SmartCompany Plus

Leadership

Resilience programs can aid not only in the support of leaders and employees but can also assist in sustainable performance within an organisation.

Two in five Australian businesses expect to lift costs as inflation pressures bear down: ABS

The ABS says 38% of surveyed business believe they will significantly jack up prices in the next three months as inflation spikes.

AFR Rich List: Tech innovators behind Blackmagic Designs and Rode climb the ranks as tech sell-off hits Afterpay duo

A tech stock sell-off has narrowed the fortunes of Afterpay billionaires Nick Molnar and Anthony Eisen, as other innovators gained ground.

Australia’s chance to lead in climate tech: Regrow’s CEO on raising $50 million and Australia’s future

Gazala Anver

Regrow’s software platform provides science-based solutions for both farmers and corporations to decarbonise and build sustainable agricultural practices.

Mastercard’s “smile to pay” face recognition payments system is raising privacy, security and bias concerns

Rita Matulionyte

Mastercard’s “smile to pay” system, announced last week, is supposed to save time for customers at checkouts. It is being trialled in Brazil, with future pilots planned for the Middle East and Asia.

Growing pains or culture crisis? Four lessons to keep in mind when growing your business

Strategy

A focus on values, transparency, communication, collaboration, and self-reflection are imperative for organisations to evolve their culture to keep pace with expansion and ensure that growth is sustainable.

Small business wages are outpacing national average as SMEs face rising cost pressures, report says

Wages paid by Australian small businesses grew 4.1% in April 2022 compared to April 2021, accounting software provider Xero says.

sexual-harassment respect@work calderone

Three things employers must know when the government revamps sexual harassment at work rules

Emma Elsworthy

Hall and Wilcox partner Fay Calderone says there are three Respect@Work recommendations that employers should take note of: positive duties, representative claims, and damages/costs.

The Great Avoidance: What to consider if your staff are reluctant to come back to the office

Leadership

Our rush back to 'normal' is seeing the rise of a new phase for Australian workers: The Great Avoidance.

Small businesses to pay up to 13.5% more for energy as AER flags price increase

Gazala Anver

Small businesses in NSW, SA and southeast Queensland will see an increase in their energy bills starting from July 1, 2022, with the latest statistics from the Australian Energy Regulator showing a hike in wholesale electricity prices.

Uni leaders call for Labor’s $14.6 million Startup Year scheme to reach founders from all backgrounds

The Startup Year initiative promises to provide income-contingent loans to 2000 students, helping them develop their business ideas in accredited university accelerators over the course of a year.

SmartCompany Plus

How Buy From The Bush used social media and storytelling to generate $9 million in revenue for rural SMEs

Inspiration

Grace Brennan co-founded the Buy From the Bush (BFTB) movement in October 2019 using a simple hashtag on social media.

As inflation surges, here are three steps to protect your small business

Finance

Nobody said business ownership was easy. New challenges will constantly pop up. Here's how to tackle the current challenge of inflation.

Killer Thinking: Why Tim Duggan says kindness is the best way to get ahead in business

Inspiration

"Kindness can sometimes sound weak, or soft, or too touchy-feely for the thrust and pace of business, right?," writes Tim Duggan. "I reckon that’s bullshit."

SmartCompany_EarthDay22_Article_Hero Packaging_1 Anaita Sarkar

My biggest mistake: Anaita Sarkar, founder of Hero Packaging

My Biggest Mistake

What happens when you get so excited over an idea for a new product that you forget to do your due diligence? For Anaita Sarkar, it meant losing a lot of time, motivation, and $55,000.

Startups

Adam Schwab: Why Klarna, Paypal and Netflix are cutting jobs and no tech company is immune

Adam Schwab

26 May 2022

If there’s a single phrase that investors, businesses and tech workers should live by above all else it’s this: everything always reverts to the mean.

The-Great-Resignation managers workers tech

One in 10 workers changed jobs in the year to February, ABS says, giving credence to ‘Great Resignation’ claims

David Adams

25 May 2022

Some 1.3 million people changed jobs in the year to February 2022, the ABS says, suggesting many took part in the 'Great Migration'.

Online ordering platform Fresho raises $14 million as it looks to re-enter the US after COVID-enforced retreat

Gazala Anver

25 May 2022

Venues can use Fresho to browse supplier lists and base their decisions on real-time availability of produce, while also using its payment platform to make payments and generate invoices.

Ombudsman names and shames electric ‘undergarment’ training company 20Volts for refusing to engage in mediation

David Adams

25 May 2022

The ombudsman accused 20Volts, which offers electro muscular stimulation training, of failing to engage with alternative dispute resolution processes brought forward by an unnamed small business.

The future of retail

Supabarn says allowing staff to access their earned pay before payday is helping attract talent

Robert Stockdill

26 May 2022

Canberra-based independent grocery retailer Supabarn believes it has found an edge in attracting staff amid serious labour shortages in the sector.

National Geographic stores are coming to Australia, promising new adventure apparel in a crowded domestic market

David Adams

24 May 2022

National Geographic stores are planned for Australia and New Zealand, but retail experts say the "iconic" brand will face stiff competition.

NSW retailers using single-use plastic bags to face up to $275,000 in fines from next week

Emma Elsworthy

24 May 2022

NSW Environment Minister James Griffin said the reason for the single-use plastic bag ban was simple: "It will stop plastic getting into our environment at the source."

GMP closes Click Central to focus on GrabOne in New Zealand

Robert Stockdill

23 May 2022

Australian online marketplace Click Central closed on Friday as its owners decided to redirect resources to its other online platforms.

Partner content

Working from home

Don’t like performance reviews? Here’s how you can improve them in a hybrid work environment

The Conversation

24 May 2022

Here are three challenges that employers and their employees will face when conducting performance reviews in a hybrid workplace, and the ways they can overcome them.

Does your business need a head of remote? Here’s what they do, and what to look for

Darren Murph

17 May 2022

We’ve reached a point where the ability for an organisation to thrive remotely is too important to leave to chance. Every remote organisation must appoint one person whose role is to chart a path forward.

return-to-office-transition family inclusive workplace

Back to the office: How leaders can help their staff through the transition