Opinion

Hiring great talent comes at a huge cost to small-medium sized businesses (SMBs). According to Chandler Macleod, in Australia it takes on average 81 days and $15,000 to place a candidate.

As a busy business-person it’s challenging to send out a regular newsletter, but it can be done. Here are my top five tips.

In spite of the rise of online and social media marketing, traditional advertising is still a highly effective marketing strategy which gets results.

New privacy laws have been in effect since 12 March 2014, and for the first time, Australian businesses are facing serious penalties if they don’t toe the line. So what does it all mean for SMEs?

Only a few years ago, you would have most likely paid for your morning coffee with cash. And why not? Who would pull out a card, swipe, wait for it to be processed and sign a receipt when they could just use a $5 note?

The end of the financial year is an exciting time and a time to introduce fresh new business ideas as well as implement well tested, but perhaps forgotten, sound business management principles.

Bitcoin is making news again. Angry investors in the virtual currency are joining a class action to recover nearly US$500 million “lost” when Mt. Gox, a Tokyo-based Bitcoin exchange, crashed at the end of February 2014.

Don’t get me wrong. I love systems. I spend most of my time telling businesses why they’re a good idea but they aren’t exactly ideal for start-ups. Here’s why.

Even for bricks and mortar sectors, there are still ways technology can be incorporated into the store to enhance the experience for both the consumer and employees.

Recently, we’ve seen a significant change in the way B2B buyers purchase products and services, brought on by new technology and greater access to information through mobile and social channels.

If your business burnt down today, what would happen? Would everything fall to pieces or would you be able to move to a different location, retrieve your files and data and keep going without too much fuss?

Do you leap out of bed every morning at the thought of going to work? Does the workday fly by without watching the clock? If you answered yes – good on you – for those of you who didn’t, you’re not alone.

As a woman running your own business, there are some questions you just don’t need to be asked.

With the increased uptake of mobile work styles, it is time for managers to recognise the many benefits that lie hand-in-hand for businesses with flexible and mobile teams.

As a startup it is inevitable that you’ll make some choices during the early days that might not be ideal.

Even apparently secure household names can end up at the bottom of the pile and with seemingly no warning.

Video captures people’s attention more effectively than most other forms of communication and can also have considerable impact on people’s purchasing behaviours.

We just wrapped up our Kickstart Your Business Grant that received over 300 applications. The applications were a good indicator to how businesses were structured to grow by sourcing funding.

Imagine being your own boss, managing your virtual team while doing project collaboration even at the comfort of your own home.

Social media, while serving many opportunities to create customer engagement, can be problematic for businesses if used by frustrated consumers to vent about a poor experience to their friends.