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Manufacturing news and insights for Australia’s small and medium business owners and entrepreneurs. Read the latest manufacturing news, trends and features and entrepreneur interviews about the manufacturing industry. Or search for manufacturing on SmartCompany. |
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News
Why the electric car could kill Australian manufacturing: Kohler Alan Kohler A new industrial revolution is unfolding with the advent of electric vehicles that are cleaner, faster and ultimately cheaper that petrol vehicles. But this revolution will also kill Australian manufacturing. | Thursday, 11 March 2010 |
Manufacturer, health care group and NSW resort in receivership as collapses surge James Thomson Insolvency experts are pointing to a surge in company collapses. | Wednesday, 3 March 2010 |
New home sales rise 9.5% during January, Rates tipped to rise tomorrow: Economy Roundup Patrick Stafford The ACCC has said scam losses during the past year have nearly reached $70 million. | Monday, 1 March 2010 |
Entrepreneur Robert Gerard set to float Gerard Lighting Group James Thomson Adelaide entrepreneur Robert Gerard unveils plans to float his lighting company, seeking to raise $80 million to $90 million to pay down debt. | Wednesday, 10 February 2010 |
Collapsed kitchen company in liquidation James Thomson A Queensland-based kitchen company has been placed in liquidation with debts of more than $5 million. | Friday, 29 January 2010 |
Joint venture rescue hope for collapsed clothing label Ksubi Patrick Stafford Fashion chain Ksubi could be rescued from administration due to a proposed joint venture between the company’s shareholders and major manufacturing partner Bleach. | Wednesday, 20 January 2010 |
Fashion label Ksubi collapses into administration James Thomson The founders of designer clothing label Ksubi have blamed the collapse of the company on poor margins and a sudden drop in the Aussie dollar in early 2009. | Monday, 11 January 2010 |
Retailers report solid sales, but grey clouds loom James Thomson A recent Australian Retailers Association survey reported 67% of retailers were trading at the same or better levels than the same period in 2008-09. | Wednesday, 6 January 2010 |
THE WEEK AHEAD: Full speed ahead for 2010 Craig James Despite the threat of the GFC, for Australian consumers and investors 2009 was a very good year. | Sunday, 3 January 2010 |
Queensland technology company Metal Storm on the brink of administration James Thomson Queensland-based defence technology company Metal Storm will be forced to enter administration if the first tranche of a promised capital injection does not arrive in the coming days. | Wednesday, 2 December 2009 |
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Trends
Dominic Holland slammed by business for URL sale Patrick Stafford Entrepreneur Dominic Holland has been slammed by Qantas and Westpac after attempting to sell the two companies domain names similar to their own official URLs. | Thursday, 11 March 2010 |
FCC hints at free wireless Patrick Stafford The Federal Communications Commission in the US has tabled its National Broadband Plan, including hints of a free wireless service for American residents. | Thursday, 11 March 2010 |
Low cost smartphones to hit market this year Patrick Stafford A new blog post from Juniper Research predicts a variety of low-cost smartphones to hit the market this year, while Ovum states market leader Nokia is struggling to keep up with a high-end offering. | Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
Facebook to release location-based services Patrick Stafford Social networking giant Facebook will soon unveil location-based services similar to those offered by internet search leader Google. | Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
Google Buzz hit with lawsuit Patrick Stafford Internet giant Google has been hit with a law suit in the American state of Rhode Island for allegedly violating privacy laws through its new Buzz social networking service. | Tuesday, 9 March 2010 |
Features
Which industries will sink & soar in 2010? Robert Bryant As the New Year brings good tidings for Australian businesses we look at which industries will enjoy growth in 2010. | Monday, 4 January 2010 |
The basics of production Tom McKaskill Economies of scale could be a basic way to exert your competitive advantage. | Thursday, 26 November 2009 |
Australia's sweet tooth resilient Robert Bryant Despite the economic downturn, volatile commodity prices and increasing import competition, the country's chocolate and confectionery industry held strong. | Tuesday, 22 September 2009 |
How will your sector fare in 2009-10? James Thomson We reveal the 10 fastest growing industries for 2009-10 and examine how the big sectors will fare in the new financial year. | Wednesday, 1 July 2009 |
