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There is no hotter trend in the internet, marketing and media space than social networking. What started out as a way for ‘cool kids’ to talk to each other has now become essential part of every company’s marketing strategy.  ...
  What is RSS? RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" and is an easy and free way to track updates to the SmartCompany website. You can subscribe free to one or more "feeds" which send you the headline and a short summary of articles that have been recently added or updated on the website. To subscribe to an RSS feed, you will need a News Reader or...
Many companies underestimate the power of online forums as a branding, marketing and communications tool. Here's how Australia's best forums do it – and five of the best examples. By BRAD HOWARTH By Brad Howarth  
Businesses should avoid using social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to investigate the personal details and histories of prospective employees, a legal expert has warned. Bronwyn Maynard, senior associate at Harmers Workplace Lawyers, has said that employers must be aware of legal obligations under the Privacy Act, and employee rights under the new Fair Work legislation, in regards to social media. "Whenever an employer or recruiter collects persona...
Overheated or undervalued? A powerful part of the Australian economy or a bubble that could burst and damage Australia's miracle economy? 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 cris...
SmartCompany is a completely free news, information and resource site for Australia's entrepreneurs, small and medium business owners and business managers to help keep them ahead of their competition. Our writers have many years of experience reporting for the best websites, newspapers and magazines. Contributors include Australia's top entrepreneurs, experts and advisers. Every Monday to Friday, SmartCompany posts a daily news briefing, a round-up of business trend...
A new business model for wine is turning customers into angel investors, encouraging them to invest in a $1.5 million trust fund designed to help independent winemakers crack the market. Naked Wines, which launches in Australia on July 1, was founded in the United Kingdom in 2008 by Rowan Gormley, former chief executive of Virgin Wines and Virgin Money. Over the next year, Naked Wines will invest $1.5 million in Australian vineyards. The company aims to help fund up to 20 in...
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Wall Street has enjoyed a 4% rise after reports president-elect Barack Obama plans to inject billions into new infrastructure spending to help spark economic growth and new jobs.Wall Street has enjoyed a 4% rise after reports president-elect Barack Obama plans to inject billions into new infrastructure spending to help spark economic growth and new jobs.Companies associated with construction projects helped lead the rally, sending the market upwards for the second day in a row.
Senior account director at debt collection agency eCollect Lou McLeish has been on the phone chasing up a string of overdue bills for her clients, one for as little as $368, another for $7,000 that is 90 days overdue. "There really is a big debt problem," she says. "Collecting money is everybody's least fa...
Help can come from the most unlikely quarters, and business owners may find that it is the ATO itself that will ease tax debt pain. By TERRY HAYES of Thomson Legal & Regulatory.By Terry Hayes
Organisational buying is very similar to individual buyer behaviour with some contextual differences. Organisations buy in furtherance of organisational objectives, such as to manufacture and deliver goods and services to members, customers or the community.   Purchases are ing...
There have been some high-profile corporate failures over the past year, and the evidence suggests that the bloodbath isn’t over. We take a look at 25 more prominent cases to draw salient lessons for every business. It’s getting ugly out there. Credit agency Dun & Bradstreet believes one in nine compa...
The trend, when making multiple millions before you hit 40, seems to be to find your niche and stick to it. JAMES THOMSON reports on how this year’s Gen-Next have changed the way they found their fortunes.By James ThomsonThis story first appeared 29 September 2008
Here are nine strategies to help you choose the best super fund for you and to protect your interests if rolling your super into a new fund: 1. Look at the funds that the experts use Bresnahan says among the funds selected by his employees – “that I have seen” – industry funds are most favoured. And several other superannuation consultancies confidentially reveal that some of their employees hold their super in industry funds.
SmartCompany is proud to present the winners of the SmartCompany Crown Lager Business Start Up Awards for 2009. These awards recognise Australia's fastest growing start up ...
The wait is over. Two weeks after American tech-heads got their hands on Apple's latest device, it's now Australia's turn. The iPad 2 will launch at 5pm this afternoon, at Apple stores and various resellers across the country. By all accounts this launch has gone much more smoothly than last year's, which saw tech fans wait several weeks to get their hands on an iPad after demand in the US outstripped supply. But while the Australian launch has run on schedule, supply is ...
