• Zeller for Startups

How to Build a Sustainable Startup Team Culture

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Startup culture isn’t just table tennis, pizza Fridays and funny GIFs on Slack.

Those things are all great, but they’re not really what drives people to stay up late solving hard problems or rally behind a shared mission. The real culture of a startup lives in what people do when no one’s watching – how they make decisions, handle conflict, support each other and show up when things get tough.

A company’s culture is like an iceberg: the visible stuff above the surface may get attention, but the bulk of what matters lies beneath in the shared values, behaviours and assumptions that shape how your team operates. Culture is an invisible force that can either propel your startup forward, or quietly pull it apart. That’s why building a healthy, sustainable team culture can’t be left to chance.

Why startup culture matters from day one.

Culture isn't a "nice-to-have", it's a critical foundation. Your early team sets the tone for everything that follows. Toxic personalities or bad habits can veer your company off course, sometimes quickly. As the saying goes, ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’. Even the best business plan falters if the company's culture is misaligned. Studies show founders' cultural choices can actually have more impact on startup success than even the initial idea or funding.

A well-cultivated culture inspires motivation, collaboration and resilience. Conversely, a dysfunctional culture leads to miscommunication, low morale and high turnover, potentially lethal for an early-stage company. By prioritising culture from the start, you lay the groundwork for sustainable growth.

Practical team-building strategies for startups.

Even with just a few team members, you can build a great culture. Here’s how.

  • Hire for values and cultural fit, not just skills: Each early hire has an outsized impact. Look beyond technical talent for people who share your core values and mission. One arrogant "rock star" can drag everyone down, whereas someone passionate and collaborative lifts your culture every day.

  • Foster open communication and transparency: Create a culture of trust and dialogue. Encourage everyone to speak up and share ideas freely. Lead with transparency about goals and challenges. When people feel heard and understand what's happening, they become more invested.

  • Invest in team-building and celebrate wins: Strengthen bonds with simple activities like team lunches, monthly outings, or virtual games. Celebrate small wins by toasting project launches or giving shout-outs. 

  • Encourage personal and professional growth: Support teammates in improving their skills and advancing their careers through online courses, mentorships, or passion projects. When people feel they're growing with the business, they stay motivated. As a founder, be a coach helping each person reach their potential.

  • Recognise and reward contributions: Acknowledge hard work through public compliments, rewards or promotions. Also, give detailed, constructive feedback frequently so everyone knows how to improve. Good feedback is gold.

  • Share ownership and encourage leadership: Give your team real ownership of their work. Set clear outcomes and let individuals find their path without micromanagement. This autonomy speeds execution and develops future leaders. Reward initiative and accountability to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset.

Define and maintain your values as you grow.

Define your startup's core values early. These guiding principles explain what your company stands for and how team members should behave.  

Start by asking, what values do we want to embody? What behaviours are non-negotiable? Brainstorm with your early team, then distill the list to specific, meaningful values rather than buzzwords. For example instead of "Integrity," choose actionable phrases like "Customer first" or "Speak up."

Make values a living part of your company. Introduce them during onboarding, weave them into conversations, and use them in decision-making. Be prepared to evolve values as your team grows. Revisit them at milestone team sizes (e.g. 10, 20, 50 employees) to ensure they still resonate. Include newer team members in these discussions to integrate their perspectives.

Balance flexibility with accountability.

Startup culture typically embraces flexibility – minimal bureaucracy, adaptable processes, flexible working arrangements. This flexibility is advantageous for moving fast, but must balance with accountability. Think of it as being loose and tight in the right places: loose in how people work, tight in the outcomes they deliver.

It might not matter what time of day your developer writes code or if your graphic designer works remotely, that's flexibility. But pair it with clear expectations about quality standards, deadlines, and targets. Each team member should understand what they owe the team.

Set clear, transparent goals for the company and individuals so everyone knows what they're aiming for. Track progress regularly through brief check-ins or project boards. Empower team members with ownership of their domains, giving them decision-making authority alongside responsibility for outcomes.

When mistakes happen, focus on solutions and learning rather than blame. Maintain open communication where anyone can flag concerns early. As a founder, model this balance yourself by demonstrating accountability in your actions while respecting healthy boundaries.

Steer clear of toxic hustle culture.

The startup world often glorifies "hustle", 80-hour weeks and an always-on mentality. While hard work is necessary, toxic hustle culture ultimately causes burnout. A culture expecting frequent late nights and constant availability might yield short-term output spikes, but isn't sustainable. Chronically overworked employees become less productive and more likely to quit.

Instead, cultivate lasting motivation through balance. Emphasise working smarter rather than just long hours. Value results, creativity and wellbeing over time logged.  

