wants to be targeted by fraudsters, but unfortunately it’s becoming an all-too-common occurrence. Payments to offshore locations can be particularly vulnerable to overseas scams. So, what steps can you take to stay secure?

Transferring funds internationally is commonplace: 6.5 million Australians sent money overseas last year[1]. Therefore, it pays to stay informed about how best to keep your money secure. Cross-border transactions are more likely to be subject to fraud because overseas scammers operate out of the reach of our own law enforcement and employ a number of tactics in an attempt obtain funds from you.

It’s important to use a reputable financial institution for overseas transfers: using informal networks to send funds may be risky and could even be breaking the law. Making sure your provider is connected to SWIFT – a secure network of international banks – will ensure your transfer is smooth, quick and secure, and will deliver to this promise. With this combination, you can be guaranteed peace of mind that your money will arrive securely without third-party interference.

As well as transferring money with a reputable financial institution, being aware of some of the more common scams out there can help prevent you falling foul of the fraudsters.

Common scams to watch out for

• Natural disaster fraud: If you are being asked for money in the wake of a natural disaster, please make sure you verify you are dealing with a trusted organisation.
• Sounds too good to be true? Beware of offers that strike you as too good to be true: they probably are. It’s very rare for inheritances to be made to / from relatives unknown to each other. Similarly, winning a lottery you haven’t entered is grounds for suspicion.
• Relative asking for money? Don’t send money to someone you don’t know. If someone claims to be a relative, make sure you verify their details with known family members.
• Dating scams: If a romantic interest that you haven’t met in person asks you for money in an email or on a dating site, this should arouse suspicion.

For more information on how to protect yourself from fraud or to report fraud, check out the Scamwatch.gov.au website.

What tips do you have to avoid overseas scamsters?

Find out more about international money transfers with CommBank.

The underlying Budget deficit for 2013/14 is projected at $18b (1.1% of GDP), a significant deterioration from the small $2.2b surplus projected in the last official forecasts released in October 2012.

The 2013/14 deficit, is however, a small improvement on the $19.4b (1.3% of GDP) deficit now expected for 2012/13. And, somewhat surprisingly, the surplus flame continues to flicker with a balanced outcome projected for 2015/16 and a surplus of $6.6b projected for 2016/17.

The government deserves credit for folding on its immediate surplus commitment and taking the resulting political heat. By letting the economy drive the revenue side of the Budget we have avoided the worst excesses of the Eurozone-style fiscal austerity. And we have also avoided going over a US-style “fiscal cliff”.

An economy that is expected to run a little below trend for a while is not one that needs aggressive fiscal consolidation

However a credible path to return to surplus must be laid out.  And here some doubts remain.  Income growth assumptions are quite strong. And implied revenue elasticity’s are at the high end of the range of the past fifty years but some difficult savings measures have been tabled.

The implications for financial markets are limited as fiscal objectives and measures have been well telegraphed.

The total size of the CGS market is forecast to grow rapidly. From $256b at June 2013 we expect the market to grow to $282b by 30 June 2014.

This budget has steered around the ‘natural’ and ‘man made disasters’ of fiscal policy. The ‘natural’ disaster was the unexpected and unusual weakness in the revenue base whilst the man-made disaster was prior failure to budget for anything other than wafer thin surpluses.

A number of things do need to go right if successful Budget and economic outcomes are to be achieved. For these numbers to work nominal growth needs to pick up, the economy must move from mining to non-mining growth, confidence must recover and business must adapt to the high AUD.

Fiscal settings feed into RBA deliberations. And current cash rates contain an allowance for the pressures of fiscal consolidation.  The abandonment of the surplus commitment for this year has reduced, at the margin, the importance of fiscal settings in the rates debate.  Further fiscal consolidation looks manageable from a growth perspective. Nevertheless, the RBA has room to move and has illustrated a willingness to use that room.

Australians love cricket. That’s why the Commonwealth Bank has supported this popular pastime for over 26 years and why we’re excited to announce our new naming-rights sponsorship of the Test Team and Test Series in Australia.

Test Cricket is the pinnacle of Australian Cricket and this year even more so with a back-to-back Ashes Series where old rivals Australia and England will fight to regain the holy grail of the Ashes. We sat down with Commonwealth Bank Ambassador and former international Test cricketer, Mike Hussey, about his experiences wearing the baggy green for Australia.

