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1. Top social media campaigns & what you can learn from them

Social media is a great business tool, but how many companies are actually using it well? With so many SMEs and huge brands now using sites like Twitter and Facebook to promote themselves, simply creating a basic fan page isn't enough.Businesses need to be creating and designing social media marketing campaigns to connect...

2. Crust Gourmet Pizza founder’s winning recipe

Costa Anastasiadis evolved his business from a single pizza shop into a 17 store franchise chain, with plans for 40, in just seven years. He shares his secret ingredient with JAMES THOMSON By James Thomson

3. How we solved our start-up challenges

You have to be brave, passionate and smart to start a business. Given how challenging the process can be, it pays to be a little crazy as well. Finding investors, managing cashflow, building credibility and establishing a great team are just some of the problems start-up entrepreneurs face. A new wave of budding start-up owne...

4. Top social media campaigns & what you can learn from them

This article first appeared August 10, 2010. Social media is a great business tool, but how many companies are actually using it well? With so many SMEs and huge brands now using sites like Twitter and Facebook to promote themselves, simply creating a basic fan page isn't enough.

5. Meet the Smart50 of 2008

Welcome to the Smart50 for 2008. This special bunch of companies are fast growing and innovative. They are web-savvy, both Gen-Ys and baby boomers. They don't need your money, and they are setting trends for the future.

6. What can I do about the office kitchen pigs?

Dear Aunty B, I am on the verge of burning our kitchen to the ground. It is an absolute pigsty of dirty dishes, crusty breakfast plates and smeary cutlery. I only occasionally wander in to get a cup of tea and can never even find a clean cup! We have tried everything. Rosters, warnings, threats, and nothing works....

7. Todd Clayton

Eagle Boys Pizza chief executive Todd Clayton is gearing up for a big year. He's just opened the franchise chain's 300th store and is planning to open a total of 50 new stores in 2010, as part of a $20 million expansion. Eagle Boys, which had revenue of $143.5 million in 2008-09 is now backed by a private equity firm and is intent on grow...

8. Meet the Smart50 of 2009

Downturn... what downturn? Despite one of the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, the finalists in SmartCompany's Smart50 awards have sailed through the last 12 months. Sure, many of these companies have had to make adjustments, such as keeping a tight rein on costs, consolidating their product range and increasing their serv...

9. Why can’t staff eat breakfast at home?

This article first appeared on August 8, 2008. Dear Aunty B, I assume you are a woman of my vintage and will share my sentiments on the vexing question of where one should eat your breakfast. I have had my bowl of muesli, marmalade toast with tea at my kitchen table, so I arrive at work ready for work. But my staff arrive at work so they can eat breakfast. I might well be in the middle of talking to one of them only ...

10. Tom Potter

Today on Lunch with an Entrepreneur I'm talking to Tom Potter, the founder of Eagle Boys Pizza franchise chain. Tom started the chain in 1987, grew it to 200 stores with an annual turnover of more than $100 million, sold it and now he is up so something new. Hi Tom. So what did you sell it for? Come on, tell us the figure.

11. Email marketing ROI continues to trounce that of social netw

Regular readers of this blog will by now understand the importance of keeping abreast of new business and technology developments.   In such a fast moving space, one can’t afford to be left behind and risk losing business to nimbler, faster and better-informed competitors. But so much attention to new developments can also have a downside – overexposure to hype. Boring but effective For example, it may surprise you to kn...

12. The best and worst awards of 2009

13. Women and kids clothing to weather retail downturn

The womens wear and childrens wear segments will prove resilient, predicts IBISWorld in a review of retail spending projections. The womens wear and childrens wear segments will prove resilient, predicts IBISWorld in a review of retail spending projections. The Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival is set to get under way against a backdrop of

14. Veteran fashion entrepreneur buys assets of collapsed manufa

Veteran fashion entrepreneur Jeff Moss, the former owner of the Rockmans, Wombat and Table Eight brands, has bought the assets of the collapsed manufacturer Mercury Brands. Moss announced this morning that his company Australian Horizons has bought the rights to Mercury's more than 20 brands and licenses across men's, women's and children's wear, along with the purchase of inventory, forward orders and existing debtor book. Brands include No Fear, Purr, French Kitty, Crust...

15. Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars

Costa Anastasiadis Smart50 rank: 18...

16. Simon Lloyd

They don’t have coastal cache, but regional investments carry bragging rights all their own.Striking gold in EmeraldInvesting in property carries a certain image imperative, don’t you think?After all, if you’re sinkin...

17. Kidspot.com.au

Katie May Smart50 rank: 17Revenue:

18. Tech stars dominate Young Rich list, as Nathan Tinkler grabs

A group of young technology entrepreneurs that includes the founders of software-as-a-service pioneers Atlassaian and Aconex, a leading iPhone app developer and two telco company founders, have emerged as the new face of BRW's Young Rich. While coal baron Nathan Tinkler regained top spot on the list with a fortune of $610 million, the most spectacular increase on the list came from Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, founders of collaboration software firm Atlassian. The pair...

19. A grinding battle is brewing: Original Coffee Guy tells of h

A small business which has been trading as Coffee Guy since 2006 is now struggling against the might of the Retail Food Group and its introduction of The Coffee Guy brand to Australia. The Australian Securities Exchange listed RFG-acquired New Zealand company The Coffee Guy Group for NZ$5.5 million ($A4.36m) last year, and RFG has now brought the business to Australia. Bu...

20. Costa Anastasiadis

Age: 30Company: Crust Gourmet Pizza BarsSector: Hospitality When he was 19, Costa Anastasiadis thought he would follow his love of soccer and eventually scored a professional contract with the English Scarborough football club. But after only three years, he was forced to return ho...

21. Smart50 defy the downturn and hire 900 staff in 2009

The resilience of Australia's SME community has been highlighted by the announcement of the Smart50 awards, sponsored by Westpac. This is the first list of Australia's fastest-growing SMEs to be published since the end of the 2008-09 financial year. In a year in which the economy was rocked by numerous corporate collapses and many sec...

22. How I use free pizza to connect with my Twitter followers

Crust Gourmet Pizza was founded in 2001 after managing director Costa Anastasiadis gave up a promising soccer career in Europe to help the struggling family business back home. Now the chain has dozens of locations in five states, with more to come, and has turnover of about $70 million. The company has broken into social networkin...

23. Former Smart50 winners Atlassian rocket to top of Young Rich

Former Smart50 winners Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar have managed to tip mining mogul Nathan Tinkler off the top of the BRW Young Rich List, riding their company's wave of success with a fortune worth $480 million. Technology is a major factor in this year's list, with both Smart50 entrants and tech entrepreneurs littered among the entrants. Hezi Leibovich from Catch of the Day, Ruslan Kogan, Mark Harbot...

24. Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars

Smart50 rank: 16 Revenue: $18.14 million Growth: 75.16% Founders: Costa Anastasiadis, 30; Michael Logos, 35 Based: Victoria Employees: 236 Industry: Retail trade

25. Costa Anastasiadis

Gourmet pizza chain Crust has been growing at a rate of knots over the past couple of years, opening up its 100th store this month 10 years after the first store was rolled out in Sydney. Founder and managing director Costa Anastasiadis expects Crust to open another 50 or 60 stores, but says inter...

26. IF Telecom

Richard Branson

27. SmartCompany Awards 2008

  Congratulations to the winners of the SmartCompany awards for 2008 The SmartCompany Awards 2008 night on September 12 was a spectacular event at NAB in Melbourne. The winners, who came from a diverse range of industries and locations, shared in almost $10,000 worth of cash and prizes from our sponsors. To find out who the winners are and how they are changing your industry, click belo...

28. Retail Food Group posts record profit, swallows former Smart

Just months after Retail Food Group added franchise Pizza Capers to its menu, the company has snapped up former Smart50 entrant and popular chain Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars in a move worth $24 million. It comes as the company recorded a full-year profit of $30 million – up 8.9% from last year and the biggest result in the company's history. Retail Food Group has managed to turn seven years of annual profit ...

