News
In response to the tightening credit market and continually high interest rates on business loans, the Victorian Government has launched an online tool to match small business needs with available loans.
Making it big in the news this week is the RBA’s announcement to reform ATM fees for consumers. Sounds exciting right? Not really. Here is what you need to know. Effective from March 3 2009, any consumer using a foreign ATM will be notified of the fee charged on the screen before they complete their […]
Written by Ian Bennett Thailand has been in the news over recent months for all the wrong reasons. Political turmoil was the state of play and resolution was only finally achieved through actions of the court. Behind the scenes, actions by key parties was not played out in the media as has been in the […]
The economic slowdown has forced Australian consumers to amp up their savings, amid fears of a possible recession. According to JP Morgan chief economist Stephen Walters, households are saving their money as opposed to spending it, in order to prepare themselves for the possibility of further job losses and recession. “People anticipate that things are […]
Despite cash rate cuts by the Reserve Bank totalling more than three percent in the past six months, the interest rates on some business overdrafts are higher than they were this time last year. A number of standard variable loans for businesses have barely moved. While householders have seen a significant drop in mortgage rates […]
Getting your business listed on search engines is no longer a question of why. Rather, it is a matter of what method and how soon. And knowing the difference between paying for placement (like pay-per- click via Google Adwords) and earning a good position organically (search engine optimisation) is key. Is one approach better than […]
The Federal Government will spend $155 million on creating incentives for employers and group training organisations that take on trainees and apprentices who have lost their jobs in the downturn. Support includes wage subsidies for those organisations that hire trainees. Australian Chamber of Commerce Industry spokesperson Peter Anderson says that while more could be done, […]
Results from the latest National Australia Bank’s (NAB) fourth-quarter SME survey have painted a grim picture for small and medium businesses, with business conditions slumping as a result of a deteriorating economy. Conditions dipped three index points to minus-4 in the December 2008 quarter, the lowest index score since June 2006. According to NAB regional […]
The Victorian and Federal Governments now have an assistance program in place for primary producers and businesses affected by the bushfires. Small businesses that have lost property or equipment in the bushfires can claim an immediate $5,000 Emergency Business Grant for repair and restoration, with another $25,000 available for significant damage, subject to assessment. Also […]
The Federal Government has announced a tax law amendment allowing small businesses a 20 percent reduction in PAYG (pay-as-you-go) obligations. This will result in reduced quarterly payments for most businesses.
A survey conducted by consulting firm Grant Thornton has found that while a third of the Australian businesses surveyed indicated that decline in demand was an obstacle to growth, more than half were diversifying to capture new markets and 37 percent were developing new services. “Although a shortage in customer orders might derail the growth […]
The issue of paid maternity leave (or lack thereof) has been back in the news this week and I have to say, as a woman without kids, I have only just looked into what all the fuss is about. Surely a civilised, developed country like Australia has adequate paid maternity leave provisions? (I should remind […]
Business leaders across the country are being invited to apply for the highest accolade in business, the 10th annual Chartered Accountants Business Leaders Awards. The Business Leader of The Year award recognises leaders who demonstrate visionary leadership, exhibit best practice, show innovation and take risks, foster positive employee relations and contribute to the community. CEO […]
US President Barack Obama has signed The American Recovery and Investment Act, a US$787 billion (A$1.2 trillion) economic stimulus package that will combine new infrastructure spending and tax breaks for the purposes of creating more than 3 million jobs. But the bill includes a Buy American provision that will affect US trading partners. The Buy […]
With the economic downturn affecting business, company CEOs and senior managers have highlighted the need to increase their focus on enhancing customer loyalty. According to the CCS Business Leadership Survey, conducted by The Corporate Behavioural Specialists of 140 leaders across Australia, CEOs and senior managers found that the top 5 areas of focus for their […]
Telstra has heralded in a new era in real-time mobile communications, announcing the world’s fastest mobile broadband service—The Turbo 21 modem—today in Sydney.
Japan’s economy shrank at a rate of more than 12 percent per annum in the last quarter of 2008, with fears that the decline of Australia’s largest trading partner by revenue will adversely affect the Australian economy. The world’s second largest economy recorded a 3.3 percent decline in the three months to December 2008. Japan […]
Peak retail industry body, The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has called on the Federal Government to replace the $900 stimulus package cash handout for low to middle income earners, in favour of a debit card or voucher system. The ARA, who represent about 5000 small and medium sized businesses, believes that the cash bonus will […]
The Federal Government will join with commercial banks as part of the Australian Business Investment Partnership in a $4 billion project to support the commercial property sector. Australia’s four biggest banks will provide $2 billion, matched by the government’s $2 billion, to go to a variety of projects including office, retail and factory developments. The […]
2008 was a horror one financially for most of us. Alot of people have asked me for a few ideas for creating their own list of New Year’s resolutions to help put their finances in better shape in 2009. With the Christmas cheer gone, now is the best time to get serious about your finances. […]