Of course, there will be crunch times in any startup, for example a late night before a big launch, but ensure everyone knows these are temporary sprints. After intense periods, provide an opportunity for recovery time. This way, people understand that pushing hard is occasional, not constant.

Embed equity, inclusion and wellbeing from the outset.

Build principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and wellbeing into your culture from the beginning. It's easier to establish inclusive practices early than retrofit them later.

Diverse teams bring different perspectives, leading to better problem-solving and innovation. Be mindful in early hires to build a varied team. Inclusion means everyone feels valued and heard, so ensure meetings aren't dominated by the loudest voices and rotate leadership opportunities.

Focus on equity and fairness. Use consistent criteria for promotions and raises. Give all team members equal access to opportunities and recognition. Be transparent about stock options or other benefits. Establish zero tolerance for bias or discrimination.

Prioritise wellbeing culturally. Encourage reasonable work hours and ensure people take leave and breaks. Support mental and physical health through traditions like "Wellness Wednesday" walks or meditations. Be flexible during personal challenges. Work-life balance fuels sustained performance.

Document and communicate your team strategy.

As your startup grows, documenting your culture and building a team strategy becomes essential to keeping everyone aligned. This isn't about rigid rules, it's about clarity. Create a culture handbook or team operating manual to capture your mission, values, and working norms in writing.

Include your mission statement, core values, key practices, and illustrative stories. Share it externally to attract like-minded talent and inform partners about your company values.

Treat this as a living document and revisit it as you grow to ensure it remains relevant. By the time you’ve grown to a certain number of employees (say ten or so), host a workshop to review values and update the handbook.

Actively communicate your culture beyond documentation. Share strategic updates openly. Encourage managers to discuss values in one-on-ones. Reinforce cultural messages during onboarding and through varied reminders like newsletters, Slack updates, or workspace posters.

Clear communication boosts trust. When your team understands what's happening and why, they're more engaged and accountable.

Lay a solid foundation for sustainable growth.

Building sustainable culture requires continuous effort, such as constantly listening to your team, refining your approaches, and leading by example. The payoff is a thriving startup powered by a motivated team that believes in what they're doing.

Sustainable growth also requires solid operational foundations. Even great culture can be undermined by stress over late payments or messy expense processes. Tools that streamline financial management free you to focus on team and product development.That’s where tools like Zeller for Startups come in.

From fee-free business accounts to smart corporate cards with real-time expense tracking to high-interest savings accounts and more, Zeller for Startups has all the financial management tools to help you build a business that lasts.

Create a culture that scales with you.

A sustainable startup culture doesn't happen accidentally, it's built through deliberate actions and mindful leadership. From hiring and communication to preventing burnout and promoting inclusivity, every choice shapes your company's cultural fabric. Get these fundamentals right early, and you'll create a workplace that attracts talent, maintains passion, and drives growth while being a genuinely great place to work.

Start smart with Zeller for Startups

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Community, Comedy, and Not Commbank: The Winning Mix for this Darwin Bar