29. Seafood sector staying afloat

The ocean fishing and seafood farming industry has struggled in the past five years. The industry has battled against ocean depletion issues, increased competition from seafood imports, a high Australian dollar, increased regulation of catch quotas and increased costs. Wild catches of fish, crustaceans and molluscs have decreased over the past five years. As catch volumes have decreased, fish and seafood prices have increas...

30. Government to review trust laws, fix uncertainties created b

Tax experts have welcomed the Federal Government's announcement that it will attempt to clear up uncertainties around trust and tax laws created by the controversial Bamford decision by launching a review of the laws affecting more than 500,000 discretionary trusts. The review, announced last night by Financial Services Minster Bill Shorten, will focus on discrepancies between trust laws and tax laws and should resolve questions around income streaming, the ability of trusts to pass thro...

31. Rich Pickings: It takes two, Richie Rich – 10 money-making

Nathan Tinkler’s fall from the top of BRW’s Young Rich List has grabbed all the headlines in the last few days, with most saying the list highlights a shift from mining to technology. That’s true, but what it also highlights is the shift from one giant trader to an army of busine...

32. Crust Pizza, cash and strange due diligence

Whatever Crust Pizza’s secret is, it must be good.  The gourmet pizza chain, which this year celebrated its 10th anniversary, accepted an acquisition offer from Retail Food Group in August for $24 million. The sale landed the Crust Pizza’s founders, Costa Anastasiadis and Michael Logos, on the Young Rich List a week ago. Late last week, the Retail Food Group, the company behind brands such as Brumby’s bakeries, Donut King and Michel’s, announced it wo...

33. Is business a round peg in social networking's square hole?

In an industry that can be a tsunami of hype, the humble web industry commentator can sometimes feel like the kid in The Emperor's New Clothes. While many wax lyrical about the latest online trend, you sometimes just feel like crying, 'but he hasn't got anything on!' Because as much as social networking is undoubtedly flavour of the latter half of the noughties, the role of business in the phenomenon is shaky to say the least. Pardon me while I duck to avoid the rotten to...

34. Katherine Sampson's amazing story

What a success story. Katherine Sampson, the struggling single mum who starts a sandwich shop and ends up with an innovative franchise chain with 28 franchises and most of them profitable, has just sold her company to Dymocks. But the reality is far from that. In fact Sampson, 42, has spent the last four years in financial hell, selling assets, using up all her equity, running up debt and being rejected by banks that would not ...

35. The final word on Australian house prices: Joye

There is an enormous amount of time wasted debating whether Australian house prices are over- or under-valued. The vast bulk of everything that is written on this subject is, unfortunately, both factually flawed and misleading.   Today I want to objectively eviscerate the long-standing myth that the Australian housing market is in the throes of an unsustainable bubble using two very simple charts, which you are unlikely to have seen before.   By referencing this analysis...

36. Extra topping: Crust scores an extra $17 million slice from

Just two months after former Smart50 entrant Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars scored a $24 million acquisition from Retail Food Group, it's won another $17 million after the franchise giant got a closer look at the company's books – and is satisfied the money is flowing nicely. RFG announced to the market this morning that given expected returns for...

37. How I transformed a pizza chain and sold it for $24 million

Michael Logos and Costa Anastasiadis started the Crust Gourmet Pizza chain from humble beginnings in a family-owned restaurant. Now, with dozens of stores, the chain has become one of the most successful franchises in the country. This week the market learned it had been

38. Retail Food Group swallows The Coffee Guy Group for $4.36 mi

Just months after adding pizza chain Crust to its menu Retail Food Group has acquired New Zealand company The Coffee Guy Group for NZ$5.5 million ($A4.36m). TCGG was started by Richard Karam in 2005 out of a single van and is now the largest mobile and portable coffee franchise system in New Zealand, with 55 espresso vans along with drive-thro...

39. Construction sector contracts in August, Domino’s says it

Activity in the construction sector contracted to a 13-month low with a lack of housing construction negating improvements in the commercial and engineering sectors, the new AIG-HIA construction survey reveals. The overall construction index fell by 0.1 points to a 13-month low of 43.2, below the 50-point level separating expansion from contraction. "Rising interest rates earlier in the year played a role in dampening demand, while the on-going lack of available finance for devel...

