Lorna Brett

Google has noted a change in the volume of local searches of foreign brands and retailers, with key drivers of this trend including better availability, range and price.

The winners of the 2011 City of Sydney Business Awards were revealed earlier this week, with retro boutique Oobi Baby and Kids taking out the top award – Business of the Year.

Businesses in any stage of the growth cycle are being invited to attend “Digital Day”, a free Small Business September seminar looking at how to use e-commerce and social media.

Sales at Myer fell 3.8 percent in the year to 30 July, with CEO Bernie Brooks warning that if trading conditions don’t improve sales will continue to be flat and profit could fall by 10 percent in FY2012.

Your Friday Entrepreneur Fix this week features Mark Bouris, host of The Celebrity Apprentice and billionaire businessman who changed the way Australians secure home loans.

The business of naming is one of the most fraught, interesting and challenging aspects of branding. Arriving at the right solution takes time and can test even the most seasoned marketer. Success comes down to the same principles that apply to every branding project – trust and the ability to truly understand your consumer.

The Crust franchise has opened an ‘al Taglio’ (pizza by the slice) Gourmet Pizza Bar in the Sydney International Airport food court, as the company embarks on an aggressive expansion plan.

BigCommerce has rolled out a new Facebook application allowing online retailers to convert their Facebook pages into fully functioning online stores, for free.

Snap Franchising Linited (SFL) has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer, with current COO Stephen Edwards to take up the post from 1 November. The company also detailed a transition of its corporate team from Perth to Sydney.

Online entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan has announced he’s expanded the range of electronics on his online store and is now selling Apple, Canon, Nikon and Samsung products at significantly discounted prices, by sourcing the products higher up in the supply chain.