Advertising and Marketing
Europe must act to stop debt contamination spreading across the world: Maley The CEO of the world's biggest bond fund manager has told a Sydney audience why it is in the interests of all Europeans to solve Greece’s financial problems – unless...Read More |
Apple denies developers location-based ads Tech giant Apple has told iPhone app developers they cannot create apps which use location-based advertisements. Read More |
THE LIGHTER SIDE: The art of ad copy If you've ever struggled to write beautiful ad copy, then perhaps this clip from the very funny ABC show 'Very Small Business' will provide some inspiration.Read More |
LinkedIn for 2010 There are so many different social media community portals on the web that it can be a challenge to keep them all up-to-date.Read More |
Astronauts update Twitter from the International Space Station A new software upgrade from NASA has allowed astronauts to update their Twitter feeds while in service.Read More |
Buy or Sell a Business
Is Amazon moving into touchscreen territory? Online retail giant Amazon is reportedly looking into touchscreens for an update to its Kindle eReader device. Read More |
Toll road operator Connector Motorways collapses with debts of $1.16 billion Connector Motorways has collapsed into administration with $1.16 billion in debt after the expiry of a fourth stay of execution from financial backer MBIA Insurance.Read More |
Joint venture rescue hope for collapsed clothing label Ksubi Fashion chain Ksubi could be rescued from administration due to a proposed joint venture between the company’s shareholders and major manufacturing partner Bleach.Read More |
Kraft buys Cadbury in $21 billion deal, ending weeks of speculation Kraft reportedly amended its original deal in order to earn the approval of both Cadbury and billionaire Warren Buffet, who is Kraft’s biggest shareholder. Read More |
Collapsed retail chain BabyCo to be revived A former BabyCo supplier has purchased the collapsed retail chain for an undisclosed amount and plans to expand the business over the next six months.Read More |
Business Start-Up
The top 10 start-up vows  For every entrepreneur starting out, it's imperative to have start-up 'vows'. And for those with already established businesses, it never hurts to renew them.Read More
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Start up secrets  Meet the winners of the inaugural SmartCompany Crown Lager Business Start Up Awards.Read More
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SmartCompany Crown Lager Business Start Up Awards winners revealed The SmartCompany Crown Lager Business Start Up Awards were held at Melbourne's Crown Casino Wednesday night, with Point Project Management taking out the top award.Read More |
If I knew then what I know now  With time and experience comes wisdom. SmartCompany's team of entrepreneurs and experts share their best start up tips, which will hold you in good stead as you embark on your...Read More
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Tap into university research programs  Turning to specialists in research and educational institutions could give your business a competitive advantage.Read More
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Cashflow
Payment terms stretch again as SMEs fight continuing cashflow squeeze New data from Dun & Bradstreet shows payment terms stretched by 2.1 days to 53.9 days, all but wiping out the fall in payment terms seen in the December quarter....Read More |
Government pays 96.5% of SME invoices within 30 days The Government’s move to pay 96.5% of its invoices from small businesses within 30 days during the last financial year, has been praised by industry experts as a major benefit...Read More |
SMEs warned post-Christmas cashflow crisis will result in a spike in collapses Following the Christmas period, cashflow is notoriously tight through most of January and into early February. Here’s how to get the cash flowing again.Read More |
Banks tipped to hit businesses even harder as bad debts soar Expert warns a record spike in the level of bad debts held by Australia’s banks means their harsh treatment of business customers is far from over.Read More |
Tammy May  Australia's love of debt has created a big business opportunity for MyBudget chief executive Tammy May. Read More
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Export
Doing business with China To do business well in China you need to embrace the concept of 'guanxi' – the art of building a business relationship. Read More |
Can a company who imports products in turn export those products to the UK? Before entering into sub-distribution arrangements with other distributors in other territories, a number of things should be established.Read More |
Business without borders Just a slight conceptual tweak can make the idea of doing business overseas much easier to digest.Read More |
Successful exporting doesn't necessarily mean that you have to do business across borders Global export opportunities could be closer than you think - just take a look in your own backyard.Read More |
How can I protect my designs? You are all probably aware of the need for trademark registration for your name, logo and even slogan, but not many people know that they can protect the shape of...Read More |
