News

Telstra has announced the finalists in the 2011 Telstra Northern Territory Business Awards, finding that customer service is at the forefront of business success in the state.

The Geelong Investment and Innovation Fund will create some 37 new jobs in the Geelong region, thanks to a partnership between the Federal and Victorian governments and Ford Australia.

An expansion in part time employment is expected to take effect between 2014 and 2016, as Baby Boomers choose to work part time when they reach retirement age.

Business travellers will soon have access to a new price beat policy set up by Corporate Traveller, which is backed by a “Fly for Free” guarantee.

For small and medium enterprises the world of risk management is changing rapidly with greater emphasis on governance and transparency and a seemingly relentless push towards tighter regulation.

Trend Micro’s Tina Su blogs about remaining vigilant online as the EOFY draws closer.

“Cybercriminals often capitalise on the tax season to launch a plethora of attacks and that is not surprising.”

The Tax Institute’s Robert Jeremenko blogs about the importance of acknowledging provisions of the Tax Act intended to prevent tax-free distributions of company profits in the guise of loans or payments.

“Laws relating to loans by companies to shareholders or related entities are one of the most complex and frustrating areas of tax for small businesses and it’s important not to wait until the end of the financial year to take stock.”

Rick Mapperson blogs about effective ways to deal with discouragement in small business.

“We have goals, expectations, dreams, demands, pressures and risks. This combination will always lead to disappointments, and if we are not careful, those disappointments can lead to discouragement.”

An ever-increasing gap between employers and jobseekers has been identified by a Sustain Group survey, as employers battle to respond to an overwhelming number of applications sent by keen jobseekers.

The NBN will reduce costs and open up revenue generating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses. Kevin Brown, Head of Corporate Services at NBN Co Limited, explains how.

Earlier this year a comprehensive research study was carried out to identify the issues most affecting Australian businesses today. In particular, it sought to identify current business confidence levels, attitudes to business and employment issues, investment priorities, major business challenges of the past 12 months and anticipated challenges for the year ahead. What no one expected was that a division based on the participants’ gender would deliver clear-cut differences in business practices and expectations.

The end of the financial year is one of the most anxious times for Australian small businesses, with many reporting bewilderment at the complexity of tax reporting in the latest American Express Tax Time Survey.

Sydney’s up and coming small businesses are being invited to register for the 2011 City of Sydney Business Awards, which are being badged as the ideal springboard for any business looking to raise its profile.

Logitech’s Australian director George Saad blogs about the impacts to employee comfort, productivity and performance when businesses choose to use laptops over desktop PCs.

“With laptop technology matching some desktop computers, businesses are opting for the portability of laptops. The convenience of this is self-evident, however the price is more than the dollars spent.”

Telstra has detailed plans to invest significantly in cloud computing over the next five years, to better support growing demand from Australian businesses of all sizes for cloud services.

Small and micro businesses are being driven from the CBD’s of at least three major Australian cities, due to the tight commercial market and a lack of affordability for premium office space.

For a SMB’s, social networking sites like Facebook can provide a real dilemma. Do you allow your employees access and open a potential Pandora’s Box of problems such as unintended security breaches? Or should you impose a blanket ban and risk losing a valuable channel of communication and collaboration?

99 percent of small business owners making use of the Government’s Superannuation Clearing House have reported being satisfied with the service, and said they’d recommend it to other small businesses.

Make it Cheaper’s Tim Wolfenden spent some time in country NSW recently, which allowed him to get a “bit of a reality check” about upcoming electricity price rises.

“Households and small businesses across NSW will see their electricity bills soar by an average of 17.3 percent. This will add an extra $1000 onto an average small business bill of $6000. Where’s that going to come from?”

40 percent of Australian businesses are successfully winning new customers through social networking activity, according to a new global survey from Regus, with over two-thirds reporting that marketing campaigns are less effective if they don’t feature a social media component.