News

LivingSocial has partnered with British Airways to deliver an Australian first; offering discounted deals on long-haul flights to the UK and Europe.

Julian Smith looks at the business lessons that can be gleaned from outdoor wear retailer, Kathmandu.

“In a market where the big players such as Myer and David Jones are continually downgrading profit projections, how did Kathmandu do it?”

One of the largest ever start-up investments this country has ever seen has been given to biotechnology company Vaxxas, to assist it in developing a revolutionary new needle-free vaccine.

Global social enterprise expert Dr Pamela Hartigan will share insights into the way unconventional entrepreneurs are tackling the world’s most pressing problems, in a free public lecture at RMIT University on 10 August.

The online security landscape this year has been dominated by high-profile hacking attacks against governments and corporations, with a new security report showing malware attacks remain the biggest the internet threat to all computer users.

With small businesses often facing issues obtaining financial support from major financial institutions, Snap-on Tools has implemented a new credit program aimed at assisting prospective franchisees by allowing it to finance the start-up costs of a new franchise for an initial investment by a prospective franchisee of a minimum of $37,000.

Business and sales expectations have again fallen on the back of interest rate rise fears, according to new Dun & Bradstreet figures, which also revealed Australia’s employment outlook has slipped to an index of -5.

Nominations are now open for the fifth annual Amazon Web Services (AWS) Start-Up Challenge, with 15 regional prizes and one global grand prize worth over $50,000 up for grabs by innovative start-up businesses.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left the cash rate unchanged at 4.75 percent during its meeting in Sydney today; citing slow growth of the global economy and continued economic volatility in Europe and the US as drivers behind its decision.

COSBOA has revealed Mark Brennan as its 2011 Small Business Champion, after he played an integral role in developing and championing the Small Business Commissioner position.

The OzForex Group will donate all global revenue generated tomorrow to charity, as part of a new company initiative which has seen its worldwide corporate social responsibility efforts centralised.

To help small businesses manage their finances on the fly, Xero has developed a free smartphone application for download from the Apple App Store.

Brad Callaughan blogs about developing new business strategies to prepare for a potential downturn.

“In times like these, cashflow will be your biggest issue. Debtors are paying in 30 to 60 days but creditors still want their payment within 7 to 14 days. A cash flow forecast with a strong focus on collections is how to keep your head above water.”

Four top Australian sales experts will deliver the secrets to their success at the launch of Small Business September, a Dynamic Business sponsored event.

The Smart Green Business program has officially entered phase two, having already assisted Sydney’s small and medium sized business save over 80 Olympic pools of water and $800,000 in annual bills.

Small businesses impacted by recent natural disasters in north-east Tasmania have been given access to tailored, low-cost or free one-on-one mentoring.

Small businesses with an online presence reap almost half their average turnover from the internet, according to study by Telstra and the Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA).

The Federal Government has released a list of quick and simple power saving tips business owners can implement to better the profitability of their organisations, lessen power bills, reduce carbon pollution and conserve energy.

According to Danielle MacInnis, small businesses are well placed to build brands that create great customer experiences.

“More than ever branding is about being human, real and having a meaningful connections with your customers.”

Local small and medium businesses are bearing the brunt of the close to $29 million lost annually in media scams, with more than 150 fake publications tricking businesses into parting with their cash in the last 12 months alone.