News
The tourism industry has taken a severe beating in the financial crisis, with new figures released by the ABS indicating the number of tourists visiting Australia has dropped substantially. In the ACT, the number of tourists visiting the region fell, with only 70 percent of hotel rooms in the territory occupied in the December quarter, […]
Online monitoring company Hitwise has announced their Australia Online Performance Awards, recognising the most popular websites from 2008 in more than 100 industries. Both online and offline brands were named at the top of their respective industries, including Wotif.com, ninemsn, Sony and BHP Billiton. Directories were also popular, with Natural Therapy Pages taking out the […]
The Department of State and Regional Development is set to hold a small business workshop targeted at mature age employees and young entrepreneurs, designed to improve communication between the two groups. Demographer and social researcher, Mark McCrindle will be on hand to provide insights for young entrepreneurs on demographic trends shaping the future of the […]
Scammers on the internet targeting innocent citizens and businesses is nothing new, however new research has uncovered they are zeroing in on small business. According to ACCC deputy chairman Michael Schaper, scammers target more than 300,000 small businesses across the country every week. The problem has become so widespread the ACCC and the Office of […]
In some positive news concerning the economy, the Reserve Bank head of Economics Analysis department, Anthony Richards has said in an address to the Annual Housing Congress in Sydney, that the recent drops in interest rates are having a positive effect on the economy and the household sector. Richards said that the lowering interest rates […]
Virgin Blue has announced it is set to cut 28 of its 330 daily flights, which could mean job losses of up to 400. The scheduled changes will take place from May 7, expected to be felt in one of its most common routes Sydney-Melbourne. The announcements comes after the airline attempted a number of […]
The big banks are finally starting to listen to the financial needs of small business when it comes to lending and borrowing, with the Australian Banking Association announcing it will work closer with small businesses to provide greater financial assistance. The move comes after small business minister Craig Emerson put banks and small business lending […]
As the economy worsens, job cuts are increasing. It is a difficult time to be looking for work. Those finding it particularly tough in this current climate are university graduates. A number of companies are reducing their recruitment drive numbers in an effort to weather the financial crisis. According to a report on ABC News, […]
I’m all for reassessing how you do business in the light of a recession and maybe offering your customers something different/more affordable that will work better for them in these challenging times. Today I received a story pitch from a PR agency (not surprisingly) about the PR agency itself (a bit different). It was about […]
Even before it’s introduction, the Government’s emissions trading scheme is bringing unexpected benefits to Victorian businesses, who are pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit, by using energy efficient technologies to minimise emissions. According to Sustainability Victoria, businesses are reaping the rewards of energy efficient technologies. Food giant Nestlé, has made changes to the […]
Is it just me, or is the NSW Labor Government running the state into the ground? Now, as a Labor voter myself, I suppose that I only have myself to blame, but I am increasingly becoming frustrated with the way they are attempting to run this state. My biggest grievance? CityRail. Yes, the shambolic rail […]
Responding to small to medium business owners need to improve business efficiencies and increase productivity, Canon has launched the fastest scanner in their category, with the release of the DR-3010C. The scanner offers 30-page-per minute desktop scanning, allowing businesses to boost office productivity and save time. Office administration duties can be completed efficiently, with the […]
After revising it’s outlook for official interest rates, JPMorgan is predicting the RBA will be likely to cut interest rates by 50 basis points next month, as the global economy worsens. Chief economist Stephen Walters has signalled the RBA may need to cut official interest rates when they meet next month, after the central bank […]
Online credit card fraud is on the rise, increasing by 50 percent in the last year, according to the Reserve Bank. The figures come after the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce reported a 60 percent increase in fraud earlier this month warning consumers to take extra precautions to ensure their safety. According to Phillip Lowe of […]
Global trade will fall by nine percent this year, according to World Trade Organization (WTO) forecasts, the biggest decline since World War II. Considering that in 2007 trade grew by six percent, the 2009 figures represent a significant fall and have sparked fears of protectionism, initially brought on by the possibility that the US stimulus […]
In an ironic twist, those workers who are paid to help the unemployed find a job, may soon find themselves out of work, as the Federal Government recasts Australia’s job network and looks to overseas companies to aid jobless Australians. As a result many job centres in regional Australia may be shut down leading to […]
We now have yet another thing to blame on the global financial crisis – crime. According to the Australian Homeland Security Research Centre (AHSRC), we will see an increase in violence, property crime, burglary, robbery and theft as the economic outlook deteriorates. AHSRC executive director, Athol Yates said there is a natural progression between a […]
The Greens are urging everyday Australians to ‘have their say’ about the Government’s planned emissions trading scheme. In strong opposition to the “deeply flawed” emissions trading plans, the Greens want you to submit your views on the plan directly to the Senate. According to the Greens in a statement on their website, The Government’s plan […]
The Rudd Government has taken swift steps to bail out the underperforming states, with a federal government guarantee of up to $150 billion, ensuring the states will be able to raise cash more easily on international credit markets and road and building works. Following a meeting with state treasurers in Canberra yesterday, federal Treasurer Wayne […]
YouTube has come under fire after audio tracks posted by users on its video sharing site suddenly disappeared. Upon request from Warner Bros, YouTube has removed a number of personal audio clips from users claiming “copyrighted music”, cutting audio from videos showing users singing their renditions of owned material. A high school student in the […]