40. Pie Face founder defends company against franchisee trio's t

Three franchisees from the fast-food chain Pie Face are threatening to sue the company for millions of dollars, claiming they were misled with regard to both cost and profits when they first bought into the business. But Pie Face founder and chief executive Wayne Homschek told SmartCompany this morning he denies the accusations, and defended the chain by saying 2012 was a tough year for all food-based companies. "All I can say is that we're in the business of franch...

41. I can run a successful business but I’m too shy to address

Dear Aunty B, I am quite an introverted person who finds any type of public display a nightmare. I literally start shaking due to a bad experience I had in my first job. I started a small services business focused on visiting people in their home and it has done really well. I now have eight staff but I feel that my inability to sell is holding the company back. I find it excruciating even to address my staf...

42. SMEs cash in on the apocalypse: Five earth shattering end-of

For many people, the Mayan end-of-the-world prophecy is simply a hyped-up event that will come and pass without notice, just like every other prediction of its kind. But for retailers, it’s an opportunity to make some quick cash – and Australian SMEs are getting in on the action. The Mayan calendar resets on Friday, December 21. Of course, this has been hyped up into an end-of-the-world scenario with all sorts of commentary surrounding the supposed apocalyptic date. ...

43. I am pursued by giant cartoon characters on garish purple bo

Dear Aunty B, I get up in the morning to see giant breakfast cereal boxes left on the table from my adult teenager having a midnight snack. I get home at night to see them left on the table after breakfast. I go to work to see people sitting at their desks with packets of cereal in front of them munching away through the day. Why is this Aunty B? Since when did adults think it's okay to sit in front of a gia...

44. We don’t spend much on IT – is that okay?

Without being rude – hello, it is 2011, not 1911! You should be spending as much on IT as is required to achieve strong productivity. If you can spend nothing on IT and have full productivity, then you have a nice business model and no dependence on communication, supply chain management, financial tracking, online marketing, stock control, asset management, payroll, BAS statements for GST, computer-aided design or manufacture, document management, customer relationship management, kno...

45. How well do you need to speak English to run a business in A

An expert has highlighted some of the challenges of hiring immigrant franchisees, after Retail Food Group said more than 50% of its successful franchisee applicants over the last six months spoke English as a second language. RFG owns an array of food brands including Donut King, Brumby's Bakery, Michel's Patisserie, bb's café, Esquires Coffee ...

46. Retail Food Group to shift focus from shopping centres to st

Retail Food Group (RFG) is set to move its franchise brands out of major shopping centres and into standalone shopfronts and drive-through stores, in a bid to survive the tough retail climate. RFG, which last week acquired Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars, also owns Donut King, Brumby’s Bakeries, Michel’s Patisserie, Esquires Coffee Houses, Big...

47. My company is young. How can I win credibility?

Hi Aunty B, My problem is I am only 23 years old and I started my company at 20. I just learnt that a supplier has refused to deal with me because "we are too young". Do you have any tips for me? And should I truthfully tell people my age when they ask? By the way, I am happy to get you a coffee anytime you are in Perth and I always use spell check.A nice young man,Perth Dear nice young man,...

48. The Bilby to star this Easter

Retailers have predicted that the chocolate Bilby will be the hit of Easter 2008. Australian consumers’ spending patterns are changing according to the Australian Retailers Association. The ARA repor...

49. Politicians spinning us out on executive pay: Kohler

Australians are being very poorly served by their politicians at present. They are consumed by combat and we are being spiflicated by spin. In the midst of the greatest economic crisis in 60 years and an impending climate disaster, there is no spirit of bipartisanship or even a modicum of reluctant co-operation during crisis. Here is no intelligent debate on any issue.I can't remember a time, apart from 1975, ...

50. Our office has too many birthdays!

Dear Aunty B, We have a problem about birthdays which is out of control. We used to be a tiny company so we started a tradition of having a cake for everyone. We would gather around, have a chat, wish the person happy birthday and eat a bit of cake a few times a year. Now we have more than 50 staff which means a birthday cake at least once a week! Think of that! Once a week everyone being interrupted from their work, being forced to stan...