Managing
Intellectual property (IP) is often one of the uncounted assets of business, and like all business assets, IP needs to be cultivated to get the most value from it. Trade marks are an important part of IP. So what are they, why do we have them and how can you register your trade mark?
In a market where sales teams are shrinking yet prospecting is as crucial to the bottom line as ever, who are our most valued sales people? Are they the brawn, the doers of the group who get out there and chase chase chase? Or are they the brains, those who spend more time researching and developing before approaching?
As government and industry focus on rebuilding business confidence, let’s consider the ‘seven deadly sins’ small business commit during the recession and how to avoid them!
National E-security Awareness Week offers the opportunity for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) to review their current protection from changing online threats. With National E-security Awareness Week commencing this week, now is a great time for Australian SMBs to review their current security posture.
It’s tax time! The end of financial year is looming, but don’t panic. There is still time for you to get on top of your end of financial year responsibilities. Follow these tax tips and you will be on your way to financial freedom.
In times of economic uncertainty, workers are looking for their employers to show leadership. So what does it take to become a successful leader? There are 15 key characteristics that make a leader.
Morale is low and so are funds. So how do you keep your good staff happy without giving them a payrise?
As information becomes readily accessible in the age of the internet and other advanced technology, individuals are becoming more and more aware of the ways in which they can protect and maintain the privacy of their personal information. With the advent of social networking, the lines between personal and private are becoming increasingly blurred and it is important for businesses to understand how privacy laws are applied in the online space.
Knowing when to call out for help is difficult for many business owners. When you finally make that call, don’t ever view it as a sign of failure.
Judging by recent articles in the press, employers are now not only monitoring staff’s usage of social networking sites such as Twitter but some have decided it is a good idea to become a ‘friend’ of their staff on such sites. Understandably a number of people find this idea uncomfortable and are reluctant to ‘befriend’ their manager on Twitter and allow them to ‘follow’ them around. The cross-over between work and play is becoming just too close for some, so it is important employers ensure company policies covers social networking usage.
For importers of goods, the challenges of the recent economic environment have resulted in costs increases, supplier instability and heightened quality concerns. If it wasn’t already risky enough, these conditions have made importing even more complex. How should importers deal with these difficult times? As a result of the financial crisis, importers have been forced […]
If you are suffering from information overload, and looking for a way to organise your reams of data, a simple database can go a long way in reducing manual administration, whilst increasing productivity. Perhaps the bigger questions are how can you put all this data to work and use the data you produce to become […]
PR, if done well, is the most cost effective form of marketing you’ll ever do. You can reach a large number of stakeholders, differentiate your business from the competition and gain credibility in a competitive market. The economic downturn presents your business with an opportunity. Chances are your competitors are cutting their marketing or PR […]
Ever loved someone at an interview, only to find—a month into the job—that they were a big mistake? There’s no magic formula for hiring and sometimes you have to go with your gut. But here are some top tips for recruiting the right person for the job.
Businesses are drowning in a sea of information over how to best manage their IT infrastructure. Outsourcing can be a great option, and cloud computing has been touted as an attractive investment. But what is it all about?
As Twitter fever sweeps the globe, a number of serious legal and ethical issues are beginning to surface. One such legal issue that has arisen in recent months is “Twitter Squatting.” This is where someone steals your trade mark on Twitter. A similar problem occurred when domain names first started appearing and people were holding […]
Picture this. You have two candidates who want the same job. They both have identical qualifications, similar work histories, and amazing attitudes. There’s only one point of difference. One of them could grace the front cover of Vogue, while the other is more suited to the cover of Death Metal Monthly. One of them makes you blush; the other could give you thrush. Who would you hire or promote?
In light of the Government’s recent Budget announcement signaling an increase of the Small Business and General Business Tax Break from 30 percent to 50 percent on eligible business assets, many small businesses will be considering purchasing new PCs or notebooks prior to the end of the financial year. But there are 5 questions every business owner must ask themselves before buying.
We live in an increasingly technological world but as SMEs we also need to watch our cash flow more than ever. There are a whole range of options out there to make your office work from virtually anywhere.
The global financial crisis has dramatically increased the speed at which business conditions can change, forcing many business owners to rely more than ever on risk management strategies to protect their businesses. Stress testing a business can be an effective way to ensure a business survives unpredicted change. Many companies are getting stuck in the […]
