News
Australians are spending more and more on debit cards in the financial crisis, with data released by the RBA showing spending on debit cards rose by 12.9 percent, amounting to $2.2 billion in March 2009. With consumers focusing on ‘smarter’ ways to manage their money, debit cards are becoming the spending method of choice, says […]
The floods raging in south-east Queensland may damage small business retailers and some may not survive, says Retailers Association executive director Scott Driscoll. Mr Driscoll said that the sector has been attempting to weather the “economic storm” and QLD retailers will now have to ride out an actual storm. “Retailers’ bottom lines are being savagely […]
Consumer inflationary expectations have eased to the lowest level in 10 years as a result of a slowing economy. The Melbourne Institute survey of consumer inflationary expectations found the median rate of inflation was 2.3 per cent in May, down from 2.4 per cent in April. Even the stimulus package measures didn’t help to boost […]
The Government’s National Broadband Network has been praised as heralding in a “new wave of telecommunications development” at the Australian Telecommunications User Group Regional Conference in Canberra yesterday. Chairman Graeme Samuel spoke of the network sparking a new wave of infrastructure investment, technologies change and product innovation in the sector. He said the network will […]
In these tough times (yawn), news of all kinds of weird and wonderful business models is landing in my inbox on a daily basis. But today’s was something else: pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth. Melbourne-based business improvement and productive thinking consultancy The Thinking Network, has offered the above terms to selected customers. Here’s the deal: the company will undertake […]
New research has found that the Rudd Government’s stimulus payments are going to straight onto the credit card bills with consumers eager to pay off their debt. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) monthly credit card statistics showed a 17.5 percent jump in repayments in March to $19.7 billion, coinciding with the Government stimulus payments. […]
With the Government changes to the employee share scheme causing uproar among business and industry groups, many companies are now looking to review their options, with Macquarie Bank planning to go back to investors for another capital raising. Under the changes, those earning more than $60,000 a year will be taxed up front on share […]
As part of their campaign to encourage Australians to sponsor a child, World Vision have conducted a national survey to determine the most charitable suburbs in the country. The survey collated those suburbs that were the most generous in supporting World Vision, ranked according to median weekly household income. The findings revealed that those most […]
Spotting the early warning signs of insolvency is paramount for business success, said insolvency expert Richard Albarran at a seminar in Sydney today. Figures have shown that the number of insolvencies have increased in recent months, with 2,148 companies entering into voluntary administration in 2008, 35 percent of these in NSW alone. Albarran, Partner at […]
In order to celebrate innovative, inspiring and creative businessmen and women of Sydney, Creative Sydney has launched the inaugural Creative Catalysts 2009 list, honouring those who have made a unique contribution to the city’s creative culture. Making the list were Earth Hour co-founder, Nigel Marsh, a “green ad-man with his eye on the bigger picture” […]
Small businesses that stress test their business by planning for disaster and uncovering problem areas will be more likely to survive the financial crisis, says business recovery expert Robert Whitton. According to Robert Whitton, head of William’s Bucks Business Recovery Team, if small businesses “plan for disaster” then “it will never happen.” Whitton believes that […]
In my time as Managing Director of WordStorm I have come across two types of clients. The first are the dream type – they understand that great publicity does not come about overnight and they trust that over the period of time that we have agreed to work together we will do our best to […]
Microsoft is set to unveil a new version of its internet search engine at an ‘All Things Digital’ technology conference in California next week. The new search engine code-named Kumo is designed to increase Microsoft’s share in the lucrative search market, currently dominated by giant Google. Recent research conducted by ComScore has shown that Google […]
The economic slowdown is having an effect on Aussie workers wages, as they expanded by the slowest pace in five years according to ABS data. Total hourly rates of pay, excluding bonuses, rose 0.8 percent in the March quarter, matching expectations but was the slowest quarterly growth since March 2004. JP Morgan economist Helen Kevans […]
A new survey conducted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has found that small businesses are struggling in the current climate, with small business conditions dropping to their lowest level in 13 years. The small business survey for the March quarter fell 33.1 points, it’s lowest level since December 1996. Specific indicators of […]
It appears the retail sector is doing just fine in the crisis, with cashed-up mothers over 30 spending up big on their children, with IBISWorld, estimating revenue for the baby products sector in the financial year grew by 3.2 percent to $3.9 billion. Australia is in the midst of a baby boom, and with the […]
Research released by Cisco has shown that small businesses are benefiting greatly from online collaboration tools that encourage remote working, allowing them to reduce business expenses and improve productivity. In order to gauge the attitudes towards improving work-life balance of small and medium businesses, Cisco conducted a SMB working practices survey which found that more […]
APN Outdoor have today announced the launch of a new website which will help small businesses and media agencies make strategic and targeted outdoor advertising decisions. The website, www.apnoutdoor.com.au allows small businesses and media agencies to pinpoint exact geographical outdoor advertising site locations using Map It, be guided through the creative process for effective outdoor […]
Employer groups have welcomed the introduction of a new national occupational health and safety regime (OH&S) will which provide great benefits to employers, in particular small business owners, as they would be less likely to face fines or jail under OH&S laws. Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout has welcomed some of the changes […]
If you want to quit your job, you better run it past Google first, as they have apparently developed an algorithm to identify which employees are likely to quit their job. According to US newspaper The Journal, the search engine giant has developed a mathematical formula to “get inside people’s heads even before they know […]
