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  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...
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...
Terms of Use Access to and use of the online magazine www.smartcompany.com.au and its associated email alert, is provided by Private Media Pty Ltd (ABN 11 102 933 362) through its vehicle SmartCompany.com.au Pty Ltd (ABN 23 121 200 002) called in this document "the publishers", on the following terms. Please read the whole of this page carefully. If you do not agree to these terms, you should not obtain information, services or products fr...
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...
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
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...
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
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...
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.    
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  
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.   
Meet Australia's top female entrepreneurs – they are smart, focused and generate more than $3.6 billion in sales. In a special feature to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, SmartCompany has compiled a comprehensive list of 48 of Australia's best business women (see ...
Businesses with annual revenue of less than $2 million are being urged to take advantage of the Government's increased investment allowance announced in the federal budget.   Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan said that the allowance will be extended from 30% to 50% for assets purchased by eligible businesses - but second hand items are out of the question. ...
It's the great challenge of every celebrity supermodel, sportsperson, actor or performer - how do you get fame to translate into fortune? It's not easy, but there is a rare breed that has been able to combine their natural ability and star power with a happy knack for business. In Australia, golfer Greg Norman, model Elle Macpherson and s...
Short of the dream lottery win, breaking into the ranks of the mega-rich seems unattainable. But the stinking rich have betrayed clues to their success – consistent traits that we can learn from. Here are the top 10. By JAMES BENNETTBy James Bennett
Social networking site Facebook has successfully acquired the rights to its Australian domain name, facebook.com.au, after the World Intellectual Property Organisation stripped the address from another business.Marketing company Callverse has held the facebook.com.au address since 2007, but Facebook argued that because the group held no Australian or international trademark rights to the name, they had no basis for its ownership. Facebook pointed to its status as the sixth most ...
The SmartCompany Dun & Bradstreet Industry Growth List for the construction sector reveals a fragmented broader industry that has shown strong growth in favoured parts but revenue that is sensitive to wide ranging influences. By MIKE PRESTON By Mike Preston  
The most suitable structure Choose the structure that will best suit the needs of your business. Your decision will determine how you have to register your business and which laws you have to observe. It is vital that you understand the legal requirements of your business setup and seek legal advice
Reaching the über-rich ranks before you turn 40 has generated several urban myths about what it takes to get there. JAMES THOMSON reveals the truth about our young stinking rich entrepreneurs.By James Thomson
An almost certain way to become highly depressed is to look at the returns of the big super funds' balanced portfolios over the five years to September. Almost all of the annual returns – even of the top 10 performers – failed to match inflation. The median annual return of the hundreds of funds surveyed by s...
Luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton is pursuing a small Australian company in the Federal Court, claiming the company, Sonya Valentine, is selling fake Louis Vuitton goods. The French brand claims Sonya Valentine had a shipment of fake sunglasses imported this year which bore the trademark "Louis V" and were sold at markets. The case follows MAC Cosmetics' claims that Targe...
The diverse nature of the nation's property market – and the impact of the resources boom – is reflected in the list of Australia’s top 50 growth suburbs for the year to 31 January (see table below).Two-thirds of the top performers are close to capital cities; the rest are in regions dominated by nearby mining operations.
While Australia is yet to produce anything of the scale of Google, eBay and Amazon, there is always an interesting crop of up-and-comers threatening to burst on to the scene. We've compiled a list of 12 companies that demonstrate the spirit of innovation that exists among Australia's internet entrepreneurs, and which may go on to become the "next bi...
We all want to buy our house or investment at the lowest price possible, or at least get good value for our money. On the other hand the vendor wants the highest price he can get, yet you now know that the asking price quoted by the selling agent will usually be more than the owner is willing to take for their home. It's just part of the real estate game - vendors know the price will come down as part of the negotiation process. So ho...
The richest person in Australia isn't billionaire property developer Frank Lowy or gaming mogul James Packer - it is a little-known former school teacher living in the NSW regional town of Scone.   Forbes magazine ranked US immigrant Blair Parry-Okeden as the world's 110th richest person with a fortune of $US4.5 billion (just over $7 billion in Au...
What's keeping women entrepreneurs in the minority? Is it something they are doing wrong? It doesn't have to be this way. AMANDA GOME offers 10 steps to success.   By Amanda Gome    
Retailers across the country are becoming more confused over this year's Anzac Day trading laws, as the holiday is falling on a Saturday for the first time in 11 years. SmartCompany has been inundated with emails and comments from frustrated business owners, asking what day their state observes the Anzac Day holiday and whether they need to pay workers penalty rates. Most states are observing the public holiday on the Saturday and not the following Monday, and Anzac Day tra...