Mike, or ‘Mr Cricket’ as he is known in cricketing circles, made his Test Cricket debut at the age of 30. He has since gone on to play a total of 79 Test matches for Australia. Mike’s last Test for Australia was the memorable Sydney Test against Sri Lanka in January 2013 where he announced his retirement from international cricket.

Mike had some valuable insights and memories to share about his days playing Test Cricket…

Mike, whilst some of our readers are avid cricket fans, it would be great for you to start with explaining what are the main differences between Test and One Day International Cricket?

Well the main difference is that a Test match is played over five days and a One Day International is played over one day.

Test cricket really challenges players physically, mentally, technically and tactically given its longer duration. Test cricket is also based around patience and discipline and being able to execute your skills over and over again for long periods of time.

One Day International cricket you have to adapt according to the situation of the game and think quickly on your feet.

With the challenges that Test cricket bring – more often than not long, hot days in the sun – how do you mentally and physically prepare?

It is definitely tough, but I used my net sessions as though they were a match situation.

I practiced how I wanted to play. Once I got into the middle I tried to break the game down to one ball at a time.

The real key is to eliminate all distractions and negative thoughts that come into your mind and concentrate on what is important – (as a batsman) this means watching that ball.

What is the significance of the Baggy Green and Test Cricket?

The significance of Test Cricket is that it is the toughest form of cricket and it is how you are measured as a player by your peers from your own country and from around the world. The Baggy Green cap is very prestigious as only 420 odd Australian players in over a hundred years of our history have had the honour to wear the famous cap.

And how did it feel when you first received your Baggy Green and played your first Test Match for Australia?

For me it represented so much hard work and persistence, as well overcoming obstacles and earning respect and the great pride of representing Australia.

What is your favourite memory or moment from playing Test Cricket?

For me it was hitting the winning runs at the Adelaide Oval in the Ashes Test in the summer of 2006/07. It was the best feeling in the world, hitting match winning runs in a Test, especially against a rival like England.

It’s great to see some new talent in cricket, not only in Australia, but across the international scene as well. In your opinion, who are the current rising stars in Test Cricket?

There is some great talent out there no doubt, and it’s hard to really pick just a few, but I think the ones to really watch over the next few years are Virat Kohli  and Shikar Dharwan from India and locally, Pat Cummins and Ashton Agar as rising stars in Australia.

Mike, thanks for your time, it’s been great to sit down with you and talk about your Test cricketing career, especially as we begin this new chapter in Australian cricket.

It was a pleasure and I’m really excited to see Commonwealth Bank continue their association with cricket.

The Commonwealth Bank Ashes Series will commence in mid-November in Brisbane. To stay up to date on all our cricket activity, visit us on Facebook.

In the second of our CommBank Signals series – looking at consumer spending patterns – we’ve focused on something close to all our hearts, food. Using a combination of internal CommBank transactional data alongside external research, we’ve found some interesting patterns emerging as we see the rise of fast food outlets and cafes in Australia, at the expense of restaurants. 

Delving into the topic of ‘eating in vs eating out’, we have looked at spending patterns on groceries, restaurants and fast food, as well as identified the preferred takeaway choices across Australia. I’ve summed up a few of the key findings below:

1.     Fast food on the rise

The Signals data shows the average spend per month on fast food has increased by 23 per cent over four years[1]. On top of this, the number of people spending on fast food with debit and credit cards has increased by 15 per cent in the last four years – reaching 40 per cent in 2012. We think this could be due to convenient payment methods such as contactless as well as the fact that more people are turning to fast food.

2.     Restaurants vs Supermarkets

Interestingly, the average spend per month on restaurant dining has fallen by nine per cent over the past four years. This decline seems to reflect a more frugal consumer mindset post the global financial crisis. Accentuating the trend is the decline of corporate spend at restaurants over Christmas, suggesting businesses are cutting costs and looking at less traditional ways to celebrate.

