News
“Avoiding recession will be difficult,” says Assistant Treasurer Chris Bowen. A recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth; Australia’s first occurred in the last quarter of 2008 and this quarter is set to follow suit, he believes. “We haven’t gone there but… we are seeing, a slowdown,” Bowen admitted. “We have said all along […]
I’m not sure I agree with Honda’s latest media release to sell mowers. When I opened the email this morning I thought it was some kind of bad joke, but it was in fact straight from Honda Australia’s PR. ‘Honda mower survives Kinglake Bushfires,’ it is titled. Well, a lot of people didn’t survive the […]
As the financial crisis grips the nation, an increasing number of home owners are seeking to “recession proof” their mortgages, by getting ahead of monthly repayments. The countries biggest lenders, Westpac and Commonwealth Bank have noticed a growing trend with home owners choosing to maintain their repayments at previous high interest rates, as the number […]
Leaders of the ex-service community gathered at Customs House in Sydney today for the launch of the Raise A Glass Appeal – a new national initiative to raise vital funds for the welfare programs of the Returned and Services League Australia (RSL) and Legacy. Developed by the RSL National Executive and the Legacy Coordinating Council […]
Telstra shares have fallen dramatically, with investors punishing the company for the way it handled its bid to build the Government’s $10 billion-plus national broadband network. Telstra shares fell 7 to points $3.37, their lowest level in 12 years. Almost $9.5 billion has been wiped from Telstra’s market value since the Government dumped it from […]
Bankruptcy rates have increased by a staggering 261 percent over the past 20 years, according to a study conducted by the Melbourne Law School. According to the study’s author, Professor Ian Ramsay, bankruptcy is now hitting the nation’s middle class, and the insolvency rate in NSW alone is now 50 percent. Professor Ramsay attributed the […]
From a small kebab shop in 1979, to the largest Australian franchise of it’s kind boasting 60 outlets, Ali Baba has come a long way in 30 years. Ali Baba now serves over 4 million customers per year and has increased profits two-fold. In 30 years Ali Baba has sold over 30 million K’Babs and […]
The other week I made a trip to Melbourne to touch base with my Victorian PR contacts, of which there are many. The Melbourne PR peeps are some of my favourites. These guys make my life easier on a regular basis so I thought I’d go and put faces to names and voices (It had […]
The Rudd Government’s bid to limit wage rises for low paid workers has been met with fierce opposition by union officials, claiming the measure is “unacceptable” and showed the government is out of touch with Australian workers. The ACTU commissioned for a $21 per week pay increase for low-paid workers to help them cope with […]
Research released by digital agency Bullseye has shown that many Australian small and medium businesses are prepared to take more risks to save their business in the dowturn, with almost half expecting to be negatively impacted by the financial crisis. The survey polled the outlook of small businesses across Australia, the UK and the US, […]
Figures released by accounting and finance recruitment practice, Aequalis Consulting have shown that recession fears are forcing employees to stay in jobs they dislike, work longer hours and take steps to prepare for redundancy. The survey of over 315 workers, suggests that 72.8 percent of respondents will stay in their current job due to the […]
In tough times, employers are looking to motivate their employees, and boost staff morale. The latest Newspoll survey has revealed an unlikely source of employee happiness – footy tipping. According to the survey of over 480 full-time workers, 75 percent believe office tipping improves workplace morale, while 69 percent think office tipping is a good […]
Last week I was in Malaysia speaking at the Asian Traders and Investors Convention and I have to say I was I surprised that many of the attendees had little or no knowledge yet they were attempting to trade highly leveraged markets such as futures and currencies. Now it would seem logical to me, given […]
The Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce (CACC) has recently announced a new service, CanAus Connections, helping Australian and Canadian business representatives connect with the business communities of other country. Central to this service is a partnership with Air Canada, the only airline offering a non-stop service between Australia and Canada. Travellers with a business program […]
Consumer research commissioned by out-of-home media firm oOh!media sheds light on how advertising works in a retail environment with 83 percent of respondents saying they were affected by price discounts, while almost two-thirds say they stick to regular brands and just over half are after convenience. The How We Really Shop survey revealed that consumers […]
After yesterday’s horrendous Honda press release, today I thought I’d post my favourite of the week. Top marks to Saxon Shirley at Spectrum Communications for originality! (Also for getting mention of a lapdancer into a techy media release). See below… Melissa Turns Ten Thursday 26th March marks the 10 year anniversary of the notorious Melissa […]
Dell is offering Australian small businesses an extra fortnight to apply for the Dell Small Business Award, for the chance to win between $US25,000 and $US50,000 in Dell products and services. The Dell Small Business Award is available to small businesses who have demonstrated how information technology has improved their customer service offerings. Entries for […]
Skype has today announced a new version of Skype for SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) for business users. The new corporate communications will allow business owners to access the worldwide Skype community through their business websites. The calls will be received through their existing office system at no cost to the customer. Businesses will also benefit […]
TNS Australia has been recognised as the leading organisation for equal opportunity after being awarded the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women award. TNS was noted for it’s improvement in the outcomes for women, most notably a high female representation on the national Leadership Team. Close to 80 percent of TNS’ national Leadership Team are […]
The NSW Government’s refusal to allow major retailers to trade on Easter Sunday has industry groups up in arms, with the Director of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, Patricia Forsythe angered that struggling families will not be given the opportunity to earn an extra bit of cash over the Easter break. “Many employees would be […]
