News

A joint survey by Veda Advantage and Coface Australia has found that credit and trade payments can become a real problem for businesses during an economic downturn and the period of recovery.

In yet another blow for consumers and businesses around the country, Westpac has raised its home loan rates by almost double the 0.25 percent lift in the official cash rate ordered yesterday by the Reserve Bank board.

RBA plays ‘Scrooge’ with Christmas rate rise The Reserve Bank’s decision to lift interest rates by 25 basis points just before Christmas will eat away at consumer confidence at the most crucial time for retailers, the Australian National Retailers Association said today. “This is the first time in six years the Reserve Bank has lifted […]

Fraud season begins for Aussie businesses Christmas is the period of greatest risk for application fraud and non-payment for Australian businesses, with young adults (young adults (aged between 18-22) the highest risk category, almost twice (1.8 times) as likely than any other age group to commit application fraud, new research has revealed. These findings are […]

Google reveals top Aussie searches for 2009 2009 has certainly been a year to remember – from the Victorian bushfires to the death of pop icon Michael Jackson and Masterchef mania. To mark the year that was, Google has today released the most popular search terms that Australians tapped into google.com.au with some quite interesting […]

The Reserve Bank has raised the cash rate for the third consecutive month. The rise of 25 basis points takes the rate to 3.75 percent, effective from tomorrow. In a statement, RBA governor Glenn Stevens said they decided to raise the rates because the downturn has been “relatively mild, and measures of confidence and business […]

In an close finish, Tony Abbott has been elected leader of the Liberal Party after a 42 to 41 vote, defeating former leader Malcolm Turnbull. MP Fran Bailey was unable to vote due to medical advice preventing her from travelling to Canberra, and party rules disallowing a proxy. This morning the party voted in favour […]

One third of Aussies to buy property in next two years More than one third of Australians plan to buy a property in the next two years despite concerns over higher living costs and rising interest rates, a survey shows. The Mortgage Choice Consumer Sentiment Survey of 1,025 Australians found that 41 percent of respondents […]

To add further fuel to the already raging Liberal leadership fire, the Federal Government is threatening to pull the rug on the emissions trading deal if there isn’t a vote on Friday.

WorkCover launches new sun safe campaign WorkCover will launch a new sun safe campaign across New South Wales in order to educate construction workers about safety at work. The state government has launched the sun safety at work campaign which aims to educate construction and utilities industry workers about ways to reduce the risks of […]

Telstra releases new broadband packages Telstra Corporation Ltd has released a series of new broadband plans, offering customers a range of bundled packages. The nation’s biggest telco said the new broadband plans would offer customers faster speeds and higher data allowances for the same price, while excess usage fees had been removed on most plans. […]

Woolies in for very merry Christmas It will be a very merry Christmas for Woolworths as it leads in market share over rival Coles. Chief executive Michael Luscombe says the business is going along quite nicely and he is looking forward to the important end-of-year trading period when shoppers will splure on Christmas treats. He […]

I have said it once and I will say it again, some people just shouldn’t be parents! I have said it once and I will say it again, some people just shouldn’t be parents! We received the following email forward a couple of days ago and I have to say, you’ve got to wonder what […]

Business spending falls in September Australians businesses appear to be suffering from an ‘economic hangover’ with new figures revealing business investment fell in the September quarter. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reveal new private capital expenditure (capex) dropped by a seasonally adjusted 3.9 percent in the three months to September. However, all hope […]

As the economic recovery gets underway, businesses are being advised to refurbish their ageing offices to improve sustainability and lift the dollar value of their assets.

Getting real time results on how effective your social media strategy is just got that much easier with the launch of the Webtrends Analytics 9 iPhone app.

Companies named over gender inequality The Federal Government has named and shamed over a dozen Australian businesses for failing to keep in line with laws and regulations regarding the treatment of women in the workplace. The Equality Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency has updated its list of non-compliant companies, naming those which have […]

Magazine publishers in talks to launch online newsstand Three major US magazine publishers are preparing to launch an online newsstand, according to reports in The New York Times. The US newspaper reported today that Time, Conde Nast, Hearst and another publisher, Meredith, would be equity partners in the new venture and would offer print and […]

Economists are widely predicting a third consecutive rate rise when the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) board meets next week.

SMEs struggle with managing costs More than one-third of Australia’s small to medium enterprises (SMEs) believe managing costs will be their biggest issue in 2010, according to the latest survey from Optus. Customer research conducted by Optus and released today, found three key issues facing Australian SMEs over the coming months: controlling costs (38 percent), […]