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1. The next 15 trends in social networking

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.  ...

2. Internet pioneer on new web trends

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

3. Top 10 online retailers

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...

4. Australia’s best super funds

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

5. Australia’s 25 best business blogs

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...

6. 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...

7. Zara to open doors in Australia, but how should local retail

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...

8. 20 tax tips from the experts

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

9. Australia’s best business blogs

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  

10. Why your company needs core values

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...

11. 20 sales and marketing problems solved

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.   

12. How to build a loyalty program

It’s estimated that there are around 200,000 loyalty programs operating in Australia, which makes it extremely difficult for a business to stand out from the crowd. But there are ways to ensure your program stacks up against the rest – as long as you’re prepared to put in some hard yards during the set-up phase. There’...

13. Our top female entrepreneurs

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 ...

14. Australia’s 25 top business blogs

While Facebook and Twitter might hog the social media headlines, the humble blog remains a much-loved communication tool for many Australian business people. Around the country, and throughout many different industries, there are thousands of Australian consultants, contractors and entrepreneurs running lively, informative and at times, very persona...

15. The 10 next social media trends

Social media still dominates headlines as the new direction for business marketing, but it seems many businesses are resisting the call. A recent survey by Optus found that only 28% of small businesses used social media to promote their business, while 56% had no near-term plans to start. It's an understandable response. Jus...

16. SmartCompany Web Awards 2011

17. 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    

18. Our top 10 online retailers

The battle for the title of Australia's top online retailer has come down to a fight between the two heavyweights of the local e-tail sector. Both sell discount goods, both are growing rapidly – and both claim they hold the top position. In SmartCompany's second annual list of the country's biggest online retailers, department store...

19. 10 must-haves for your marketing plan

As the list of ways to promote your business grows, working out the most effective way to spruik your business can be half the battle. That's why it's vital that small- and medium-sized businesses put a solid marketing strategy in place and make sure they don't deviate from the plan. Here are 10 things your plan mus...

20. The 10 richest Australian celebrities

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...

21. Five lessons from the collapse of Storm Financial

Storm Financial’s stumble into administrator’s hands wasn't just a result of the financial crisis – its strategy left it badly exposed and distracted. JAMES THOMSON picks over the remains and looks at the salient lessons for every entrepreneur. By James Thomson

22. SmartCompany Smart50 Awards 2011

23. Australia’s best super funds for 2010

The task of trying to select the best super funds is filled with traps for uninformed consumers. Take the potential minefield for anyone who focuses solely on trying to hunt down the best performance or extremely low fees but fails to compare premiums for fund-provided insurance. "The differential between the highest price insura...

24. How Costco Australia will change Australian retail

There are just two things standing in the way of a potential revolution in Australia's retail sector: Melbourne's notoriously fickle weather, and a roof.   For Costco Australia managing director Patrick Noone, whether the warehouse shopping giant opens its Melbou...

25. Web Awards 2010

The SmartCompany Web Awards 2010 discovered and recognised Australia's top business websites that are changing the online landscape. The winners were announced during a live SmartCompany Webinar on August 12, 2010. You can watch the webinar to see who won the: Best Small Company Website (Under 20 employees) Best Large Company Website (More than 20 employees)

26. 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...

27. The art of setting KPIs

The mantra behind key performance indicators (KPIs) is imprinted on the brain of every executive in the world: "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it". The trouble is many companies don't know what to measure. The result: bad management, mixed messages, confusion and employees focusing on the wrong thing. KPIs need to be handled ...

28. Australia’s best super funds for 2011

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...

29. Australia’s top web 2.0 entrepreneurs

The search for Australia’s best and brightest web 2.0 entrepreneurs reveals a tangled web of companies, individuals and technologies reports BRAD HOWARTH, tied together through an equally complex web of professional relationships and friendships. By Brad Howarth

30. Boost Juice founder Janine Allis sells 70% stake

The founders of juice bar chain Boost Juice, Janine and Jeff Allis, have sold a 70% stake in the company for between $65-70 million to a US private equity firm. The firm, The Riverside Company, only opened its first office in Australia in late April but appears to have wasted little time in picking up one of Australia's biggest food franchises. Boost Juice has 180 outlets in Australia and 50 overseas (mainly in Britain, Singapore and South Africa) and is expected to post revenue o...

31. How mobile is your technology?

Thank you for your participation in the SmartCompany Technology Survey. The SmartCompany Mobile Technology Survey aims to discover how Australian businesses are using mobile technologies and how they are incorporating these technologies into their social media strategy. SmartCompany, in conjunction with Optus, will present the findings in a special feature and...

