Economy

Businesses are feeling confident about trading conditions for the upcoming year, following surprisingly positive expectation results during the September quarter.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut interest rates by 25 basis points yesterday, taking the cash rate down to 4.5 percent in time for the all important Christmas season.

The Fair Work Australia policy is to blame for the chaos caused by the Qantas staff lock-out and fleet grounding on the weekend, not the airline or the unions, according to Servcorp CEO Marcus Moufarrige.

SME business confidence slid again in the September quarter, with many reporting feeling less optimistic about future activity thanks to volatility in global financial markets and the high Australian dollar.

Economic instability and an inability by the government to make solid decisions is leading local businesses to act with greater caution, despite steady levels of optimism in the private business sector.

The All Blacks took out the final of the Rugby World Cup (RWC) last night, but new research from MasterCard shows businesses in New Zealand were the real winners of the tournament.

The Gillard Government’s research and development tax incentive could allow thousands of small businesses to innovate and boost business operations.

Workplace experts have put out a warning call to local jobs service providers to prepare for a contraction of the employment market.

Innovation Minister Kim Carr has announced a team of small business and industry experts will oversee the new R&D Tax Incentive and advise the government about its performance.

Unemployment made a surprise fall last month, slipping 0.1 percent as the number of people employed in full-time and part-time work jumped.

“It’s been a difficult debate but the debate is now concluded,” Prime Minister Julia Gillard said yesterday as the climate change bills were passed in the lower house of Parliament.

The current economic climate is putting increased pressure on Australian SMEs and causing more to enter external administration, according to new research from Veda.

Business conditions recovered slightly last month, according to the NAB’s monthly business survey, as many organisations begin to benefit from rising sales, the lower dollar and potential interest rate cuts.

Some good news has been spelled out in the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Retail Trade figures, with retail turnover rising 0.6 percent in August.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has again held interest rates at 4.75 percent today, citing continued global economic uncertainty as behind its decision.

Appliances Online was awarded the honours of Best Customer Experience and Best Site Optimisation and Design at the Online Retail Industry Awards (OIRA’s) on Tuesday night, and CEO John Winning has told Dynamic Business his company’s success is due to its focus on customer service.

The Australian dollar has slipped below parity overnight, falling close to its lowest level since March this year.

Business sales edged upwards in August and recorded their strongest result for four months, with experts suggesting that whilst it isn’t a strong result, it’s a good start in the right direction.

Manufacturing, Professional Services, the Digital Economy, International Education as well as Research, Tourism and Events are the first five sectors to be targeted by the NSW Government Industry Action Plans, designed to strengthen the state economy for the future.

The Westpac Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment has risen 8.1 per cent in September, spelling good news for consumer-facing businesses.