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The end of the week has rolled around again, so it’s time to catch up on the week’s most important small business headlines.

99Designs is preparing for another year of significant growth by doubling staff numbers and with the hire of two key executives.

This week, your Friday Entrepreneur Fix features Taryn Williams, the young agency owner determined to improve working conditions in the modelling industry.

With over 1,000 franchise systems in Australia, it can be tricky to figure out which will be a winner. Kristy Sheppard has some advice for choosing the franchise that’s right for you.

Though it might seem easier for a few employees to share the responsibility of looking after your business social media presence, there are some very good reasons to have a single dedicated social media expert. Here’s why…

The nature of consumer reviews is fast dictating whether or not customers will be driven in or out of your business. Simon Carson has some tips for using these trusted resources to your advantage.

I ask one question to determine whether a new company has a future. The 15-second answer tells me all I need to know

The average business loses 6 percent of revenue from employee theft. How to make sure it doesn’t happen at your company.

Commonalities may be comfortable, but they also create blind spots. You want lieutenants who provoke feuds and dissent.

Outbound marketing is the way of the past, so if you’re still interrupting customers with your marketing efforts, it’s time to stop. Rebecca Wilson offers some advice for welcoming in the new era of inbound marketing.

2012 is shaping up as a difficult year for many businesses, but the decisions you make now could determine how successful the next 12 months are. Here’s the four factors thriving businesses have in common, which Sid Edwards says any SMB can put into practice.

Apple has announced yet another record-breaking quarter, doubling revenue and profits on the back of strong iPad and iPhone sales.

Businesses are pessimistic about trading conditions and their performance for the first quarter of 2012, as concerns about the European debt crisis and the slowing Chinese economy pulled down the majority of indicators in the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (ACCI) Survey of Investor Confidence.

Local businesses are being warned to prepare for the arrival of eight customer service ‘megatrends’ over the next decade, or risk losing business to savvier competitors both locally and internationally.

You can’t stop people making negative comments about your business online, but there are few simple ways to lessen the damage this can cause your brand. Anna Cairo has three simple steps for managing your online reputation.

Nokia has been fined $55,000 after customers weren’t easily able opt-out of an SMS marketing campaign, and the ACMA is warning all businesses to check their SMS marketing follows rules set out by the Spam Act.

If you’re investing time and money in digital marketing, measuring your return on investment (ROI) is a must. Here’s ten easy ways to calculate the ROI on your digital strategies.

Hiring a celebrity spokesperson doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are some low-cost ways to involve celebrities in your business.

These tools that can help any small business gain control of email clutter and become more organized and productive.

A Princeton dropout makes waves with mobile gaming and payment services.