Expert
The heated Sydney-Melbourne rivalry has played out over many years, with both cities laying claim to having the nation’s best coffee, culture, standards of living… well, the best of just about everything. But how do Australia’s two largest cities – and, more broadly, NSW and Victoria – stack up against one another in terms of […]
Today’s savvy consumers increasingly demand authenticity from businesses, both in terms what they stand for and how they tell their story. If a business doesn’t align with their values, they’ll find one that does. And if a business talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk, well… consumers will call BS, jeopardising the business’s chances […]
Due to the ‘gigantic profits’ banks derive from processing the ‘lion’s share’ of home loans in Australia, traditional lenders haven’t had a compelling case for servicing small businesses – rejecting around 50% of their loan requests, according to Simon Isaacs, founder and CEO of fintech startup ebroker. “Banks can lend $62.50 for every dollar* of their […]
“Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal” – TS Eliot,1920 (“The Sacred Wood: Essays on Poetry and Criticism”) TS Eliot’s famous epithet is both witty and profound. It is also wonderfully contrarian. We are taught that we should never steal or plagiarise, that we should find our own path. Yet here is one of the greatest poets of […]
The financial services industry is in the midst of a digital revolution led by fintech startups. These nimble, customer-centric companies are rapidly establishing a new status quo as they hone in on the consumer and business pain points the large incumbents have failed to address. This week, for our exclusive “Let’s talk…” feature looking at […]
The legendary unicorn, frequently depicted as horse with a horn protruding from its forehead, has captured imaginations since antiquity. In 2013, the term was appropriated by venture capitalist Aileen Lee to refer to a statistical rarity – namely, a startup with a market valuation of at least $1 billion. Since then, the ranks of the […]
What does ‘culture’ in a corporate context really mean anyway? We all throw the term around with the assumption there is a common understanding of what it actually means, but I feel in its over use its lost its meaning and worth defining to set the scene. Most people would agree corporate or organisational culture […]
Burnout is one of the few mental disorders recognised by Work Safe Australia as directly caused by too much work; and it contributes to a $20 billion “stress bill” businesses foot each year. Through the ubiquitous smart phone, leaders are always connected to work when at home, and when on leave. In my role as […]
Technological advances such as video conferencing and cloud-based file-sharing are enabling businesses to save time and money by virtually engaging with stakeholders such as clients across borders and oceans rather than meeting them in person. This begs the question… have in-person meetings, requiring attendees to travel interstate or abroad, become redundant? We asked 15 business […]
Although it’s been one week since World Kindness Day (13 Nov), it’s important for CEOs to realise that being kind should be an ongoing commitment and obligation. Introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of over 25 non-government organisations across the world, World Kindness Day serves as a reminder to be purposeful […]
Hiring people to work in your business effectively means entrusting others with fulfilling your vision. Scary thought, right? With this in mind, it’s imperative to find meaningful ways to keep your employees firing on all cylinders with their eyes on the ball. This week, for our exclusive “Let’s Talk…” feature centering on management, we asked […]
The following is adapted from a graduation speech delivered earlier this spring to Macquarie University Business School Class of 2017. Where I come from (New York, the US) graduations are referred to as ‘commencements’. However, applying the term commencement to a graduation used to confuse me because commencement means “the beginning of something” whereas a graduation, […]
When looking at the most enduring businesses of the last century, a consistent theme emerges: the power of the positive. While all brands need to pivot their message from time to time to keep the pace in an ever-changing market, it’s hard to think of a company that has stayed at the top of its […]
At the helm of every great company is a great leader. Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson… Home-grown heroes like Melanie Perkins, Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes… All are wildly successful, their praises sung far and wide. However, each runs a business that’s underpinned by their own unique vision. It makes one wonder… what, […]
Tried and tested, influencer marketing is a solid growth-enabler for small businesses that doesn’t have to cost the earth or require endorsement from mainline celebrities. The strategy is to partner with individuals whose networks boast the type of people you want to target and who can influence them – for instance, sway them to buy or […]
I don’t know that the technology sector has a greater or lesser demand for diversity despite recent headline grabbing issues like ‘the Google email incident’. However, according to a recent report by Australia’s Chief Scientist, women currently comprise just 16% of our total STEM workforce. That’s jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and […]
The first year of a new business is critical, with repeated evidence that around one third of businesses fail during this phase. However, equipped with the right knowledge and education, you can get off to a strong start. Whilst the focal point for the early months should ideally be on rapid income generation, new business […]
Customer sentiment holds the key to unlocking hidden revenue in your business. As a retailer, eCommerce platform or marketplace, you’re likely to value customer sentiment — however being able to turn that sentiment into a successful business strategy to improve your business from a revenue or operations perspective is way more challenging. Customer’s experience, product […]
We are relentlessly told that we should be ‘authentic’ and find our own approach to leading. The idea of emulation is almost frowned upon. But while many people will say that you need to create your own style, not copy others, the neuroscience of performance has produced some very different answers. In any domain where […]
Due to Australia’s relatively small population and the country’s remoteness from global markets, some businesses will need to expand overseas in order to reach their growth potential. Of course, there are numerous factors businesses must consider before venturing abroad, not least of all laws governing intellectual property (IP) including patents. Indeed, overseas expansion plans can […]
