Managing

Learning when to walk away from existing clients and say no to prospects is a skill, but get it right and your business will flourish and you’ll feel less burdened by your working life.

This year is shaping up as yet another difficult one for SMBs, but there are a few easy ways to stay ahead of the game and avoid the roads that lead to insolvency.

With local employees hoarding some 129 million days of annual leave, SMBs are being urged to address challenges posed by stockpiled leave or lose out on the benefits holiday taking can have on businesses.

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.

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.

Small businesses must improve their responsiveness to the impacts of economic downturns, natural disasters and any variables that affect production, productivity and sustainability.

Change is something that Australian executives and office workers strive for yet find difficult to achieve. New research from Canon has revealed some interesting statistics…

After so many small businesses were impacted by 2011’s natural disasters, the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) Australasian Chapter will run 13 free Business Continuity Planning Workshops around the country throughout February and March.

Customers will be the focus of many SMB business development strategies this year, as businesses work toward attracting their attention and creating loyalty to survive the two-speed economy.

Are you one of those business owners who uses the holiday period to take a bit of time outside of your business to review what works and what doesn’t? We asked some experts for their advice on reviewing your business products and services at this time of year.

The New Year is upon us, which means now’s the time to plan for people management success in 2012. Here’s 10 tips for ensuring HR success this year, from a team of people management experts.

Did you know that Christmas and New Year is prime time for criminals? Every small business that scales down operations or closes up for any extended period of time should take a few precautions to reduce the additional risk to people and/or premises.

Is your fleet carbon tax ready? Ian Daniel proposes a few investments to make sure you’re on the right side of the Clean Energy Act.

“For fleet businesses the time has come to start looking at ways to reduce emissions, thereby reducing tax liability and remaining competitive in the marketplace.”

While we all learn from mistakes, there are a few sales mistakes it would be better for your business to avoid in the first place.

The new year is rapidly approaching and although some of you will have already planned your key goals and the actions required to achieve them in 2012, some will not.

Smart asset management, and in particular fleet vehicle management, is a critical part of any business’ financial health.

Mergers and acquisitions are excellent strategies to generate growth. In many cases, the goal is often to create a sustainable competitive advantage or protect market share. However, pursuing a merger or acquisition does have its risks. So here are some key considerations for mergers and acquisitions.

Opposition spokesperson Senator Scott Ryan on how the Federal Government has failed small business:

“Small businesses comprise 96 percent of all Australian enterprises. It is a sector that is only ignored at our greater peril, yet it is one to which this Labor Government has refused to listen.”

Many employees feel they’re being let down by their bosses, who the say are failing to prepare them for the future.

The local workplace will be continually redefined over the next 12 months as demographics, legislation and technology continue to evolve, and HR experts warn employers need to be flexible to employee needs.