Locked
Unsurprisingly, the top four challenges and top three opportunities facing SMEs in the coming year are a result of COVID-19 related financial pressures, according to the latest ScotPac SME Growth Index research. When asked what they are most positive about for 2021, the most common response was getting “back in the black” (24%), and the […]
Despite lockdown measures in the Northern Beaches and restrictions across Greater Sydney, Sydney residents must all adopt greater precautionary measures or risk a Christmas lockdown, says emergency response expert Dr Ian Norton. As of 11am Monday 21 December, there are now 83 cases linked to the Northern Beaches cluster. Residents in the Northern Beaches are […]
“Learning is critical for everyone’s success.” “Today, we are living in a world of continual change that we’ve never experienced before. Some industries are putting an end to jobs, and new ones are popping up. And so, the need to reskill, upskill and gain new knowledge is not a once in a lifetime activity, it’s […]
When providing support to team members who are doing it tough, it’s vital to take care of yourself too. The quality of care you can offer is dependent on your own mental health and wellbeing. When a friend, family member or business colleague experiences a period of mental ill-health, your positive support and care can […]
Companies who want to expand their footprint in NSW can now access the $250 million Jobs Plus Program. The Program is designed to reduce the cost of establishment and financial risk and increase speed to market. It will create or support up to 25,000 jobs up until 30 June 2022. What is involved The Program […]
Last week, as part of the Australian Government’s ongoing response to the pandemic-induced economic crisis, the Senate passed reforms to insolvency arrangements for small businesses with liabilities less than $1 million. From 1 January 2021, these businesses will be able to avail themselves of: A new debtor-in-possession, debt-restructuring process to improve the prospects of business […]
Joan Westenberg is the founder of PR firm Studio Self and D&I consultancy QueerInclusive. Joan has written for the SF Chronicle, Wired, the AFR, the Observer, ABC, Junkee, SBS, Crikey and over 40+ publications. She is also Australia’s first openly transgender woman to run a PR and communications firm, one of only five globally, and […]
Although attitudes towards mental health, mental ill-health and suicide are improving, stigma is still one of the most common reasons that people give for not asking for the help and support they may need. Stigma is often the result of a lack of knowledge about mental ill-health, combined with negative attitudes or personal beliefs that […]
Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes has invested $78.8 million into Sydney-based start up Brighte, helping fund the development of its new green energy retail arm. “The additional capital will be deployed in three key areas: the acquisition of more solar households, growing Brighte into a household brand and building out our customer lifetime value proposition which […]
For businesses across Australia, 2020 dawned with big goals and bold visions. The reality, it turned out, was very different, with the simple ability to survive top priority for much of this year. Australia’s resiliency and recovery has been remarkable, though, with a flattened curve stimulating stronger-than-expected economic growth that continued earlier this month with […]
Morse Micro, an Australian start up revolutionising Wi-Fi for the Internet of Things (IoT) has been named a CES® 2021 Innovation Awards Honoree for its Wi-Fi HaLow technology. “The ultra-long range and massive capacity of our Wi-Fi HaLow technology along with its ultra-low-power is a game changer for the IoT,” said Michael De Nil, co-founder […]
Data released today from Xero and AlphaBeta (part of Accenture) show that the continued recovery of small businesses has lifted jobs to pre-pandemic levels and reveal year-on-year revenue growth for 6 consecutive months. “Our Xero Small Business Insights analysis for November paints a pleasing picture of the sector’s continued recovery,” said Trent Innes, Managing Director […]
Sailing the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is an experience of a lifetime; one that teaches you plenty about yourself and sailing. Ocean racing has also provided me with great insights about building and leading high-performance teams in a business context. In 2015, one-third of the fleet did not finish the race. Our boat was […]
In South Australia’s Barossa Valley, the Kalleske family have been farming and growing grapes since 1853 near the village of Greenock. They are one of the region’s leading grape-growing families consistently growing some of the Barossa’s best quality grapes. After six generations of growing grapes, winemaker and seventh generation family member, Troy Kalleske, together with […]
Christmas is just around the corner, which means that businesses are preparing for the busiest time of year. Knowing how to position your business to take advantage of the festive season is more essential than ever as ecommerce and supply chain disruptions change consumer behaviour. This week we ask: how can you make the most […]
Despite hard hits to Australia’s wine, beef and barley industries, soaring iron ore spot prices have “more than made … up” the losses in lobsters and wine, says Deloitte. “To be clear, we’ve lost money on everything from lobsters to wine. But we’ve more than made that up in overall terms thanks to iron ore […]
COVID-19 has exposed the world to uncertainties that have not been experienced before. Almost everywhere, governments halted international travel and advised people to remain socially distanced. With ongoing uncertainty, forecasting the full economic impact on businesses is challenging. Small businesses, the lifeblood of our economy, have been hard hit. When social distancing, our dollars do […]
As a small business owner, it can be tempting to focus all your time and attention on the business, but the most important resource that your business has is actually you. The healthier and more resilient you are, the healthier your business has the chance to be. What is mental health? Mental health, or being […]
More than one in five (22 per cent) of Australians businesses would use their credit card if they needed additional finance. A further 31 per cent would dip into their savings, while 21 per cent would look at a bank loan and 14 per cent access an overdraft. This snapshot into borrowing habits has been […]
It’s always challenging for new employees to hit the ground running, and even harder if they work from home. An office environment subtly reveals much about how a company operates, so managers need to provide additional support to recruits who are working remotely. When staff members retreated to their home office back in March 2020, […]
