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1. First impressions count in retaining SME staff... Servant-CE

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...

2. Identity of work - getting the flow

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 ...

3. Australia’s top 20 online retailers

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...

4. 10 ways to foster innovation in your company

The economy might be slowing, but now is not the time to stop innovating and let your competitors gain the upper hand. KOSMAS SMYRNIOS and AMANDA GOME explain how you can foster a culture of innovation in your business.By Kosmas Smyrnios and Amanda Gome

5. 30 hot entrepreneurs aged 30 and under

They are young, smart and come from industries as diverse as IT, fashion and agriculture. BRAD HOWARTH profiles 30 hot young entrepreneurs aged 30 years and under. By Brad Howarth    

6. What are the benefits of a CRM system in your business?

First of all what does CRM stand for? CRM = Customer Relationship Management. The concept of CRM has been around for a long time. The original form of CRM was a manual card system kept by a sales person that usually sat on the sales person's desk or alongside them in the car. These client card sets were very valuable to the sales person as this is where they kept important customer information such customer contact details, key contacts in the company, a running commentary on thei...

7. Seven future trends to be aware of

Thomas Frey is a futurist. It’s his job to predict the future by identifying emerging global trends. What Frey does might sound a little like fortune telling but spotting new trends is an important way of ensuring your business is well positioned for the future. Frey spoke to SmartCompany from the United States ahead ...

8. Business Plan

Free tips and advice to help you write and perfect your business plan Read business plan articles here or download the business plan eBook How to prepare a realistic business planWhile it's important to plan, not everyone needs a formal business plan. A checklist...

9. 10 ways to make your website Google friendly: Tips from Goog

Making your business Google friendly so it gets picked up by Google’s search engines is “pretty easy actually”, according to Google’s chief technology advocate Michael Jones. Jones was previously chief technologist of Google Maps, Earth, and Local Search, the teams responsible for providing location intelligence an...

10. Who’d hire a Gen-Y?

They can be demanding and impatient – but some of the traits that so infuriate many bosses can also make Gen-Ys outstanding employees. It’s a matter of channelling the energy. By Mike Preston. By Mike PrestonThe jury is ...

11. What are the skills of a successful leader?

Being a good leader can be achieved in six simple steps. There are so many articles and strategies for leaders on how to improve and what to improve – but we can make it very simple for you – just be a role model of these six skills:   1. Develop trust Leaders develop trust when they get out of their offices, and go and meet their people and talk to them, and hear what they have to say...

12. Identity of work - the role of personal brand

By way of full disclosure - I work with people to help them understand and uncover things that make up their personal brands. But where I draw a rather firm line is telling people what their jobs should be.   Despite my meagre hold out, my addition to that sphere will not be missed, as there is a whole industry of mentors, career coaches, life coaches and psychological testing out the wazoo to fill the void. I remain sceptica...

13. Cost leadership

Cost leadership isn’t about slashing your pricing; it’s about eliminating waste, encouraging constant innovation and boosting your margins. A couple of weeks ago I talked about Michael Porter’s competitive strategies. You might remember that there were three:

14. Global IP protection online

Safeguarding intellectual property used to be a labourious, expensive task. PCT Filer founder Justin Simpson tells AMANDA GOME how he has simplified the whole process. Justin Simpson was a young lawyer when he spotted an opportunity to automate some o...

15. Australia's top female entrepreneurs for 2011

There’s a strong argument that the past year has been a landmark one for Australia’s female leaders.  There’s a woman (Julia Gillard) in the Prime Minister’s office. A woman (Gina Rinehart) has become Australia’s richest person. Two women (Kristina Keneally and Lara Giddings) have become State Premiers, a ...

16. The secrets to Specsavers' super growth

The recently released Sunday Times Rich List of Britain's wealthiest 1000 people contained the usual group of Australian money-management stars, led by Michael Hintze (valued at $837 million on the list), Greg Coffey ($383 million) and Hilton Nathanson ($280 million). But there were also some surprises. Co...

17. Jim’s Mowing is a growing concern

Jim’s Group founder Jim Penman says the secret to successful franchising is good recruiting, tough leadership, developing a strong brand and keeping franchisees happy. He tells JACQUI WALKER how he does it.By Jacqui Walker

18. RedBalloon rising

Naomi Simson is the founder and CEO of online gifting and experience company RedBalloon. She also happens to be one of SmartCompany's very well known bloggers. Naomi shares how RedBalloon is adjusting to the downturn, how she's saving time (and still hiring staff) being more productive, and...

19. Establishing a code of conduct for your business

A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the responsibilities of or proper practices for an individual or organisation. Related concepts include ethical codes and honour codes. In its 2007 International Good Practice Guidance, "Defining and...

20. Top 10 strategies for a best practice workplace

A happy workplace is a huge asset, and is only 10 steps away. Watch the video Best Practice Workplace Checklist here. A CEO asked me what can be done to get more out of staff a...

