News
Employer confidence has dropped to critical levels according to a report issued by HR Coach Research Institute, with the National Employer Confidence sitting at just 65 percent. The latest HR Quarterly Index figures have everyone concerned, with the employer confidence crisis at risk of reducing business productivity levels, according to Louise Broekman, founder of the […]
One concept that has dominated the financial services industry for decades and which has had a significant impact on the performance of portfolios in recent years is the notion of dollar cost averaging. According to industry experts, dollar cost averaging reduces the risk of investing in volatile markets and helps to avoid the ‘so called’ […]
More than half of Australians fear a Depression is not far off, according to TNS’ Financial Crisis Study. The study looks at how the global financial crisis is affecting consumers in the UK, France, Germany, US and Australia. While Australians remain more positive about the outlook for 2009 than the UK, France and the US, […]
It’s that time of year again, when the world’s leading media executives and entrepreneurs gather together for Media ‘09 to discuss the future of digital media and how businesses can survive in a downturn. The one-day international gathering, to be held in Sydney on February 13, entitled “Media 09: The Annual Forecast for Digital Media […]
Super funds have taken yet another beating from the global financial crisis, sliding 19.7 percent last year, and recording a marginal loss of 0.12 percent for December, according to SuperRatings. The financial crisis, which has seen world share markets decline by 40 to 50 percent, has had a largely negative impact on super funds, but […]
SMEs are warned to be aware that staff entitlements must be upheld even in times of financial crisis. The Federal Workplace Ombudsman recently awarded $65,000 to eleven workers at a Brisbane manufacturing company who lost their jobs following the business closure last year. Executive Director Michael Campbell said that initial efforts to recover the money […]
Business is going mobile with market research firm iSuppli reporting that in the third quarter of 2008, global laptop computer shipments topped those of desktops for the first time ever. Laptop shipments rose nearly 40 percent while desktop shipments declined 1.3 percent, both compared to the same period the previous year. “Momentum has been building […]
It seems that despite all the doom and gloom surrounding the global financial crisis, Australian businesses remain surprisingly optimistic about the future. According to the 2009 Grant Thornton International Business Report, Australia is one of only 12 countries in the world that remain positive about the financial outlook for 2009. While global optimism has slumped […]
The rental property market has taken another blow, with figures released by ABS showing that investment housing loans dropped 7.4 percent for the month of November. These figures are worrisome, according to Housing Industry Association (HIA), chief executive, Chris Lamont who believes that this will have a severe impact on the rental market and could […]
Commercial borrowing dropped by more than 10 percent late last year as the credit crunch began to eat into lending funds. Totally lending for the year 2008 dropped 30.7 percent according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. However, the proportion of borrowing from pre-approved lines of credit, the business version of a credit card, rose […]
Riding off the success of the first Smart Breakfast Seminars, held in October of last year, Smart 2009 Conference has announced the next seminars in the series to take place in February, focusing on efficient logistic strategies during a recession. The seminars, presented by Dr Chris Dubelaar and David Goad, will focus on the relationship […]
Summer should not be the time to slack off, according to leading Australian recruitment firm, LINK Recruitment. While the first quarter of the year can often be a relaxing time, with employees coming off the high of the Christmas break, LINK believe that it is the best time to boost employee moral and hit the […]
The quarterly Business Outlook, issued by economic forecaster Access Economics, shows recession imminent and describes the Federal Budget as too reliant on commodities exports, especially as China is our main customer and they have slowed buying. “A lot of things are buggered because the global economy is in real trouble,” said Access Economics director Chris […]
Recent figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that a rise in part-time positions by 42,800 has offset the fall in full-time jobs, by 43,900, which means the drop in job vacancy numbers is the relatively modest 1,200. Full-time work is defined as a role that involves 35 hours or more a week. […]
With economists predicting a rocky 2009, consumers are searching for ways to ‘ease the squeeze’ financially. Charis Palmer, editor of Online Banking Review, looks at a number of new banking applications designed reduce financial stress. According to Palmer, the top seven consumer banking services to look out for this year include: mobile banking, social saving, […]
Australia’s small and medium businesses looking to expand or invest in new projects will now find it harder to request a loan following the exodus of non-bank lenders from the SME sector. The contraction of wholesale credit markets, where lending institutions attain the bulk of their funds, has led to tougher lending standards and […]
A website that lets women recommend female-friendly businesses to other women is taking off in Australia with plans to go global. www.femalefriendly.com.au is a free to use, word-of-mouth directory, introduced to assist women to find businesses who will value their customers. All of its listed members are used and recommended by women. It also provides […]
The latest results from ANZ’s monthly job survey show the number of positions advertised in print and online in December dropped almost 10 percent compared with the previous month. Online results hit the lowest level since surveying began in 1998, with print job ads falling more than 30 percent in the last quarter of 2008. […]
If you work in online and retail, breathe a big sigh of relief. However, if you work in banking or air travel, get ready for a rocky 2009. That is the message from IBISWorld, as they predict the “Top 10” industries to weather the financial crisis. While many companies have already stated their intention to […]
The word has long been out. Blogging is an effective way of establishing a following on the web: fans, customers, suppliers, staff, and even competitors. For the novice among us, a blog is a type of journal that is published on the web which allows readers to comment, give feedback (good or bad) and share […]
