News
In light of the financial crisis, Treasurer Wayne Swan has urged banking executives to take a pay cut, in order to win back the trust of the Australian people. Macquarie Bank chief executive Nicholas Moore has today taken a massive 99 per cent pay cut after the bank posted a hefty fall in profit. The […]
Australia has ranked as the ninth easiest nation for entrepreneurs to obtain capital, out of 122 countries, according to the Milken Institute Capital Access Index. The Los Angeles-based institute measures a country’s macroeconomic environment, financial and banking institutions, the development of the equity and bond markets and alternative capital sources such as venture capital, credit […]
ANZ has today announced it’s latest round of free small business workshops in every capital city, in order to help business owners manage and grow their business during the economic downturn. The workshops follow on from ANZ’s $8 billion commitment to small business lending. Industry experts will be on hand to answer any questions posed […]
Cyber criminals are exploiting the global panic created over the swine flu pandemic by selling fake drugs and harvesting credit card numbers. Security experts F-Secure have complied a list of 146 swine flu-related websites that have been registered over the past couple of days that pose a possible security risk. Some of these sites are […]
The COAG yesterday signed off on a plan to have 20 percent of Australia’s electricity generated from renewable sources by 2020. Under the Renewable Energy Target (RET) plan, households and some businesses will have to pay for their renewable energy boost through higher electricity prices. However trade-exposed industries will not have to pay, which has […]
The news keeps getting better and better for first home buyers and investors, as the property market shows resilience in the face of a tough economic climate. Research conducted by The Housing Industry Association (HIA) found that new home sales increased by 4.2 percent to 8,210 in March aided by more affordable property prices. Australian […]
Anyone under 25 is being encouraged to either choose to work or study in a new ‘earn or learn’ scheme implemented by the Government in yesterday’s COAG (The Council of Australian Governments) meeting in Hobart. In order to combat high unemployment among youth, the COAG agreed that people under 20 must be studying or training […]
In order to help businesses protect themselves and their staff from swine flu, the Government have developed a small business kit including a range of tools to help businesses prepare for a human influenza pandemic.
Many small business owners juggle their business with family commitments, and therefore have alot to protect when it comes to insurance. But statistics show many are playing a risky business when it comes to their insurance cover. According to a 2006 survey by the Investment and Financial Services Association (IFSA), less than half of small […]
The Australian media and advertising sector is set for a shake-up with Yahoo!, Microsoft and Google all looking to launch rival trading exchanges for media advertising inventory. The “mini stockmarkets” will include TV and radio airtime, and newspaper and magazine print space, heightening concerns of a reduction in competition as the technology giants will have […]
In a bid to compete with both Yahoo! and Google’s recent small business search marketing offers, McLaren Media, in conjunction with Internet Billboards have launched a new business digital platform for businesses to promote their products and services. The new platform, www.findmerightnow.com.au is the world’s first optimised commercial video search directory. According to Grant McNicol, […]
New home sales have risen for the third straight month, aided by government grants and low interest rates. The Housing Industry Association (HIA) survey found new home sales increased by 4.2 percent to 8,210 homes. HIA chief economist Harley Dale said the project home building market gained a lift from the first home owners grant […]
It seems business confidence is making a comeback, enjoying a moderate increase in the first three months of the year, but the outlook is far from positive according to the National Australia Bank. The NAB’s quarterly survey showed the business confidence index jumped seven points from -31 to -24 for the March quarter, however a […]
I almost choked on my dinner last night when I heard that there are accounting firms out there charging a $45 “handling fee” for their part in forwarding on the $900 stimulus payment. What on earth are they thinking? I have been involved in accounting firms for the past 20 years & I have always […]
My husband and I dared to go camping a couple of weeks ago with our three year old and one year old. It took a couple of hours to put the tent up (I wasn’t much help), it rained most of the weekend and on the second and final night I think I was more […]
Property expert and CEO of property portfolio company Empire, Chris Gray has warned property investors not to delay buying and to take advantage of the current market conditions. Rate cuts and the First Home Owner Grant have seen a surge in first home buyer activity in the market, and investors should use this as an […]
Peter Costello has come out of hiding and has launched a scathing attack on the Federal Government, slamming them over their handling of the financial crisis, along with the infamous stimulus package cash handouts. He said the cash handouts were unlikely to stimulate the economy and will just put the country into even more debt. […]
Airlines and other travel services are operating as normal while awaiting government advice on how to act to prevent the spread of swine flu around the globe. Spokespeople from both Qantas and Virgin Blue have said they will work closely with Australian and international authorities to monitor the signs of outbreak. “There are no specific […]
Virgin King Richard Branson is once again sprouting his words of wisdom across the globe, urging people that now is the best time to make money. Sir Richard, a self-made millionaire, said the economic downturn is a great time for entrepreneurs to start-up a business and they should see it as an opportunity as opposed […]
Swine flu is gripping the globe, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) this morning raising it’s pandemic flu alert level to five. WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan urged all countries to take immediate action.
