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A Senate committee has deemed it ‘wholly appropriate’ that employers pay a levy to access overseas workers; however, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, considers this “another blow” for small businesses. [Related article: Federal Budget: foreign worker tax introduced] In October, last year, the Federal Government introduced the Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians […]

Small businesses are falling short of meeting the needs and wants of digital-savvy customers due to a reliance on gut feelings and traditional ways of operating, according to Telstra Executive Director, Small Business, Brendan Donohoe. Commenting on the 2018 Telstra Small Business Intelligence Report, Donohoe said there was a gap between what customers want and […]

There’s no argument about it. Cyber security is tough for small and medium sized businesses. Most SMBs don’t have a dedicated IT staff member, meaning it falls on the owner or manager to be on top of computer security matters. One of the key milestones in cyber security is the upcoming data breach laws in […]

A property monitoring service that alerts landlords to unauthorised subletting through Airbnb and other rental websites has been launched by Sydney-based tech startup BnbGuard. The brainchild of serial entrepreneurs Reuben Schwarz and Richard Frey, BnbGuard is an automated technology platform that monitors long-term and short-term rental websites such as Airbnb, Flatmates.com.au and Stayz for clients, […]

ANZ will refund $10.2 million to more than 52,000 business-held credit card accounts due to a failure to properly disclose fees and interest charges, according to financial services regulator ASIC. The bank reported to ASIC that it had failed to disclose – or had incorrectly disclosed – the following information to some of its ‘Business […]

The benefits small businesses derive from a competitive financial system are being reduced by the regulators in their “quest for stability”, the Productivity Commission (PC) has found. The finding, contained in a draft PC report titled Competition in the Australian Financial System, is supported by the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO), Kate […]

Trying to improve your business is hard and competitive business. As a small business, you don’t have the money or means to compete with the big brands – or so you thought – but in today’s digital age, there’s a way for every business, big or small, to make their mark and acquire a number […]

Harnessing technology more than a decade in the making, the medical minds behind Opus Medical are pursuing a global opportunity exceeding $800 million to improve treatment outcomes for breast cancer patients. Co-founded by Dr Sean Pollock (COO) and University of Sydney Professor Paul Keall (Director), the Sydney-based medtech startup is in the business of developing […]

Twelve Australian businesses have been selected by the Federal Government to receive a combined $5.4 million worth of grants to help them commercialise their innovations. The Accelerating Commercialisation Grants, which provided under the Federal Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme, are available to businesses that have novel intellectual property with high growth potential. The aim to is to […]

By the age of retirement, the average working woman will have lost $160,000 in superannuation due to career breaks, according to REST Industry Super. To determine the financial impacts of career breaks on working Australians, the superannuation fund commissioned research, including a survey of 1030 men and women who had taken a career break of […]

There are lots of great reasons for brands to write, blog and contribute articles. Companies that blog reportedly see 97% more links to their website and are 13x more likely to achieve a positive ROI on marketing efforts [2]. Consumers also want great blog content – 47% of buyers view three to five pieces of […]

It’s hard to believe we’re more than a month into the new year. Many corporates didn’t return to business until after Australia Day, giving the SME owners who’d been in full swing for a few weeks a great head start. To capitalise on this early advantage, here are some of the trends SME owners should […]

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) reports that, as of 1 July 2018, companies with 20 or more people on staff will be required to comply with a new system of real-time wage reporting called Single Touch Payroll. If you have fewer than 20 employees, you have an extra year, or until 1 July 2019, to […]

It’s far from a secret that macroeconomic trends can have a major impact on small businesses. Among the trends that typically has the greatest impact on these small enterprises is volatility in the market. When markets become unstable, the results can make or break the small businesses that make up the core of most economies. […]

Hiring people with entrepreneurial spirit. Supporting the open flow of ideas. Celebrating wins in creative ways. Encouraging experimentation while tolerating failure. Promoting competition within teams. Making every employee the ‘CEO’ of something and giving them ‘skin the game’. Role modelling entrepreneurial characteristics and leading with zeal. These are some of the ways in which business […]

Peer-to-peer car sharing platform Car Next Door has completed an oversubscribed Series B funding round with a $5 million capital injection. [Related: Share a ride with Car Next Door’s Will and Dave: the duo challenging car ownership, Car Next Door seeking to double funding to accelerate roll-out of its sharing platform and Car Next Door secures $2.3m in […]

Data analytics and IoT startup Nuonic has received a strategic investment from KPMG Australia, bringing its total capital raise to $1.3 million to date. In entering a strategic partnership with Nuonic, KPMG joins a roster of shareholders that includes the startup’s founders Sebastian Jezierski (CEO) and Derek Hooper (COO) as well as Sydney-based fintech company […]

The Federal Government is now seeking applications for grants of up to $7000 to help Australian researchers and SMEs work with overseas experts to develop and commercialise their projects. According to Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Michaelia Cash, the Global Connections Fund (GCF) Priming Grants empower organisations to collaborate in the global arena, link with […]

Melbourne-based EduTech startup Typsy is on track to reach 500% year-on-year sales growth this year after successfully courting its largest client to date – Switzerland’s prestigious hospitality management school, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL). Launched in May 2016, Typsy – an online hospitality training platform – is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Jonathan Plowright, whose […]

The price that is set for products and services is one of the most crucial decisions business owners and managers must make in a business. Entrepreneurs, new businesses and small business often give too little thought to this highly complex matter and the consequences can be dire. Pricing requires thought and an understanding of the […]