News

More than 60 countries around the world are expected to record lower output in real terms in 2010 than in 2008, according to Dun & Bradstreet’s (B&B) latest risk report.

Over the past year, the popularity of applications on social networking websites has increased dramatically, which has led to a new wave of phishing attacks targeting the users of these applications, Symantec reports.

The Queensland Retailers Association (QRA) expects shoppers in the state will spend up big this Christmas.

Thousands of passengers may find themselves stranded this Christmas, as British Airways (BA) cabin crew threaten to strike over Christmas. About 13,000 crew voted in favour of the 12-day strike, beginning on December 22, which will cripple the airline’s scheduled flights between Britain and Australia. The proposed strike is over workplace conditions introduced last month. […]

Lending commitments down in December Lending commitments fell to an eight-month low in October, as consumers and business felt the pressure of rising interest rates. According to the latest ABS figures, total lending finance commitments – including leases – fell by 9.7 percent to $50.766 billion in October, the lowest amount since the $49.272 billion […]

The health of some of Australia’s top businesses declined during the financial crisis, according to the Australian Corporate Health Index. The index, conducted by 333 Consulting, found that of the 200 ASX-listed companies excluding those from the financial services sector surveyed, more than 70 percent went backwards during the financial crisis. A further 49 percent […]

Postal workers around Australia are taking part in industrial action against Australia Post from today in the hope of getting a new wage deal. Postal workers around Australia say they will deliver unstamped mail from today until Christmas Eve. New South Wales union secretary Jim Metcher says workers are fed up and have waited three […]

Top Aussie brands take beating in crisis Some of Australia’s top brands such as Qantas and Foster’s Group took a severe beating in the financial crisis, a new study has found. According to Brand Finance Australia’s second annual Australia’s Most Valuable Brand Portfolios report, Qantas lost more than $700 million during the financial crisis in […]

Copenhagen talks likely to fail: Abbott Opposition leader Tony Abbott has once again attacked Kevin Rudd’s position on climate change, claiming that climate change talks in Copenhagen are likely to be a disappointment and a personal failure for the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will attend the talks in the Danish capital this week […]

OH&S laws may reduce protection for workers: ACTU The Federal Government’s new occupational health and safety laws could actually reduce protection for workers and harm them in the long term, the ACTU has warned. The states and territories, except Western Australia, agreed at the Workplace Relations Ministerial Council in Melbourne on Friday to a model […]

Treasurer Wayne Swan says Australia continues to outperform other advanced economies, as the impact of the global financial crisis starts to fade.

Blackberry’s app store is now available to Australian and New Zealand customers, following the launch late last week.

PM unveils first Australian hybrid car Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today unveiled the first Australian-built hybrid car at Toyota’s Altona plant, west of Melbourne. The new hybrid version of the Toyota Camry has a 2.4-litre engine and an electric drive motor and is said to produce 30 percent less emissions than a regular car. It […]

Interest rate will continue to rise Employment minister Julia Gillard has once again reminded Australians that interest rates will not stay at “emergency levels” forever. Gillard told ABC Television that she won’t speculate about what the RBA “may or may not do in the February board meeting” but she reiterated what the Reserve Bank governor […]

Things here at DB are getting a little hectic in the lead-up to Christmas, so we’ve all been sneaking in a quick giggle when we can this week! Hope you find these as funny as we did: Would you like to contribute to Friday Funny? Email onlineeditorial@backend.dynamicbsuiness.com

Unemployment easing, but challenges still ahead Unemployment may have fallen to 5.7 percent in December, but business leaders are warning we are not out of the woods yet and labour shortages are ahead. Australia experienced the fastest jobs growth in three years during the month of November, signaling the peak in unemployment anf sparking concerns […]

Broadband good for small business Small businesses are set to be big winners from the National Broadband Network (NBN), according to Jaye Radisich, CEO of the Council of Small Business of Australia. “Broadband will help facilitate solutions to everyday problems that small businesses face,” she said. “The NBN will help small businesses by promoting workplace […]

There is nothing worse than dealing with a business that overpromises and underdelivers – especially around Christmas. It is a big business no-no in my books and I was just recently on the receiving end of it and let me tell you, it is not fun! I was looking for a very specific book for […]

Once upon a time, before you’d made your first sale or contacted your first client, there were some big ticket costs heading your way as soon as you turned on your office computer. Starting a small business is as much about establishing a revenue stream as it is about minimising costs, and software is a […]

Jobs market rebounds The unemployment rate has defied predictions of a slump, falling to 5.7 percent, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. The market has forecast that the unemployment rate would rise 5.8 percent to 5.9 percent, with 15,000 jobs lost. According to the ABS, the rise in employment was driven by an […]