The supposedly dry world of tax has been at the centre of two of the biggest political bunfights in as many years: the carbon tax and the mining tax. Throw in the controversy over the Government largely ignoring a lengthy review of the system led by former Treasury head Ken Henry and it’s clear bean-counting can be a taxing topic for our political leaders. When the Govern...
Lloyd Ernst had an early start on the web, and has learnt how to achieve growth the hard way. He talks to AMANDA GOME about future web directions and what’s in the pipeline. By Amanda Gome
In follow up to last week's Identity of Work - Part 1 I wanted to spend this week sharing one of my favourite books of all time. It is called "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly. It explores the psychology of optimal experience - what makes us happy, and while for many, work may not seem to ...
The ATO recently released a very important ruling - Superannuation Guarantee Ruling SGR 2009/2 - that explains the tax commissioner's view on the meaning of Ordinary Time Earnings and ‘salary or wages' as defined in the superannuation law. It is a lengthy ruling and quite technical, but important for employers to be aware of in meeting ...
Want to be part of SmartCompany? There's lots of ways to join in. You can register for the newsletter here. Send news releases and story pitches to: news@smartcompany.com.au. If you'd like to make a comment or correction, or offer feedback please email us at: feedback@smartcompany.com.au. Feeling inspired? If you would like to write a st...
Is your super fund underperforming? It could be time to change. Here are 18 tips to help you chose the best superannuation fund in uncertain times. By MICHAEL LAURENCEBy Michael Laurence
Tech giant Apple has finally been cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the collapse of the Apple reseller group Buzzle, following nearly a decade in legal battles and hearings to determine whether the group acted as a shadow director. The New South Wales Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Apple, and its finance director James Likidis, were not shadow directors of Buzzle, and that there was no basis in the $57 million claim brought against both parties by Buzzle's liquidator. ...
First impressions count even more for new SME employees New employees decide to leave an SME in a much shorter time frame compared to those at larger organisations, with more than half deciding in the first month, according to new research by consulting firm Chandler Macleod. In fact, 8% of SME employees decide on the first day of their new job, compared to just 1% of employees from larger organ...
In November 2008, Gerry Harvey issued SmartCompany with a challenge - find 10 Australian online retailers who are making "real money". Harvey was convinced the world has been conned by online retailing, claiming the co...
Did the great corporate blogging revolution ever happen? It seems only a handful of years ago that, inspired by US automaker General Motor’s FastLane blog, nascent social media pundits (and this writer) were predicting that corporations would open up and begin a two-way dialog with customers. But in the ye...
Employees who leave jobs they are unhappy with will likely find a greater level of satisfaction with new workplaces, a new report has found.Employees who leave jobs they are unhappy with will likely find a greater level of satisfaction with new workplaces, a new report has found.The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, published by the University of Melbourne, studied the circumstances of 13,000 participants over five years.The survey found 56...
With IBISWorld predicting 2010 will be a boom year for Australian business, and that the next five years will see significant economic growth, opportunities for university graduates are set to grow as companies seek to invest in talented staff. The fact that December 2009 saw the number of jobless people fall by 13,300 is a sure sign tha...
Australia has, officially, 465 classes of industry that generate our GDP, which this fiscal year is expected to be around $1.38 trillion in output of goods and services. IBISWorld creates a number of "themed" industries, such as tourism, and singles out some major product groups within industry classes, bringing the number of reports closer to 500; b...
What a year it’s been in online retail. This time last year the retail industry was up in arms over the “unlevel playing field” supposedly caused by the GST-free import threshold. Now, that argument has been diluted by concerns over wages, penalty rates, and workplace relations. And online sales have continued to climb. According t...
Queensland public holiday dates are accurate at the time of publishing, but may be subject to change.  
New South Wales public holiday dates are accurate at the time of publishing, but may be subject to change.  
With just one night to go until the Apple iPad launch, users are still debating what data plan to choose with four of the country's major telcos offering subscriptions for the gadget. But users may have to think fast. While Apple has confirmed it will sell both the WiFi and 3G iPads at official retail stores tomorrow, and through certain resellers, it is suspected only a limited amount of tablets will be on offer. Demand is also likely to be high, with new data from Experian Hit...