When looking closely at the figures, the average Aussie spends $70 a week on eating out (cafes, takeaway and restaurants) across the nation, equating to a total of $60 billion per year. Those from Victoria ($81pp) and NSW ($79pp) spend the most on eating out on an average week, while those in South Australia ($49pp) spend the least. On the other side, the average Australian spends $139 on grocery shopping a week; with the average per person spend at $56[2]. We aren’t making a direct comparison between the two as it’s difficult to judge, but it does imply that eating out plays a large part in the weekly dining experience.

So what do Australians think about grocery prices? According to Signals, the majority of Australians (72 per cent) consider the price of basic foodstuffs (milk, bread, cheese, eggs etc) to have increased over the past two years. Although mainly anecdotal, Australians are spending almost 1.5 times more on groceries than takeaway each week.

3.     The People’s Choice

The number of cafes in Australia has increased over the past couple of years, returning to the levels of 2009.The rise in café popularity sits perfectly within the general trends we are seeing – people want quick and convenient food, and we love our coffee!

When it comes to the people’s choice of takeaway food, Australia can’t make up its mind with preferred dishes varying from state to state. Overall, Aussies’ favourite dinner takeaway is Chinese, followed by Italian and Thai, however not every state agrees:

1. NSW = Thai as their preferred (22%)
2. Victoria = Italian (17%)
3. South Australians = American fast-food (39%)
4. Western Australians = Chinese food (32%)
5. Queensland = Chinese (28%)

What’s your favourite takeaway dish? Do you agree with the above data and our comments?

The Signals data shares insights into consumer purchasing patterns to help customers make more informed financial decisions. Each month, a new topic will be released on Signals, looking at the issues that mean the most to our customers. For more information, visit www.commbank.com.au/Signals.

Growing your business online – #2: How your presence online supports your business plan and goals

In our previous post in the Growing Your Business Online series, we discussed the importance of having an online profile, and provided some initial tips on how you can start to build this profile for your small business. The online possibilities for your business are endless, so it’s important to do some strategic planning for your internet business or website to ensure that you’ve got a digital business plan in place. An online business plan is essential to any overarching small business plan.

Ask the questions

It can be difficult to leap into the production of a website or e-commerce arm of your business when you don’t know where to start. Begin by asking yourself the following questions to get a clear idea of where you’re headed.

1. What goals do you have for your business as a whole, and how do these translate to the digital realm? For example, if your aim is to establish a brand recognised for its high quality and superior craftsmanship, you’ll need to think about the design, look and feel of your website. This could include creating an online ‘community’ for your user base to make them feel part of something unique, with access to special offers or advance notice of sales. This would be a different approach to a business whose aim is to increase the overall quantity of sales – they would be looking instead to focus on access and availability of their product online.

2. Is there already an e-commerce arm to your business or the potential for this in the future? Is your aim to sell products, or provide a face-to-face service? If your business is service based, your website should illustrate that you are a knowledge hub and an expert in your area. Achieve this by creating written and visual content on your site that’s useful to current and potential clients. On the other hand, if your main goal is to sell a product on your website, focus on ensuring the products are well displayed, correctly described, and easy to purchase.

3. Who are your followers, clients, and advocates? Identifying these key parties is essential to ensure that your digital strategy and actions are aimed at the right target group. This will help you tailor the content and design of your website to meet your demographics’ needs and interests.

4. Which social media channels work best for your business goals? This is all about mapping your options online. For example, Facebook is a great channel for connecting and engaging with your clients and consumers, while LinkedIn is better suited as a channel for a B2B company looking to connect with other business contacts or members of their industry. Each channel will need to be carefully considered and targeted as part of your strategy, as each will consume time and budget.

Make sure your digital plan is aimed specifically at the users you want to attract. Before you launch into something new, make sure you know what you want to achieve online, and do a website audit first. We’ll be discussing business website audits and what to look for in our next article, so stay tuned.

Where do you look for inspiration when creating a business plan for your brand?

In-branch banking just got a whole lot better

The people of Roxburgh Park in Melbourne just got a new neighbour; and while we might not be able to help you if you need to borrow a cup of sugar (tho’ we are up for a challenge), we can assist with a range of other borrowing and banking needs

Out of the ordinary

Roxburgh Park is our 294th Victorian branch and we opened in the Roxburgh Park Shopping Centre, Roxburgh Park, about 20km North of Melbourne on Monday, April 15^th and it’s not your ordinary branch.