With so many mixed messages in the media about what's going to happen to property I thought I'd take a look at the latest property statistics to see what's going on and look for clues as to where market is headed. Recently Residex released its growth figures for our capital cities for the 12 months to May. As you can see from the table below, Melbourne was the outstanding performer over the last year:
They're smart, they're young, they're tech savvy - and they're not afraid of the downturn. Meet SmartCompany's Hot 30 under 30 - a group of 30 entrepreneurs aged 30 years and under who are on their way to becoming Australia's next generation of business leaders.  
Free money for growth Government assistance is designed to help companies grow – it will not provide start-up capital, get you through a cashflow crisis or help you pay creditors. In fact in many cases grants are made in the form of a refund or credit for money already spent. There has never been a better time to get your hands on some government assistance. For starters, the slowing economy means business...
How to minimise your business tax burden Every business is different, so an exhaustive list of what is tax deductible will vary. The following is a sample of the kinds of expenses that could be deductible – it might get you thinking about what you are claiming concerning your business.
We'd never actually suggest that booze is a good way for an entrepreneur to get through this downturn, but for Simon Crowe, founder of healthy burger chain Grill'd, it has become an important part of his recession-busting strategy.   While fast-food...
Street wear retailer Ed Hardy, the brand once worn by celebrities including Madonna, Jeff Fenech and Melbourne underworld figure Mick Gatto, has been placed in the hands of administrators, less than nine months after the company was named as the sixth fastest growing company in BRW magazine's Fast 100 list. According to BRW, Ed Hardy posted revenue of $18.59 million in 2008-09, after posting average annual growth of 168.64% in the preceding three financial years. But as ...
They are young, smart and hungry for success. Meet SmartCompany's Hot 30 Under 30 class of 2012 – a group of entrepreneurs aged 30 years and younger, drawn from 30 of Australia's fastest-growing SMEs. These 30 young people are well on their way to becoming Australia’s next generation of top entrepreneurs.
The directors of failed whitegoods company Kleenmaid have appeared in court over charges the business traded while insolvent, in one of the first major insolvency cases for a business that collapsed in the aftermath of the GFC. The case comes after years of controversy surrounding the company’s failure, which affected thousands of creditors and placed the future of franchisees up in the air. Directors Andrew Young, Bradley Young and Gary Armstrong have been accused of 20 c...
Nicole Perrin, the wife of bankrupt entrepreneur Matthew Perrin, has emerged as the largest creditor of a company controlled by the former Billabong International chief executive.   Perrin's company Christie Pty Ltd was placed in receivership last week after Perrin filed for bankruptcy.   The company is being wound up a...
The Commonwealth Bank recorded a 42% increase in full-year cash profit to $6.1 billion this morning, and said it remains cautious about prospects for the next year as economic conditions remain uncertain. But the bank, and the financial industry altogether, has been accused of being run by a group of "greedy thieves" by Family First senator Steve Fielding, who says the Government and Opposition should be questioning the size of the banking sector's profit. Commonwealth Bank said i...
The chief executives of the 300 largest Australian sharemarket-listed companies raked in an average of 28% more in salary and bonuses in 2006-07 compared to the previous year, according to the Australian Financial Review’s latest study of executive pay packets.The average earnings of Top 300 chief executives were up significantly, from $1.99 million to $2.56 million in 2006-07. This equates to $49,231 a week – close to average yearly earnings for the wider workforce a...
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...
Housing market doomsayer Harry Dent has set his sights on the Australian property industry once again, predicting that a crash is set to occur within the next 12 months that will bring housing prices back to realistic levels. The prediction comes during the second week of the spring selling season, with some property experts more hopeful after auction clearance results rose slightly in both Melbourne and Sydney. Harry Dent, who is in the country to promote a new book and also
Starting a business is always difficult, and trying to start one in the middle of an economic crisis be even harder. To add to the problem, many small businesses are unaware of the internet's power when it comes to free business advice. So we've compiled a list of simple small business software applications and tools to help small business managers setup and grow their businesses for little or no...
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 ...
First she took on Australia, then she took on the world. Mining and media magnate Gina Rinehart is already Australia’s richest person, and word is spreading that she will become the world’s wealthiest individual within years. So it’s no surprise that Rinehart tops SmartCompany’s third annual top female entrepreneur list and drags its...
James Omond replies: Unfortunately, your experience is all too common in business, and illustrates a number of traps for the unwary. First, there is the confusion between business name registrations, company names, and registered trade marks.  You thought you had registered the name of the business as a trade mark, when it was only registered as a business name.  Business name registration does not give you any rights to use that name at all, and no protection from other people who say ...
It's been a bad start to the year for Australia's richest entrepreneurs. While 2010 looks like being a big year for our wealthy business people, the $700 million collapse of Ric Stowe's Griffin Coal mining business has started things off on a poor note. The sheer size of the collapse and Griffin Coal's importance to the West Australian economy have ...