Growing

There’s the old saying you should keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. And the same could be said for your business competitors.

The workforce is becoming increasingly mobile and new technologies are making it easier for business owners to conduct their business from any location, at any time. Applications such as the softphone allow your business to make calls internally and externally without the need of a telephone handset. So what are the benefits of using a softphone and should you use one in your business?

You’ve embraced corporate social responsibility and the ecological movement, but how does that translate through your international dealings? Here’s a global view of ethical business.

Our favourite young businesspeople are a varied bunch this year, from the 23 year-old with two leading fashion e-boutiques to the brother and sister dreaming up new gadgets to export every year.

You’ve no doubt heard of Napoleon Perdis, face of the $80 million a year cosmetics empire of the same name. But did you know about his business-savvy brother behind the scenes? Emanuel Perdis talks about doing business with his brother and the “sport” of being in business.

Sarah Gibbs and sister Catherine De Groot started their natural skincare business Trilogy in 2003 with a desire to not only work together on an exciting new project, but to revolutionise the skin care industry. Combine that with a drop of Rosehip Oil, and they found the formula for success.

Ever made an “inappropriate” remark in note form when going through the hiring process to help you remember which candidate was which? Well, those notes could come to haunt you if a candidate ever requested to see them. In case you didn’t know, candidates are allowed to ask to read them.

If you didn’t know who Mark Bouris was six months ago, you certainly do now. Thanks to Channel Nine’s television show The Apprentice, Mark Bouris is now a household name.

For retailers, Christmas is the blockbuster sales event of the year. ‘Winning Christmas’ is vital as it generates such a large chunk of the year’s revenues. Smart businesses will put a lot of time and effort into preparing their store for Christmas, but the smart retailers are those that realise Christmas can be won and lost online.

The move from hairdresser to celebrity hairdresser has meant big business for Troy Thompson, star of hit makeover show 10 Years Younger in 10 Days. But doing people’s hair certainly isn’t the easy job some imagine.

Venture capital remains an option for businesses in the current economic climate, but watch it doesn’t transform into vulture capital.

Want to know what your customers are searching for on Google? Understanding the way people use search engines can give you valuable insights into your customers and your market.

Husband and wife Rhynie and Mark Cawood took a gamble when they started their niche printed fabric and wallpaper business. But it’s paid off and Publisher Textiles recently took home the prestigious award for NSW Telstra Business of the Year.

Some argue the GFC is yet to reach its full climax with the larger downturn set to arrive early next year. None of us know for sure if this will happen but we need to ensure we are prepared any situation. What can you do now to prepare yourself to be n the best possible position when the recession is over?

Three years after he moved, ActionCOACH to Las Vegas, Australia’s favourite entrepreneur Brad Sugars says Australians are some of the best businesspeople in the world. He shares his advice for SME owners with editor Jen Bishop.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data estimated in 2001 there were over 1.2 million small businesses operating within the Australian private sector. That’s a lot of competition. So what can SMEs do to ensure they remain competitive within the marketplace? Benchmarking is a great way for SMEs to measure themselves against their competition in order to improver internal processes and ensure they stay one step ahead of the game.

At a time when bankers and banking employees were fighting to stave off recession and secure their jobs, an optimistic and entrepreneurial few were walking the other way and risking all they knew for the holy grail: running their own business.

Founder and MD of The Australasian College Broadway, Maureen Houssein-Mustafa is a straight-talking business woman with a desire to make a difference. It is these qualities that have propelled her to success and firmly cemented her position as a key player in the beauty industry. She shares her story with Jessica Stanic.

You only get one chance to make a first impression. If you’re a leader or an expert—whether you like it or not —you are captain of your personal brand.

Assume the personal trainer would be one of the first ‘luxury’ items to be ditched when times are tough and you’d be wrong. Business has never been better for Andrew Simmons, head of growing Australian franchise Vision Personal Training. He spoke exclusively to Dynamic Business on the business’ tenth anniversary.