Small Business

An increasingly favourable Indonesian investment climate offers growth opportunities for Australian exporters, according to new analysis from Efic.  Jokowi’s reform drive buoys Indonesia’s investment climate  Indonesia’s investment climate has benefited from 11 wide-ranging reform packages introduced by the government since September 2015. “This renewed reformist zeal has boosted market sentiment and will aid new efforts […]

So you’ve found your dream home. Everything seems perfect, until you apply for a mortgage. If the bank says “no,” most of us want the earth to open up and swallow us whole. It’s a sinking feeling but it’s not the end of the world. If you have applied for a home loan and have […]

Over the past decade, the balance of power in the consumer-company engagement dynamic has shifted unequivocally in favour of the customer. Once upon a time, brands spoke to consumers via one-way vehicles such as broadcast and print media. Now, there are multiple digital channels, many of them open to public scrutiny, creating a dialogue between […]

With a reputation for being the most smallest, most mobile and most affordable way for small business owners to accept credit cards, Square Reader is now available across Australia. Launched in March, Square Reader has been adopted by small and micro business owners who are using the innovative new business tool to accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express […]

Confusing isn’t it? Financial planning isn’t something most businesses know how to do well. But, a CPA can be a great addition to your team – keeping you out of legal and financial hot water. Here’s how to hire a bean counter that you can count on. Why You’d Want To Hire One There are […]

Marketing is easier, faster, and a lot more effective than it used to be. But, if you’re a new business, it often doesn’t feel that way. Ever notice how some businesses grow suspiciously fast — coming “out of nowhere” and rocket into the #1 spot online? Their sales explode and it seems like they can […]

When planning for growth, one thing that often keeps business owners up at night is the question, “When is the right time to hire new staff?” Do you wait until you land that big new contract and then hire the staff you need? Or, do you take the risk and hire the staff first, so […]

How can Google My Business help my business? Google My Business is a free tool provided by Google to help businesses better establish themselves so that they can increase their visibility to their audience across all of Google’s platforms. No matter the industry that you are in, you want your audience to access your brand […]

  Let’s set the record straight, work/life balance is a myth. The idea that we can balance our working career with the rest of our life is just nuts. What I strive for is to create my own mix of career, family, relationships and ‘me time’. I have chosen my own path, with my own […]

  Many business owners are now choosing to use electronic contracts. Many of these systems are simple to use and enable you to sign the contacts electronically on whatever device you are using. The two main types of electronic contract are as follows: Click-Wrap Agreement This type of agreement states the terms and terms and […]

Employee Share Schemes (ESS) have long been a utilised as a valuable tool to drive and motivate key personnel to invest themselves in the future of the company.  ESS are also particularly appealing to boot strapped start ups who may not have the capital or cash flow to attract and retain employees. From an employee […]

Opening a franchise is an appealing option for those who want to own a business, but getting started can be daunting. With a franchise, you’ll receive the support of a franchisor so you won’t have to worry about starting from scratch or jumping over obstacles traditional startups face. Here are eight important tips to ensure […]

For some businesses, expanding overseas is considered a vital component to their growth strategy. And it’s not hard to understand why. After all, they’re opening the door to a new [and often much larger] pool of customers and revenue. But if only it were that simple. Sure – the sky is the limit where those […]

Allianz Australia took some time to speak with a couple of Aussie businesses that are ‘doing it for themselves’. The owner-operators of Naturally Gifted spoke with us about what it’s like running a micro-business. Businesses that choose to create and provide locally made or locally sold products and services continue to shape not only the […]

Social Media is not just a communication tool to talk to customers, it is ideal to talk to your internal teams & staff. This video shares some tips on how to do this.

With the unemployment rate hovering around the 6% mark, it’s clear that there are candidates out there, actively looking for work.  But speak to any hiring manager out there and they’ll tell a different story – that good people are hard to find, and the skills shortage we’ve been hearing about for years is a […]

“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” Sam Ewig Running a business for over 20 years provides a wide ranging perspective on hiring, firing and the movement of people.  We’ve seen all levels of skill, experience and commitment; […]

Entrepreneurs, along with their start-ups and innovative ideas have certainly been discovered as the new ‘best friend’ of the Australian economy – or at least, they have only recently been recognised as such at a governmental level. Welcome to the ideas boom. In December 2015, the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA) announced a suite […]

Admit it. You’re just a little jealous of large corporations with bottomless pockets to spend on advertising. It seems like they can dominate any market. But, they do have a weakness – local markets. Even with billions of dollars, large corporations often find it difficult to compete against a well-positioned small business. Here’s how to […]

We demand more, we want things quicker, and of course, we want it cheaper. These are the commercial pressures a number of industries are grappling with today – and few are exempt. We’ve seen airlines diversify into the ‘low-cost’ market, retailers ditch their stores for online presence, and the media industry drop paper copy for […]