Small Business
For the Icon Group, delivering world-class cancer care across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia has required extensive travel to train staff and support its cancer centres and other sites. The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way they work, with teams embracing cutting-edge technology including augmented reality headsets to continue delivering essential care. The Icon Group […]
Many of us will notice changes in the people around us and get the feeling that ‘something is not right’ or is different with them. You may not want to say anything for fear of making the situation worse or because you don’t know what to say if they confirm your concerns. While these conversations […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, fast-tracking the digitisation of business and our ideas around flexible working. While many people talk about the future of work in the context of big business, the topic is just as important for small businesses. The rise of ‘location-independent workers’ widens the talent pool for businesses […]
COVID-19 has tested business owners’ personal and professional resilience like never before and entrepreneurs continue to need internal fortitude as they face ongoing uncertainty. So, what is resilience, and how can it be strengthened? “From a psychiatric point of view, resilience is a complex concept but the easiest way to conceptualize it is one’s ability […]
As Australia’s leading provider of synthetic and medicinal chemistry services, Epichem met the challenges of COVID-19 head on, by protecting its business and employees while supporting the community and launching new innovations. Founded in Perth in 2003, Epichem creates specialised products and provide technical expertise to customers in more than 40 countries in the pharmaceutical, […]
As a friend, family member or business colleague you can make an important contribution to someone’s recovery from mental ill-health. Working in small business can sometimes be isolating and when people experience challenges with their mental health, they can be tempted to isolate themselves further. The practical, emotional and social support that a small business […]
Aiming to not just outperform meat but replace it, Australian cultured meat company, Vow, has banked US$6 million of fresh funding. In 2019, Vow became the world’s first company to make a food product from the cells of an undomesticated animal, instead of the animal itself. The company has since grown its library to 11 […]
2020 was a year of unprecedented challenge for business owners. Almost overnight, businesses of all sizes were scrambling to find new customers and devise innovative ways to sell to existing customers. Uncertainty and fear abounded, but so too did resilience and ingenuity. At both a state and federal level, the Australian government acted quickly and […]
It is common for people working in business to be concerned with or stressed about their business finances at some point. Unpredictable income, cash flow and delayed payments are common experiences for people working in small business and these can put you at increased risk of poor mental and physical health and family conflict. It […]
The customer is always right is an adage that has been driving the way we do business for years. While the concept of customer experience (CX) has evolved, business processes have not. Today, the smartest organisations are creating competitive advantage by placing customer wants first and managing their customer experience from start to finish. In the […]
As COVID-19 wreaked havoc nationally and demand for safety equipment grew, Victoria’s regional medical device manufacturer Care Essentials pivoted its focus to produce a range of PPE products, surgical face masks and N95 respirators. “Our decision to explore making PPE masks came because we kept receiving calls from hospitals, federal and state departments asking if […]
The recent Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, looks at some of the devastating impacts that technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are having on many of us. Through an AI lens, it examines the causes of the recent polarisation of society; why, how, and who controls our information; and the effects of social media on mental health […]
Who could have predicted 2020? Many of the resolutions that you may have made in your business likely got swept aside in the chaos of the pandemic. As the world starts to emerge and economies recover, what are the 2021 resolutions you can make that will put your business in a strong position for the […]
Many small business owners work long hours and can often be on their own. Having people around them to check in on how they are doing can make all the difference. Have you noticed changes in someone’s behaviour recently? Has a business owner you know been doing it tough financially, been impacted by a weather […]
A ban on mass gatherings that forced the postponement of Australia’s premier car festival – Summernats – hasn’t stalled the event’s rise in popularity in the USA, thanks to a gaming app that has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times. In a normal year, Summernats attracts 100,000 car lovers and injects $30 million into […]
Unsurprisingly, the top four challenges and top three opportunities facing SMEs in the coming year are a result of COVID-19 related financial pressures, according to the latest ScotPac SME Growth Index research. When asked what they are most positive about for 2021, the most common response was getting “back in the black” (24%), and the […]
When providing support to team members who are doing it tough, it’s vital to take care of yourself too. The quality of care you can offer is dependent on your own mental health and wellbeing. When a friend, family member or business colleague experiences a period of mental ill-health, your positive support and care can […]
Although attitudes towards mental health, mental ill-health and suicide are improving, stigma is still one of the most common reasons that people give for not asking for the help and support they may need. Stigma is often the result of a lack of knowledge about mental ill-health, combined with negative attitudes or personal beliefs that […]
As a small business owner, it can be tempting to focus all your time and attention on the business, but the most important resource that your business has is actually you. The healthier and more resilient you are, the healthier your business has the chance to be. What is mental health? Mental health, or being […]
When COVID-19 hit Australia, the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation (DAAFF) team knew they had a vital role to play in not just supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, but also helping to protect these vulnerable groups from the potentially devastating impacts of the virus. Owned by a membership of Indigenous Art Centres and […]
