Author: Colin Benjamin on
18 June 2010
The sooner we have elections the better. We can then get on to looking to the future, implementing the buried innovation and research and development strategies and exploring some of the options in the long forgotten Rudd Futures Summit. The last couple of years have been characterised by high hopes for a new government and dashed expectations that a change of government makes any difference as we still will be electing a bunch of pollies.
Author: Colin Benjamin on
11 June 2010
Now is the time for all smart companies to come to the aid of their country, turn off the shrill screams of the mining masters and plan ahead to get ahead of those that expect China to collapse, commodity prices to fall in a heap and investors rush off to emerging markets with highly unstable administrations. Consumer and business confidence provides a better song from the canaries that sit in the booming minds of the nation.
Author: Colin Benjamin on
4 June 2010
Taken together with the figures that have had the Australian Central Bank itching for more rate rises to jump all over inflationary pressures and business over confidence, smart companies will begin building their customer relationships management plans to encourage forward orders and begin making appointments for business-to-business value paths and marketing communications efforts.
Author: Colin Benjamin on
28 May 2010
As the iPad reaches Australian shores and the equities market breathes a sigh of relief that the European contagion has been quarantined, it is again time to recognise that sales are a function of consumer expectations.
Author: Colin Benjamin on
21 May 2010
While there are real concerns about the impact of the two speed economy, even Glenn Stevens can see that external market forces should lead to caution about further rate rises before the election and the Government is supporting wage increases for the discount end of the consumer market.
Author: Colin Benjamin on
14 May 2010
While there may be differences between Ken Henry and members of the RBA team, there appears to be consensus that small business will face a long period of market corrections due to a combination of cuts to public sector expansion, the impact of Tanner's expenditure review processes and the threat of Abbott's $4 billion freeze on public sector replacement of retirees.
Author: Colin Benjamin on
7 May 2010
While the Dow Jones had its thousand point "correction" and the techos rush to assure us that the stock market jockeys are back in the saddle after the computers threw them, the reality is that our Australian future is
on track for growth.
Author: Colin Benjamin on
30 April 2010
With both the Australian and US equity markets climbing back over the technical barriers to a return of speculative investments, it might be thought that the worst is over, the GFC is now only "good for fish and chips" news history and we are all supposed to rest assured that elections in the UK, US and Australia will keep stimulus packages in place.
Author: Colin Benjamin on
9 April 2010
As we head into the turbulent waters of an election year and the backwash of stimulus reductions around the globe, smart companies that have grown over the past year will need to remember that the trend is never your friend.
Author: Colin Benjamin on
26 March 2010
Every small business needs to prepare for significant volatility for the remainder of the year as the RBA and Treasury study the changing pattern of consumer and business expectations.