32. SmartCompany Web Awards 09

  The winners of the SmartCompany Web Awards 2009 were announced via live webinar on October 28 at 2pm. View the recorded webinar and watch as the winners of the Web Awards are revealed, the judges present the latest trends of Australia's hottest websit...

33. SmartCompany Smart50 Awards 2012

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34. 10 secrets of successful B2B selling

Dealing with other businesses requires a different approach to the consumer market. It’s not an easy transition, but MIKE PRESTON has divined the secrets to success from Australia’s experts. By Mike Preston

35. 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...

36. Hot 30 under 30

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.  

37. How to make a profit – it’s easier than you think

Bevan Slattery and Stephen Baxter started telco infrastructure company PIPE Networks on a limited budget, but have been solidly profitable from day one. AMANDA GOME details the PIPE profit plan.

38. Witchery and Mimco push ahead

The economic crisis is nothing new for Witchery and Mimco chief executive Iain Nairn, who has weathered two downturns in the last three decades. While he predicts tougher times ahead, the retailer believes the fashion group has the strategy to survive andBy Emily Ross

39. Clark Rubber bounces back fast

By keeping an eye open to developments overseas, Clark Rubber chief Chris Malcolm was able to take early remedial action to better position the business to weather the downturn. Well before the effects of the global financial crisis were being felt in Australia, Chris Malcolm, the managing director of swimming pool, rubber and furniture retailer Clark Rubber, had a strong sense of what was comin...

40. Australia's eCommerce superstars

Australia's bricks and mortar retailers have been doing it tough of late. But then, it is getting hard to remember a time when they weren't. But while news reports are filled with stories of companies such as Borders, Blockbuster and Premier Retail closing stores, many of Australia's online retailers are going from strength to st...

41. 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 ...

42. Set performance standards

OK, we've got the performance appraisal's overall goal, we've looked at key results – now we just have to set the standards. Here's how... To be able to do your job well everyone needs to know clearly what is expected of you. And this comes from having a performance plan. I have covered the importance of planning before launching into appraisals. The whole process ...

43. Grill'd on the front burner

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...

44. Myer dresses down for a long, bleak winter: Bartholomeusz

Myer's third-quarter sales results, and its earnings downgrade, underscore how much the retail sector needed this month's 50 basis point cut to official interest rates and beg the question of why the Reserve Bank didn't move a little earlier. The faint hope for retailers being ground down by the anxiety of consumers is that the cut – most of which has flowed through to home loan rates despite the retention of some of the 50 basis points by the banks – is that it helps stem the c...

45. How to manage and motivate a sales team

How do you motivate your sales team? There are seven key skills. I was asked recently how to motivate sales people so they reach and exceed targets, initiate new business, and persist when it’s tough.   I believe there are seven key skills:   Select the right people. Clarify expectations. Provide resources. Monitor performance. Develop skills. Reward and motivate. Provide support....

46. Woolworths to launch hardware giant Masters tomorrow – 10

Australia is on the brink of a war – for the hearts and minds of tradies, DIY-ers and sausage-sizzle-loving hardware consumers around the country. Tomorrow in the Melbourne suburb of Braybrook, supermarket giant Woolworths and its joint venture partner, US hardware giant Lowe's, will open the first in what it promises will be a 150-strong chain of Masters stores. The move is designed to break the dominance of market leader Bunnnings, which is owned by conglomerate Wesfamers, th...

47. How do I use social media to shamelessly market my business?

The wonderful world of the web these days (WEB2.0) enables us to touch base with our customers/potential customers in a soft way, build up trust, get creative with content, have the freedom to add and change information on our websites and blogs plus drive traffic to places we want it most - all for the cost of our own time. Social media is one of the most powerful ways to do this right now. Okay, so I'm always looking for quirky and powerful ways to market the business online (an...

48. Why online retailing is a dead-end: Gerry Harvey

Harvey Norman is being walloped by the downturn. But billionaire founder Gerry Harvey still refuses to consider online retailing, dismissing it as a dead-end for businesses. He predicts it will not make any money for entrepreneurs and says he will not be Harvey Norman is being walloped by the downturn. But billionaire founder Gerry Harvey still refuses to consider online retailing, dismissing it as a dead-end for businesses. He predicts it will not make any money for entr...

49. 10 things that should be on your marketing plan for 2011-12

If you're like most business owners you are facing a new financial year with big intentions of getting around to a more solid approach to marketing. But plans can fall by the wayside quickly as the stresses of running a business take hold, so make a resolution to stick to your guns this year and watch your business grow.

50. Re-inventing a cottage industry

Serial entrepreneur Ryan Trainor, 35, has spent the last year turning a cottage industry into a national, scalable business called Franklyn Scholar.  It has attracted a high profile board and has revenue of $20 million. Amanda Gome talks to Trainor about how ...