It’s all about you

Roxburgh Park has been designed with customer feedback in mind – you spoke, and we listened, which means that we’ve included a host of new innovations to make your in-branch banking experience simpler, easier and more enjoyable.

Concierge service

Do you like being greeted at the door when you drop in on someone?  We do too.  That’s why we’ve implemented a friendly concierge service, where branch staff greet customers at the door before guiding them to the wherever in the branch suits their banking requirements

Open-plan telling area

The new-look open plan space lets staff sit out in the open and interact with customers without any of the traditional barriers that once existed between staff and customers. There’s no yelling through glass, just normal conversations that let you get what you need to get done quicker and simpler.

Teller-cash recyclers

While the idea of recycled cash might make you think of socks made from $20 notes or second hand 50c coins, a teller-cash recycler is in fact, a new  security measure we’ve implemented, which makes the open-plan telling area possible. These cash recyclers store cash in a time-delayed safe, which means that traditional security barriers are no longer necessary. In addition to the security these provide, they also automatically count cash for deposits and withdrawals, making your cash transactions faster and easier, because while we know how much you love spending time with us in-branch, there’s a few (hundred) other things you’d rather be doing!

Meet our Branch Manager

Sabrina Scicluna is the Branch Manager heading up the team at Roxburgh Park, and she says the best part of her job is interacting with customers and seeing them leave happy after their banking needs have been met. “I’m really looking forward to being part of the Roxburgh Park community, and being able to assist clients with their busy lifestyles by showing them ways to bank more effectively,” Sabrina explains. As for what she expects clients to be most impressed with at the new branch? “Definitely being able to bank 24/7, as well as the customer service on offer from my friendly team!”

Drop in and say hello to Sabrina and the Roxburgh Park Branch team and see for yourself how your banking has changed for the better.

Every year CommBank staff and our customers rally behind Clown Doctors to help bring fun and laughter to children in hospitals across Australia. It is an initiative that I am particularly proud to support as it lightens the lives of sick kids and their families using humour therapy. This year, thanks to our staff and our customers, we raised enough money to fund an additional five Clown Rounds for a full year. What does that mean?  Two Clown Doctors can visit five hospitals a week for 50 weeks of the year putting smiles on the faces of 30,000 sick children and their families.

I’m told research has shown that laughter delivers a variety of health benefits and provides a positive impact on the immune system. The money we raised will now assist the Clown Doctors in their hospital visits around the country, where they parody the hospital routine with their oversized medical equipment, ‘red-nose’ transplants, ‘cat’ scans, humour checks and funny bone examinations while simultaneously offering respite for families.

It is inspiring to see people get behind this worthy cause. Over the month of April, more than 1000 of our branches had staff embrace their inner clown by dressing up in colourful costumes, and hosted a range of fundraising activities, inviting local residents to make a donation. We also invited Sydneysiders to donate at the Royal Easter Show on Smile Day, the national fundraising day for the Clown Doctors, with a Smile Day Photo Booth.  Check out some of the photos.

We have supported the Clown Doctors since its inception in 1999, through the Bank’s Staff Community Fund. Current and retired staff make regular salary contributions to the Fund and these funds are vital for the continued existence of Clown Doctors, as the organisation receives no government or hospital funding.

For a proper introduction to the Clown Doctors, watch the following video.

Everyone loves to receive flowers, whether a hand-picked bunch from the garden or an enormous bouquet from a prestigious florist. The Victorian language of flowers[1] says to give irises to congratulate, sweet peas as thanks and, of course, red roses for true love. The question is – who do we deem the most important recipient of our floral bequests?

We thought it would be interesting to look at our credit card customers’ spending during the two main flower-giving periods of the year: Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day[2]. So, who do you think came out on top – your mother or your partner?

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a worldwide celebration of love and affection. It is also the time of year when Australians spend the most at florists.

• $89: the average amount spent in every visit to a florist during the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, the equivalent of 6 long stemmed red roses[3].
• $1,525,015: average annual Valentine’s Day spend from 2007-2012.
• 30%: the dramatic drop in spend, due to the impact of the GFC.