When the opportunity came up for husband-and-wife team, Briant and Monica, to take over a bar in Darwin City, they seized it, signing the contracts and opening the doors all within the same week. Discover how fostering a community and creating an efficient tech stack helped them get a stellar start. Holding down full-time government jobs in international marketing and law enforcement, Monica and Briant weren’t exactly planning on the career change that came their way in September, 2023. They were familiar faces at  The Last Supper , a bar and restaurant in Darwin City, where Briant had been running a comedy club on Friday nights. Monica had also become known for her  Pasta Parties  — a side hustle teaching people how to make fresh pasta. So, when the owner of The Last Supper decided it was time to sell, the couple were the perfect prospects. “When the owner approached us, our first thought was, why would we want a bar? That's a terrible idea,” laughs Monica. But, buoyed by the fact that their comedy and pasta class events were already attracting good numbers, they decided to take up the challenge. “We signed the paperwork on Monday, paid the money on Tuesday, got the keys on Wednesday and opened on Thursday,” explains Monica, “We hit the ground running,” says Briant. In just three days, Monica and Briant needed to get set up with a solution for taking payments and managing their money. Their natural first step was to open a  business bank account  with Commbank. “They really messed us around,” says Monica, “We had to go into a branch, we waited an hour for an interview, and then they wanted all this paperwork,” she continues, “We were already customers of theirs, and we simply wanted an account to deposit money into. They just couldn’t make it happen in time.” That’s when they researched their options and found  Zeller . “Monica literally just jumped online, and opened a  Zeller Transaction Account ,” says Briant. They bought  Zeller Terminals , and set themselves up with virtual  debit cards  on their phones straight away. “Setting up Zeller was very easy. We were able to provide all the company paperwork once we were already up and running. It was just so easy. So then we thought, well, why change?” Since then, they have continued to use Zeller as their primary financial management tool, incorporating a  Zeller Savings Account  to earn interest on idle funds,  Zeller App  to monitor sales when they’re not on site, and  Zeller Virtual Terminal  to take deposits for large bookings. The benefit of launching a business in today’s age means being able to build a tech stack with all the latest innovations, rather than dealing with incumbent solutions. From day one, Monica and Briant have sought to “work smarter not harder”, integrating a number of other platforms into the business. “As well as Zeller, we use  TryBooking  for our events,  Wix , for our website and to manage reservations,  Swift POS  is our point-of-sale, and soon I’ll use it for managing our takeaway orders too. Plus we use  Harvest  for time tracking,  Deputy  for rostering, and  Xero  for accounting,” explains Monica. Using technology to keep their operations efficient, has given Monica and Briant more time back in their day to work on the strategic aspects of the business. “A lot of what we do is about building community and connection,” Briant says, “Events are a big part of our business.” Indeed,  The Last Supper’s ‘What’s On ’ page offers an impressive line up, with no less than 46 events running over the last three months of the year: from comedy and karaoke nights to painting and cooking classes, gastronomic-themed parties, reading clubs, concerts, and more. “At the events, we walk around and talk to our customers. It’s quirky, it’s inviting. People love coming here and hanging out,” Briant says, “Some people who came in on the weekend for one of our Pasta Parties ended up making friends and stayed here for eight hours!” Briant laughs. By building a strong local following, Monica and Briant have avoided being reliant on the seasonal tourist trade that dictates the success of many hospitality venues in Darwin. “We thrived through the wet season, when the tourists weren't here,” says Briant. But the popularity of their events didn’t just happen overnight: Monica’s carefully defined marketing strategy has been instrumental in keeping people coming back. “We do a lot of paid socials. We've got an e-mail database that we've built up through events and through our website. We're very active on our Google Business Profile and that helps our SEO. And we’re part of a number of organisations, such as Tourism Top End and Hospitality NT,” explains Monica. While Monica and Briant have harnessed a variety of modern tools to help alleviate their workload and speed up operational tasks, it hasn’t resulted in a hands-off approach. On the contrary, it has enabled them to be even more hands-on in the areas that matter the most: getting to know their customers, building a community, and creating experiences that serve them again and again. Having just celebrated the anniversary of their first year in business, you can rest-assured, their last supper it most certainly isn’t.

Want to Turn Tables 73% Faster? Introducing Zeller Bill at Table.

Picture this. It’s a busy Friday night and you have a growing line of hungry diners waiting to be seated. You look around the restaurant and can see several tables that have finished their meals and are now trying to catch the eye of a waiter to make the inevitable ‘May we please have the bill?’ gesture. From that point on, a series of steps will typically take place. The waiter will: 1. Head to the POS, print the bill and place it in a billholder 2. Take it to the table for the diners to give it a once over 3. Once the diners have signalled their approval, head back to the POS 4. Return to the table with an EFTPOS machine 5. Process the payment at the table That's five lengthy steps in a best case scenario where the restaurant is already taking payment tableside. If not, it’s even lengthier. This bill-time bottleneck has been slowing table turnover down for years, but thankfully our newest feature Bill at Table is here to change the restaurant payment process for good. What is Bill at Table? Zeller Bill at Table enables you to present your diners with digital, itemised bills displayed on Zeller Terminal's large-format screen, and then accept payment tableside instantly. It helps you to turn tables up to 73% faster from bill request to out-the-door, provide a streamlined diner experience and ultimately increase revenue by seating more tables. Bill at Table works seamlessly with Impos and Tevalis point-of-sale, and makes the checkout process smoother and more rewarding for everyone involved. How does Zeller Bill at Table work? Once enabled, using Bill at Table is simple: Choose a table: On your Zeller Terminal , select the table in your venue from the list. Present the digital bill: Show the itemised bill to your diners on-screen. Process the payment: Diners can pay with their card or mobile device, and even add a tip or split the bill amongst their group. Offer a receipt: If requested, provide the diner with a printed or digital receipt. The diner can also scan the QR code on-screen to download the receipt to their device. This straightforward process combines billing and payment into one step, cutting down wait times and improving the overall experience. What are the benefits of Bill at Table? Bill at Table significantly cuts down the time taken to turn tables at the end of the meal . In fact, restaurants who have implemented Zeller Bill at Table have seen table turnover time slashed by as much as 73% , ultimately enabling them to serve up to three additional tables in every sitting. Take tips tableside with Pay at Table. By using Bill at Table and Pay at Table , patrons are more likely to leave a tip than if they head up to the counter to pay, because as Ben Hickey from The Roosevelt in Potts Point said, “When they get up to pay, the magic is gone”. With the tipping prompt built seamlessly into Zeller Terminal, wait staff don't have to ask the awkward question, ‘Would you like to leave a tip?’ – the system prompts it instead. How to get started with Zeller Bill at Table. Bringing Zeller Bill at Table into your restaurant is easy: Check compatibility: Make sure your venue uses Impos or Tevalis point-of-sale, and that it’s integrated with Zeller. We’ll be bringing Bill at Table to many other POS very soon. If you’d like to see it integrated with yours, please let us know at feedback@myzeller.com Chat with our sales team: They’ll guide you through the steps to getting Bill at Table up and running in your business. Train your staff: Guide your team through the simple process to ensure a smooth implementation. By enabling Bill at Table, your restaurant can improve efficiency and enhance the billing experience for both staff and diners. It’s one of those little things that add up to make a big difference. Say goodbye to frustrated diners and sub-optimal table turnover. Say hello to Zeller Bill at Table.