21. The 12 sales trends of 2010

After an extremely difficult year, 2010 looms as a new challenge for sales and marketing experts. With business as usual not "usual" anymore, many businesses are wondering how to align their sales efforts moving forward.  Breaking through the constant noise t...

22. The 12 sales trends for 2011

It's been another challenging year for Australia's sales professionals. While most sectors have now weathered the storm of the GFC, markets remain tough, buyers remain reluctant to spend and sales people continue to be tested. And while economic conditions are expected to improve in the coming 12 months, 2011 looks set to throw up a new set ...

23. How entrepreneur Paul Fudge made $660 million in one day

Entrepreneur Paul Fudge is $660 million richer today after utilities giant Origin Energy paid that amount to buy a coal-seam gas exploration permit from Fudge's company, Pangaea.   Fudge's ATP 788P exploration permit is located in the Surat Basin in Queensland, where Australia's major proven coal-seam gas sites are located. Origin hopes the coal-seam gas reserves will help feed a $35 billion...

24. The 12 most influential people in Australian ICT

The information and communication technology industries underpin almost every facet of our working lives, and increasingly our personal lives too. For many of Australians, it is only when we sleep that we are not "connected" via a mobile phone, PC, notebook or tablet. But who wields power in this increasingly importa...

25. Recruiter rides the outsourcing wave

Andrew Banks heads the winning HR firm Talent2, and has built a highly successful and lucrative career from making canny calls on recruitment trends. He tells AMANDA GOME about his strategies and predictions. By Amanda Gome  

26. Software – hardwired!

Scott Farquhar tells how, with partner Mike Cannon-Brookes, he built the enterprise software house Atlassian to a global operation turning over $22 million. By JACQUI WALKER.

27. Destra placed in administration. What went wrong?

Digital media and marketing firm Destra has been placed in administration after major shareholder Prime Media Group and the company’s bankers withdrew support for the company.Digital media and marketing firm Destra has been placed in administration after major shareholder Prime Media Group and the company’s bankers withdrew support for the company.“Continued adverse trends in the consumer and advertising markets and unprecedentedcapital market volatility have… con...

28. Grant Thornton eyes BDO’s Victorian and NSW practices afte

Accounting and consulting firm Grant Thornton Australia has stepped up merger talks with the Victorian and New South Wales practices of rival BDO, after BDO International expelled the practices late last week, citing “unreasonable risks.” The potential merger comes at a tricky time for the professional services industry, with some major firms shedding staff amid falling revenues. BDO International chief executive Martin van Roekel said in a statement relea...

29. Babcock & Brown forced into administration

Finance and investment giant Babcock & Brown has been forced into voluntary administration after creditors of the company in New Zealand voted to reject a plan to restructure the company's debt.   The move comes after a harrowing 12 months for the company, which had modelled itself on banking giant Macquarie Bank and accumulated more than $50 billion in debt. The company's shares have crashe...

30. Grant Thornton agrees to bail out BDO Melbourne, Sydney in $

Grant Thornton partners have reportedly voted to pay $50 million in order to bail out BDO Melbourne Sydney, which is still struggling to deal with $100 million in debt – although some partners say they were pressured into signing. The report comes after BDO announced last month it had decided to terminate the BDO Victoria and New South Wales offices, citing “unreasonable risks”, following a strategic review of the business taken over the previous 18 months. Grant Thorn...

31. What makes a good brand?

I am often critical of "best of" or "most valuable" brand reports and lists. My biggest complaint is the predominantly financial focus to the exclusion of other, often more defining, attributes. This recent Good Brand Report from PSFK offers a different way of measuring successful brands. The criteria of "innovation, environmental consciousness and social policy" provide us with results that contain some of the usual suspects and a few you may not have thought about. Google, Apple, Twitt...

32. Inside the Retravision collapse: Six things the retailer fai

The tough retail environment was the obvious catalyst for the appointment of administrators yesterday to Retravision Southern, but there were other factors at work in the collapse of the electrical retailer’s buying arm, according to retail experts. Retravision Southern acted as the buying and marketing licensor for 104 privately-owned Retravision stores in Victoria, southern New South Wales and Tasmania. Administrators KordaMentha blamed the fragile retail environment for...

33. How to retain staff – without breaking the bank

It’s getting harder to afford financial incentives and bonus payments for staff, but this is not the time to lose your high performers. As LEON GETTLER explains, there are ways to motivate and retain staff without spending a fortune. By Leon Gettler

34. 10 big strategic mistakes – and how to fix them

The key to business success is to look carefully at your mistakes – and stop repeating them. But extraordinarily, some companies never seem to learn. They pay too much for acquisitions or pursue strategies that have been overtaken by the market. Many business owners have no exit strategy. Some start out in a niche and the...

