David Olsen
Tips for small businesses booking travel online
The advent of online booking, which allows customers to research, plan and book their business trip at the click of a mouse, has completely transformed the way the travel industry does business – here are four tips to make the most of booking travel online.
Australians continue to holiday locally despite high Aussie dollar
Despite the rally of the Australian Dollar over the second half of 2010, there is good news for the tourism industry with inbound and outbound tourism unaffected and intentions to travel to and from Australia maintaining similar levels to 2010.
Small Business Support Line hits 25,000 calls
The Australian Government’s Small Business Support Line has just received call number 25,000, with the service also receiving more than 3000 emails since September 2009, and more than 400 ‘live chats’ since that online service became available in November 2010.
Retail trade up 0.2% in December: ABS
Australian retailers saw a small uptick in sales during December, with a 0.2 percent increase in retail trade recorded by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the month.
Free range eggs labelling “Cruel deception of consumers” court finds
Western Australian wholesalers C.I. & Co Pty Ltd, and Antonio Pisano and Anna Pisano have been found to have misled the public by labelling and selling cartons of eggs labelled ‘free range’ when a substantial proportion of the eggs were not free range.
Telstra Business/COSBOA Back to Business Survey results released
The second annual Back to Business Survey commissioned by Telstra Business and the Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) found small business confidence in the Australian economy is significantly lower than it was a year ago.
Taxes, interest rates and red tape top problems list for small business
Small and medium business owners in Australia would like to see a ‘Small Business Ombudsman’ established to help deal with problems affecting them, with small business owners rating taxes, interest rates and government red tape the biggest problems they face in a national survey conducted by COSBOA and Telstra released today.
Staff with enthusiasm, not skills, most often given control of social media
Australian companies are giving social media responsibilities to staff with enthusiasm and an appetite for new technology rather than those with specific social media skills, according to the Future of Content report.
Telstra announce assistance for businesses affected by Tropical Cyclone Yasi
Telstra has announced an assistance package for its residential and small business customers across Queensland who have been evacuated from their homes or whose phone services have been affected by Tropical Cyclone Yasi.
How to get ready for the new paid parental leave scheme
After 30 June, 2011, employers will become ‘paymasters’ responsible for distributing funds under the government’s new paid parental leave scheme, with employers urged to make sure they are ready for this added burden before July 1.
How to stress test your business and prepare for any disaster
Stress testing your business before disaster strikes will help you avoid failure. Even if your business is not directly impacted by disaster, changing market conditions or your relationships with businesses that are directly impacted can seriously hurt your business.
Senior Helpers franchise business launches in Australia
Senior Helpers, already a hit franchise in the United States has launched in Australia with the backing of one of Australia’s most successful franchise developers Paul Wheeler.
Don’t rely on your gut alone: How to hire the right employees
Many entrepreneurs and managers pride themselves on their instincts: after all, these are the same instincts that continually guide them to success in the business world. However, when it comes to hiring, relying on your gut instinct alone can be a costly mistake.
Getprice report shows service, not price, most important for online retail
Getprice today released its 2011 Shopping report that examined the behaviours of over 3000 consumers who have visited the site, revealing that service, not price is the most important factor for Australians when buying online.
RBA holds interest rates at 4.75% due to Queensland floods
The Reserve Bank of Australia Board in its meeting today decided to hold official interest rates unchanged at 4.75 percent due to the dampening effect on inflation and economic activity as a result of the floods in Queensland.
Tobacco licensing levy to cripple small business owners
A tobacco licensing levy as proposed by the AMA Victorian branch president Dr Harry Hemley would cripple small business owners The Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) and COSBOA has claimed.
Can your business survive without you?
When Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that he will be taking indefinite leave for health reasons the market reacted, share prices dipped and experts wondered if Apple could continue to go from strength to strength without the charismatic Jobs at the helm.
Online wake up call for small business – top tips to get your business online
The reaction from Australia’s large retailers to competition from international websites should be a wake-up call for businesses to keep up with their customers online, says computer software program company Axios IT.
Govt plan to relocate unemployed to Queensland likely to fail
The Federal Government’s plan to relocate the long term unemployed to Queensland in order to fill demand for labour to rebuild the state after the Queensland floods is likely to fail, claims former head of Drake Personnel, Matthew Tukaki.
‘Appalogue’ iPhone app to kill the printed catalog?
Appalogue, an iPhone app that lets users read advertising catalogs on their mobile phone rather than receive them in the mail, hopes to make the printed catalog obsolete and save the environment in the process.
OfferMe ‘groupon clone’ forced overseas to secure venture funding deal
OfferMe, the first company to bring Groupon’s group coupon buying model to Australia, announced that it has had to look outside Australia for investors, but is on the verge of finalising a Series A round of substantial venture funding.
17% of employees don’t care about improving work-life balance
After surviving the Global Financial Crisis, the vast majority of employees in Australia are looking to restore balance to their working lives after putting in the hard yards during leaner economic times.
Motorola DEFY on Telstra – The ultimate small business smartphone?
The Motorola DEFY is billed as a “slim, pocketable Android smartphone” by Motorola, but the key to this handset is its durability and rugged construction while remaining lightweight and powerful.
Brisbane’s business community gets back to business
Brisbane’s business community is getting back to business following the recent floods. Most of the city’s major businesses have already resumed operations and Brisbane should expect to see economic growth through rebuilding as a result of the floods.