Why did the GFC affect Valentine’s Day so badly? Were people buying cheaper flowers, less expensive gifts or just ‘making do’ with a card? Did the GFC see Australia filled with disappointed partners or was this belt-tightening gracefully accepted?

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate, honour and thank the women we love and all they have done for us. We show our gratitude with cards and presents aplenty. But are beauty products, accessories or experiences our preferred gifts? Maybe bouquets are less expensive in May, or a more personal selection of stems works out cheaper? Because, we actually spend less on flowers now than we did just 3 months ago.

• $82: the average amount spent in every visit to a florist during the week leading up to Mother’s Day, 8% less than February.
• $1,193,321: average annual spend from 2007-2012.
• 22%: how much less we spent on bouquets for Mother’s Day when compared with Valentine’s Day.

Interestingly, despite our many GFC cutbacks, Mother’s Day spending in florists remained consistent over the years. The implication being that – regardless of the economic climate – we will always take this opportunity to say thank you.

Is the love for our mothers the strongest after all?

Why not treat your mum to something from Myer this Mother’s Day? Redeem your CommBank Awards points in-store instantly and you could upgrade your gift to something even more special

Last week we ran a poll on Facebook asking if you would classify yourself as more of a ‘saver’ than a ‘spender’. Interestingly the results were pretty even.

53% of people categorised themselves as savers with the remaining 47% in the spenders’ category. These results are in line with recent economic figures which suggest savings have been on the rise in the past two years for the average Australian.

Living costs across Australia have been on the rise over the past few years and many Australians have been executing diligent savings plans to cope with this.

If you are one of the people who would classify themselves as a ‘spender’ but would like to become a ‘saver’ you may find one of our savings tools beneficial. Additionally have a read of our post ‘Six ways to turbo charge your savings account’ for some tips to increase your bank balance.

Money can’t buy you love or happiness but a little extra cash in your bank account each week sure can’t hurt, but how do you make it happen?

Last year, Full-Time Adult Average Weekly Total Earnings rose by 4.7% (4.8% for males and 4.6% for females), according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). While rates of pay are trending upwards you may want to try for more. Here are  six ways to boost your pay packet.

1. Ask for it

Bosses are busy people so prepare a business case in writing so they can consider your request for a raise when convenient (and to help convince those higher in the food chain). Quantify your contribution in numbers or show how you’ve improved working practices. If you’re asking for more coin, you will be expected to show why you deserve it, so be prepared.

2. Change occupation or industry

The ABS figures also show that in 2012, managers had the highest average weekly total cash earnings ($1,926.40) while sales workers had the lowest ($606.60). As far as industries go, average weekly earnings were highest in mining ($2,388.20). The lowest paid worked in the accommodation and food services industry ($538.80). The moral: If you are in a low paying area it may be time to re-consider your career path. One way to re-route is through study…

3. Get some education

A few letters after your name, or relevant training can seriously boost your earning power. When competition gets tough, make sure you have the latest qualifications to take you to the top. Or enrol in something completely different and launch a new career.

4. Change employers

Moving companies can be an easier way to win a pay rise than to wait for the internal cogs to turn (or for someone to resign or die). Sign up for job alerts with employment websites or register with recruitment agencies, so you are kept in the loop with employment opportunities. Charlotte, a Sydney marketing executive, has used this tactic to great effect. “I’ve always found it easier to get a pay rise by moving jobs,” she says. “I’ve actually doubled my salary in six years by doing just that.”

5. Go temp or work for yourself

Temporary, casual and contract staff are often paid more than full-timers. Benjamin, a freelance graphic designer, earns much more on an hourly rate than he did as an agency employee. “You still need to factor in your own deductions like tax, super, holiday pay, office expenses and quiet times,” he explains. Setting up your own business can be another way to lift the ceiling on your earnings, but it can take time and a lot of hard work to get there.

6. Work overseas

More than 800,000 Australians are currently working overseas. With a growing global marketplace, the opportunities to fast track your career, experience and salary by being employed in another country are numerous. Many employers look very positively on potential staff who have overseas work experience, and your skill set may be worth more abroad.

Know your worth

How much are you worth? Check out the MyCareer Salary Centre and use the online Pay Rise Calculator to see how much difference a raise would make then find out the minimum and maximum market rate for your job.