Blog Entries

Big Money: Is the internet destroying the middle class?

myriam.robin@gmail.com — Fri, 17 May 2013 01:30:14 +0100

Ever heard of the term ‘virtual reality’? The guy who came up with it is Jaron Lanier, who in 1985 was involved in VPL Research, the first company to sell ‘virtual reality’ goggles and gloves.

Lanier is no Luddite. He’s worked with Microsoft and Linden Labs, he’s a visiting scholar at several universities, and he’s seen and been [...]

My employees won’t stop gossiping

auntyb@startupsmart.com.au — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:49:55 +0100

Dear Aunty B,

I work in management at an inbound call centre. For the most part everything runs smoothly, and my team of 10 people get on very well.

But there are two or three employees who just continually gossip while the phones are quiet. I don’t mind a little bit of chatter – there’s not much they can do while waiting fo [...]

Will ‘walkable’ suburbs perform well in the future?

myardney@smartcompany.com.au — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:58:48 +0100

You often hear that location is paramount when choosing a great investment property. But what makes a good location?

While a lot of factors come into play, easy access to facilities must be near the top of the list. Walking distance to transport, shops and the café lifestyle is one the strongest trends attracting buyers [...]

Will Swan's budget change gender imbalance in the boardroom?

nsimson@smartcompany.com.au — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

Did I see this week in Treasurer Swan's budget a little mention of $4.3 million to attract more female directors to board roles?

Of course, the question is will these funds make a difference to the massive imbalance in the boardroom gender mix.

It was way back in 1969 when "equal pay for work of equal value" by women was [...]

The art of Chen

tleyshan@smartcompany.com.au — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

I arrived at Sydney airport. I briskly exited the terminal and was immediately greeted by the humid morning air. I strategically positioned myself in the cab rank and waited in line for my ride.

After a few minutes, my cabby pulled up. The driver then leaped out of his seat and charged around to my side of the car. A smal [...]

Marketing's great hopes: Big data vs neuroscience

rparker@smartcompany.com.au — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

As any marketer worth her salt knows, your marketing is only as effective as your understanding of your audience.

Back in the early Madison Avenue days, this understanding was mainly based on gut feeling and anecdotal observation. Type of person X is likely to buy type of product Y. Message A will appeal to audien [...]

Should I stalk my mentor?

auntyb@startupsmart.com.au — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:41:34 +0100

Dear Aunty B,

Lots of successful business people credit their success to mentors who have helped them along the way. I don’t have a mentor so am worried I am missing out.

I have no idea of how to get one. I’m going to a business women’s networking event next week and I’m wondering whether I should stalk a mentor there. [...]

VIDEO: The top new SEO changes from Google

jstewart@smartcompany.com.au — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:54:59 +0100

Google is always changing up the rules regarding SEO, and for small businesses, it can be hard to keep up.

Thankfully Jim Stewart has all the changes under control. In this week’s video he details the top four changes regarding SEO you need to know about.

Jim Stewart is one of the country’s lead [...]

Sunset on the laptop market

pwallbank@smartcompany.com.au — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

Last week, Toshiba released their Kira laptop computer, a premium device aimed at the 'aspirational' market.

The Kira is a fine device with good specs, little weight and an ambitious $2000 price point. It probably also marks the laptop computer's decline.

As tablet computers and smartphones become most people's [...]

Digital disruption still bites

fbendall@smartcompany.com.au — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

Even now after 3,099,585 presentations loaded to Slideshare.net on 'Digital', 'Online', 'Mobile' and 'eCommerce', there is still reticence in regard to all matters digital in the boardrooms of companies large and small.

Whole industries have been impacted, a long time ago!

Record industry
Camera and photo [...]

Heard the one about the pigeon in the down pipe?

dmarkus@smartcompany.com.au — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

What does a pigeon in a drain pipe have to do with IT?

Well, it depends where the pipe is. In this case, for one of our clients it was the main down pipe for the drainage from their roof. So when a dead pigeon got stuck in the pipe and the rain came down heavily the water pooled in the gutter until it ran down the inside of the roof. [...]

How to fight back against the 'showroomers'

dhancock@smartcompany.com.au — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

Having someone walk into your store, ask for advice, try something on for size and then pull out their smartphone to buy it elsewhere online is perhaps the ultimate insult for a retailer.

These so-called 'showroomers' are taking advantage of the overheads you've invested in a physical storefront, while your onlin [...]

Take the stress out of flying high

pstafford@smartcompany.com.au — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

I’m terrified of flying.

It’s a strange fear, as I’ve taken to the skies scores of times in my short life. I know the ins and outs of checking in, boarding; the noises you should expect when the plane is heading up to the runway – and I have my answers ready to questions asked every time I sit in the exit row.< [...]

Am I being persistent or just a pest?

auntyb@startupsmart.com.au — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:00:52 +0100

Dear Aunty B,

I had an interview for a job a while ago with a clothing store. I rang them to follow up and they told me I hadn't got the job, so I asked for feedback and they said they would get back to me. I've now called three times and they are always too busy to speak to me.

I really want to get feedback on where I went [...]

Social networks consolidate as ‘opinion engines’ for your business

creardon@smartcompany.com.au — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:37:30 +0100

Not that long ago, this blog raised many eyebrows when it flagged the notion of Facebook being a new kind of Yellow Pages.

Not in terms of searching for suppliers. Google has that base well and truly covered.

And not even in terms of displaying targeted business advertisements – clever as their behavioural t [...]

Communication – the skeleton key?

kdunphey@startupsmart.com.au — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

A while back I was asked what would be the next big thing to impact on business over the next seven years.

Rather than focusing on some exciting new element of technology, I found myself drawn back to communication and my answer was as follows.

Just this morning I found myself enraged at the service provided by two com [...]

Fast Lane: Swan on the defensive

cwaters@smartcompany.com.au — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:46:22 +0100

Treasurer Wayne Swan has come out on the defensive after suffering the election year ignominy of having to deliver a budget short on sweeteners and long on cuts and revenue raisers.

There’s a few measures in there aimed at delivering votes, like assistance to businesses in accessing the National Broadband Network and [...]

Home troubles have made this employee unemployable. What do I do about it?

auntyb@startupsmart.com.au — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:09:51 +0100

Dear Aunty B,

We have an employee whose personal life constantly affects their work and professionalism.

There is always some disaster which means that they can’t be in the office and this is putting unnecessary stress on other members of the team.

The employee can’t work from home as they’ve proven they can’t [...]

What is a brand?

mhogan@startupsmart.com.au — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:35:21 +0100

I am a Brand.

I am much more than a logo, name or marketing campaign.

I am sometimes a verb (when used on cattle), more often a noun.

You can find me somewhere between a feeling and the organisation.

I can be a promise, a principle, a point of engagement, an organising system, a way to align w [...]

Building your brand one customer at a time

jwinning@smartcompany.com.au — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

"Advertising is the tax you pay for being unremarkable," said Geek Squad Founder Robert Stephens. This is a true and significant statement that really sets apart competitors in Australia's highly crowded retail market.

Obviously, advertising is a key and necessary ingredient in all businesses marketing strateg [...]