Shot glass half full Robert Bryant The spirits industry's products are expected to be less affected than other discretionary items, as consumption of alcohol is often given a boost by difficult economic times. | Wednesday, 13 May 2009 |
When will the downturn end? Entrepreneurs tell Patrick Stafford When it comes to the state of the nation, SmartCompany has the unique sounding-board of the country's engine room - small and medium business. To answer the above question, we asked a dozen entrepreneurs for their take on the economy. | Monday, 23 February 2009 |
Which sectors will win and lose in the downturn? Phil Ruthven Are your sales efforts aimed at the right sectors? As the Australian economy hurtles towards recession, veteran business watcher and IBISWorld founder PHIL RUTHVEN nominates the industries that will be hardest hit - and the sectors that should hold up. | Wednesday, 18 February 2009 |
Why the internet will beat the downturn Amanda Gome The silver lining for Quickflix in the economic downturn is the “lipstick effect”, where people indulge in cheaper at-home recreation. Founder Stephen Langsford tells AMANDA GOME how the evolving online world has changed his business. | Tuesday, 20 January 2009 |
Spilt milk James Thomson Australia’s dairy wholesale sector is coming off a good year, thanks to surging global food prices. But as prices fall, increased competition will lead to consolidation and force some companies out of the sector. IBISWorld general manager ROBERT BRYANT explains. | Tuesday, 20 January 2009 |
How will your sector perform in 2009? James Thomson The threat of recession hangs heavy over the business landscape, but not every company is bracing for bad news. In a sector-by-sector breakdown, SmartCompany reveals the industries of likely refuge in the maelstrom ahead. | Monday, 19 January 2009 |
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Entrepreneur Zone
Clark Rubber bounces back fast Jacqui Walker By keeping an eye open to developments overseas, Clark Rubber chief Chris Malcolm was able to take early remedial action | Friday, 27 February 2009
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Recruiter rides the outsourcing wave Amanda Gome 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. | Tuesday, 14 October 2008 |
Aussie’s strong growth plan Amanda Gome John Symond’s Aussie Home Loans has continued to grow despite ructions in the mortgage market. His advice? Don’t be a victim, especially as circumstances change and customer needs evolve. He tells AMANDA GOME how he positioned Aussie as an organisation th | Monday, 29 September 2008 |
Digital directions Amanda Gome John O’Neill, the chair of online strategy and digital agency Komosion, talks to AMANDA GOME about shaking the status quo in the face of the changing online space. | Thursday, 18 September 2008 |
A start-up with style Amanda Gome The brainchild behind Swap My Style is 29-year-old Shaughla Ahmad, who has brought like-minded fashionistas a new concept that combines clothes, champagne and canapes with a night out. She tells AMANDA GOME how it all came about. | Tuesday, 16 September 2008 |
Aussie’s strong growth plan Amanda Gome John Symond’s Aussie Home Loans has continued to grow despite ructions in the mortgage market. His advice? Don’t be a victim, especially as circumstances change and customer needs evolve. He tells AMANDA GOME how he positioned Aussie as an organisation th | Tuesday, 2 September 2008 |
Digital directions Amanda Gome John O’Neill, the chair of online strategy and digital agency Komosion, talks to AMANDA GOME about shaking the status quo in the face of the changing online space. | Tuesday, 26 August 2008 |
Life after Destra, and the digital future Amanda Gome Dominic Carosa, 33, was until two months ago, the founder and chief executive of digital media and entertainment company Destra Corporation. He talks to AMANDA GOME about life after Destra, the lessons he learnt, his new plans and how the digital world is | Monday, 23 June 2008 |
Building online traffic with Vroom Jacqui Walker The founders of fast growth online car hire business Vroom Vroom Vroom, Peter Thornhill and Richard Eastes, tell JACQUI WALKER how they built traffic with search engine marketing, created an innovative culture, and are planning global expansion. | Tuesday, 18 March 2008 |
Sales jobs: On the road to nowhere (unless we detour) Amanda Gome The internet has changed selling forever. So why are your sales staff still selling in the same old way? International sales guru Tom Snyder warns AMANDA GOME that hundreds of thousands of salespeople will lose their jobs in the next five years unless the | Tuesday, 11 March 2008 |
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