The popular Zara clothing brand will finally open its doors to eager Australian shoppers in 2011, after its Spanish-based parent, retail giant Indetix, announced it will open stores in the local market and South Africa next year. And despite a sluggish retail market, analysts say the company will establish itself well due to its high-quality brand positioning and low prices, but local fashion retailers will need to prepare themselves for the new competition. Pablo Isla, deputy ch...
With more ‘searches' conducted at YouTube than on Yahoo and MSN, it's obvious that Youtube is a major force in the online space. The fact there were six billion videos viewed in May is simply astounding. If your business doesn't have a presence or channel at YouTube, it's probably time it did. Remember, when you si...
The past 12 months have seen a revolution in the online retailing sector.  Emerging players such as DealsDirect, Catch of the Day and OzSale dominate Australia’s top 10 online retailers and the past year has seen Australia’s big retailers finally start to take online selling seriously. Major department stores Myer and David Jones have ...
The 2008-09 tax season is almost upon us and entrepreneurs can expect to get some extra scrutiny this year. MIKE PRESTON and JAMES THOMSON ask a panel of tax experts for their best tips and the best action you can take now to minimise your tax billBy James Thomson and Mike Preston
It's tough to get money at the moment. The venture capital funds have shut up shop, the sharemarket is shying away from IPOs, the banks have backed away and the angel investors have had their wings clipped.  
Research and development business Permo-Drive was listed for sale this week by administrators PKF Chartered Accountants. Permo-Drive was established in 2000 and has developed an intellectual property that hydraulically captures kinetic energy in heavy vehicles to reduce operating costs. The technology converts energy from braking into kinetic energy that saves on fuel, but it was never commercialised and Permo-Drive has never made a profit. Permo-Drive is a public ...
Welcome to the SmartCompany eBook Library. You can access all the eBooks here and keep an eye out for new titles. Now that you are a SmartCompany member you can join in on the conversation by participating in forums, commenting on articles and networking with other like-minded Australians who want to build bigger better businesses.    
The very phrase “company values” is enough to make some business owners – and many employees - groan and roll their eyes. For many businesses, corporate value statements are little more than vague motherhood statements that sound nice but bear little relation to way business is done. But that’s not that case in every business. For a n...
Blogging is a great way to engage with your customers, build your brand and stand out on Google. BRAD HOWARTH explains why entrepreneurs often write the best blogs – and lists Australia’s top 15 business blogs. By Brad Howarth  
Australians may be able to fund their purchase of Apple's new iPad through a tax break, with the Australian Taxation Office confirming the gadget can be claimed through the Federal Government's Education Tax Refund. The loophole could spark a rush of claims for iPads, with a new study from Boston Consulting Group revealing 23% of Australians plan to purchase an eReader or tablet computer this year, with that number growing to 49% within the next three years. The Australian Taxation...
Choose the best super fund for you, and protect your interests if rolling your super into a new fund, by following SmartCompany’s guide to finding Australia’s top super fund. By MICHAEL LAURENCE.By Michael Laurence Choose the best super fund for you, and protect your interests if rolling your super into a new fund, by following SmartCompany’s guide to finding Australia’s top super fund.  
The recession has thrown the sales and marketing strategies of entrepreneurs into disarray. Customers have become more hesitant to buy, sales teams are struggling to get deals over the line, and the marketing budget isn't looking as healthy as it used to.   
According to Paul Graham, investor and founder of Y Combinator, the best way to get a winning business idea is to not think of any. Instead, you should be looking at which problems you can solve. “The very best start-up ideas tend to have three things in common: they’re something the founders themselves want, that they themselve...
Mark Zuckerberg must be crazy. After floating Facebook on Friday night US time, the world’s most talked-about chief executive went out and got married to his long-time partner, Priscilla Chan, in what looked like a pretty simple ceremony in the Californian tech haven of Palo Alto. Simple or not, everybody knows that getting married is one of the most stressful things you can do. I’ve never floated a $US104 billion company, but I’d imagine that ranks pr...