In 2010, the Sydney Writers' Centre won the NSW Telstra Business Awards Micro-business of the Year. In 2009, it was named by Dell as one of the 10 most innovative small businesses in Australia. With a passion for building online communities, Valerie has transformed the concept of the traditional cottage writers' centre into a dynamic community of aspiring writers from all over the world.
In addition to its flagship habourside premises, thousands of students participate in courses which include creative writing, magazine writing, business writing, travel writing, novel writing, grammar and punctuation, media releases and much more. With a Bachelor of Economics (majoring in accounting) and a Graduate Diploma in Communication (journalism, public relations), Valerie began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers before joining a national public relations firm.
She has worked at three major publishing houses -- ACP Magazines, EMAP and Pacific Magazines — including three years in Singapore. Valerie is also a small business commentator for major media in Australia.
Her popular Enterprise blog appears in smh.com.au, theage.com.au, watoday.com.au and brisbanetimes.com.au.
Valerie is passionate about leading a business that fosters creativity, nurtures talent and helps people achieve their dreams.
Learn to tell stories that have the power to inspire, motivate, and sell
Storytelling in business is a skill that's rarely taught - and often forgotten. But it gives those who get it right the power to inspire and engage people more than any pie chart or spreadsheet ever will. Stories foster a deeply human connection, and Power Stories: The 8 Stories You Must Tell to Build an Epic Business gives readers the skills they need to master this lost art to make sales and seal deals. Whether it's in person or online, storytelling is an influential and persuasive tool. This book reveals how to discover the stories sitting under your nose and harness them for your business.
From power stories readers need to know to how to turn prospects into customers, and customers into raving fans, the book covers exactly how and when to employ the power of storytelling, and is packed with proven strategies and real-life examples that bring the key concepts to life.
Written by Valerie Khoo, a respected small business commentator and successful entrepreneur, Power Stories gives professionals everywhere the tools they need to craft and tell great stories to create a competitive advantage.
Valerie Khoo, Robert Gerrish and Suzi Dafnis look at how small businesses can best market themselves in this episode of The Venture.This episode of The Venture looks at: How can small businesses most effectively market themselves (Online is going to be an obvious choice, but is it about method, frequency, having a plan, consistency?) Does [...]
According to Valerie Khoo of the Sydney Writers' Centre, storytelling can inspire, sell and motivate people into action. What are the key stories that YOU tell that will help your business stand out in customers minds? And how can you use social media to spread your stories? Mentioned in episode LinkedIn [...]
This episode of The Venture examines the popularity of daily deal websites and looks at whether or not small business owners really do benefit from running a deal.Many of us are the recipients of daily deal offers from the likes of Living Social, CUDO, Jump On it, Spreets, and so on. Each day we are [...]
Regardless of what industry you are in, there is probably a trade show that you could be involved with. But how useful are trade fairs for small business? Robert Gerrish and Valerie Khoo discuss with host Suzi Dafnis.In this episode of The Venture, we discuss: How useful are trade fairs for businesses (specifically small businesses)? [...]
With the growth of tablet devices, there's now an app for almost anything. This episode looks at apps that are great for different aspects of business.In this episode of The Venture, we discuss: What apps are you using that you think great for small business? Sample Apps in these categories: Productivity Communication and Collaboration Social [...]
Are you making best use of the online marketing options available to you? Suzi Dafnis discusses how online marketing is changing with guests Robert Gerrish and Valerie Khoo.In this episode of The Venture, we discuss: What's happening with online marketing? How has it changed? What's current and new in the way that it's being used? [...]
Is outsourcing right for you? How could you benefit from outsourcing some tasks in your business? This episode reveals the pros and cons of getting the much-needed leverage that small businesses often need.For many small businesses, the prospect of employing a staff member is often clouded by the commitment of having to be accountable for [...]
What is the ideal workspace? Where are you most productive? This episode looks at ideas to be more productive, no matter where you do your work.Most of us have a place where we work each day, whether it's a home office or a commercial space. And occasionally, we are required to work and be productive [...]
Whether you win or lose, entering awards programs in your industry can be a great way to build your business profile. This episode looks at how to make the most of the opportunity that awards represent.Is it worth it for your business to submit an entry to industry awards? In this episode, we discuss how [...]
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