Franchising
Adrian Morrissy  Wokinabox founder Adrian Morrissy, explains why franchisees must be willing to work in their business.Read More
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Expert panel holds hearings to consider stronger unconscionable conduct law for franchising The FCA and franchising industry figures hold discussions with the Government over whether unconscionable conduct laws for the franchising sector need to be strengthened. Read More |
Allied Brands secures $4.9 million in US funding to expand franchise division Allied Brands will push ahead with the expansion of its franchise services division after equity injection.Read More |
Retail Food Group continues run of acquisitions RFG continues its mini-spree of acquisitions, announcing it has reacquired Brumby Bakeries master franchises for WA and the Northern Territory for an undisclosed price. Read More |
American brands at risk of failure, franchise expert warns An industry experts warns US franchises are at risk of failure if they enter the Australian market and refuse to acknowledge consumer or cultural differences.Read More |
Property
Building company Austruc collapses The beleaguered NSW building industry has lost another company, with the collapse of construction and development company Austruc Constructions, with debts of $35 million.Read More |
Investors, upgraders take over from first home buyers as auctions start strongly The housing sector still going strong despite the first home owners grant phasing out on December 31, with clearance rates and volumes similar or higher than last year’s results.Read More |
A decade in review  Over the last 10 years the Australian property market has recorded an annualised rate of growth just below 10% each year however, the results vary greatly between each city.Read More
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Where is Australia's housing market REALLY heading?  Australia's housing market has always been one of the most talked-about sectors of the economy, but the recent surge in property prices – against the backdrop of the subprime crisis...Read More
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The best performing investments of the last decade Property has created more millionaires in Australia than any other form of investment.Read More |
Retail
Sales
How do I deal with client objections? Utilising your best communication skills, such as focused questioning, active listening and creative problem solving are keys to eliminating objections.Read More |
Where's the growth?  Where is growth coming from in your industry? Wherever it is, you need to be part of it.Read More
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Are you ‘equal to’ or ‘greater than’? Selling is a grind when you are doing the same thing as your competitors. You must fight to stand out.Read More |
Lead the way Sadly, too many businesses still consider customers the sole responsibility of sales and marketing. This is just asking for trouble.Read More |
Tracking the trends  Monitor the trends in your industry to uncover valuable business opportunities.Read More
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Tax
Game developers to receive R&D tax concessions Video game developers may receive tax concessions under new proposals being considered by the Federal Government for research and development.Read More |
Insolvencies to rise if ATO embarks on penalty notices push Experts warn the number of businesses being put into administration could increase if the Government ramps up its distribution of director penalty notices.Read More |
SMEs could be hit with extra tax on vehicles bought through 50% investment allowance A government crackdown could see businesses being charged extra tax on vehicles bought under the 50% investment allowance scheme.Read More |
What the new Paid Parental Leave scheme means  With the introduction of the Government's Paid Parental Leave scheme in May, SMEs need to be aware of the tax implications.Read More
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Superannuation
DIY super performance check-up  DIY fund trustees should begin 2010 by giving their funds a full performance check-up.Read More
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ATO warning on exceeding super contributions limits  Super fund members need to be very careful when making extra contribtions - exceed the annual contribution caps and you'll face big penalties.Read More
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Super fund surge continues The remarkable turnaround for Australian super fund investors continued in December 2009, with new data from SuperRatings showing the average balanced super fund returned 2.1% in the month.Read More |
Superannuation review proposes simpler system for default super funds The first report from the Super System Review has recommended developing a new class of basic super funds for fund members who don’t want to choose the type of fund...Read More |
Separating the “cares” from the “don’t cares” in superannuation: Kohler The Super System Review proposes, in effect, to divide super schemes into 'care' and 'don't care' products. Given how many people don't care, this looks like a good idea. Read More |
Sales and Marketing
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