How Pay at Table with Zeller Terminal Can Boost Your Restaurant Revenue

Our latest payments feature is here and it’s revolutionising the hospitality experience. The payment process is often the Achilles’ heel of many restaurant experiences. How many times have you received the bill, placed your credit card down, and then had to wait another fifteen minutes before being able to finally pay for your meal? Countless. This is because, until now, many restaurants have been hamstrung by a disconnection between their point-of-sale machine and their EFTPOS terminal. The time it takes for a waiter to deliver the bill to the diners, retrieve the payment terminal, return to the table, then round off the table in the POS system , is considerable. Multiply this by the number of tables in the venue and you can easily understand the aforementioned delay. Pay at Table technology is changing that. By centralising the POS and payment process into one device, Pay at Table bridges the gap between tapping or swiping a card, and settling the bill in the system. Read on to understand how this technology works and how it can help turn over tables faster, and ultimately drive revenue for your restaurant. If your restaurant is currently not using a POS system and you value efficiency and improving customer experience, consider exploring the best POS systems for restaurants in Australia . These systems can further streamline your payment process, helping you turn over tables faster and ultimately drive revenue. How does Pay at Table work? Pay at Table is effectively an extension of your POS machine, on your EFTPOS terminal. Waiters pick up Zeller Terminal , view open tables, see total outstanding bills, take payments and close tables — all on one device. Rather than the customer paying at the counter or finalising the bill in the traditional, time-consuming manner, waitstaff can deliver the bill and the mobile payment device, all at the same time. The status of a table is updated in real time and synced across all machines, reducing human error and optimising the whole operation. Benefits of Pay at Table technology 1. Increased efficiency Being able to close a table independently of the POS machine means that the latter isn’t blocked by taking payments, it can instead be used to open and manage tables. Naturally, this reduces foot traffic throughout the venue, eliminates queues, and turns tables over more quickly. Staff are freed up to process orders faster, leading to improved service and ultimately, higher sales. 2. Improved customer satisfaction Leaving customers waiting to pay for their bill can leave a bad taste in the mouth — pun not intended. Zeller Terminal’s Pay at Table functionality makes for a smoother process and offers the added benefit of allowing customers to split the cost by the number of people or by a custom amount . 3. Encourages generous tipping Zeller Terminal comes with a built-in tool which can easily calculate the fair amount for a gratuity and will provide the customer with various tipping options to choose from. Displayed clearly for your customers to review, this feature can increase your server’s tip earnings and erase confusion surrounding tipping protocol. Zeller Terminal makes it as easy as possible to prompt your customers to leave a tip, either as a percentage of the purchase amount or a custom amount. Or, you can switch the functionality off altogether. 4. Helps build a customer relationship When wait staff use Pay at Table, an opportunity is provided to spend more time interacting with the customers, ensuring they’ve had a great dining experience in your establishment. The technology also means you can email digital receipts on the spot. Not only is this handy for your customer’s record-keeping and to reduce costs and waste associated with paper receipts, but it’s a great way to expand your customer database by capturing email addresses. You may be able to use these details to keep in touch with your diners, providing them with up-to-date news and special offers that will keep them coming back to your restaurant. 5. Safer transactions Payment security is front of mind for most consumers these days. By having a mobile payment device available, your customer’s card remains in their possession at all times. This offers them security knowing that no one else has had access to their card details or identity. It can also mean fewer chargebacks for your business to handle. The next generation of payment processing Pay at Table is just one example of the many ways that traditional payments are evolving to keep up with the times. New technology is affording us more flexibility to create industry-specific solutions while emerging trends are changing the way we pay. Get started with Pay at Table today Pay at Table is currently available to use with selected POS systems. Contact our Sales Team to learn more about installing Pay at Table on your Zeller Terminals today. 

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