35. Big bang marketing without the big bucks

SMEs on a shoestring could learn something from one of Australia’s most respected marketing gurus, Kidspot chief executive Katie May. She reveals her secrets for big impact marketing to EMILY ROSS.By Emily Ross

36. How I created a special business unit dedicated to culture t

Bruce Poon Tip started Canadian travel group Gap Adventures with some credit cards when he was 22 years old in 1990. Today the company, which offers backpacking tours in over 100 countries, has revenue of well over $150 million.   But Poon Tip says the key to the company’s success has been creating a unique employee culture. Employees are given signific...

37. Online job giant SEEKs to adapt

Seek founder Paul Bassat speaks to AMANDA GOME about the direction his business must take to continue on its enviable growth path. By Amanda Gome Internet jobs site Seek has grown from a tiny start up to listed compan...

38. How to be a great seller – even if you’re not in sales

Everyone lives by selling something, says SmartCompany blogger Sue Barrett. But that doesn't mean everyone is good at it. However, it is possible to hone your sales skills if you want to improve your ability, she sa...

39. How to poach your competitors’ best staff

The economy is the weakest it has been in years. Businesses are struggling. Time for sensitivity and charity? Perhaps. But it is also the perfect time to poach your competitors’ top staff. MIKE PRESON explains.By Mike Preston

40. How do I change from team member to team leader?

I have just been promoted and am now responsible for a team of three people. Before my promotion I was a part of this team. I am unsure how to change my role from one of a peer to the new role of team leader. Congratulations on your promotion, this is an exciting time for you. I understand that confidently making the transition from being part of the team to leading the team can be daunting. And, I would like to focus your attention to the positive aspect of why yo...

41. 10 great ideas for CEO education

When Paul Kirkbride was the chief learning officer at a Fortune 500 company in the United States, he noticed everybody was receiving training in areas like finance, marketing and IT. Everybody except the chief executive officer. The human resources managers assumed their skills did not need further development. Times have change...

42. 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.

43. 20 of the best Australian business blogs

There are too many terrible blogs. What businesses don’t seem to understand about blogging is that you actually have to add some sort of value to the internet. If you’re not providing useful information to your audience, whoever that might be, then why are you even trying? Thankfully, there are plenty of Australian bloggers in b...

44. How Mike Quigley overcame cancer and career setbacks to beco

When ZDNet.com.au asked people behind the scenes in the telco industry this week what sort of person NBN Company executive chairman Mike Quigley really was, it was one disappointment during his career that was commonly mentioned. "He was promised the CEO role," one industry source said of Quigley's departure from Alcatel-Lucent in 2007 after more than 30 years with the French company. "It was

45. The top 10 Australian entrepreneurs to watch in 2013

Every year a new crop of entrepreneurs seem to rise above the fray. They score funding for their businesses, or win a new contract doubling the size of their company, allowing them to hire 100 new employees. These are the top players. They’re receiving venture capital, expanding internationally and are making t...

46. Creating advocates for your brand and products

"In times of uncertainty, the best response is to stop 'shouting' and start a conversation. Now, what are you going to talk about?" - What's Next Report, STW Communications Group (June 2009). The most successful companies over the coming years will be the ones who don't shout at customers. Instead, they will listen to them, be honest with them, empower them, build relationships with them, and connect them with other like-minded people. If companies do these things...

47. Online shopping club OzSale gets million investment from Twi

Australian online shopping club OzSale has won $14.5 million in funding from US-based venture capital fund Insight Venture Partners, which made headlines last year when it invested $US100 million into micro blogging site Twitter. OzSale, which was founded in January 2007 by former Brit Jamie Jackson, is an invitation-only shopping site that sells heavily-discounted designer-label clothing (usually brought in from overseas) through short "flash" sales that last for three or four days...

48. 15 ways for women to rise to the top

Female participation on the entrepreneurial playing field has not just stagnated, it has gone backwards. We dissect what is holding women back, but more importantly outline important and pro-active steps that every woman in business can take to make positive change.

49. Australia’s top employer named – but it’s not who you

Move over, Google – constructions product provider Hilti is the top employer in the country based on human resources consulting firm Aon Hewitt's new Best Employers in Australia and New Zealand report, which surveyed over 124,000 employees in more than 200 companies. Outsourcing sales and management group Aegis, beverages company Frucor and multi-millionaire Andrew Abercrombie's point-of-sale finance giant FlexiGroup have also been named as some of the country's best places to work.

50. Tax Forum ends with working group to discuss business tax ch

Hundreds of guests and hours of tax discussion later, the Tax Forum has resulted in the establishment of a business tax reform working group, an agreement between the states to work together to harmonise states laws including payroll tax, and a potential lift in the tax-free threshold. Other outcomes of the two-day Tax Forum, attended by business leaders, community groups, tax experts and politicians, was a crackdown on tax-free allowances for foreign workers amid complaints from un...