Small Business

The first medicinal cannabis products to be imported into Australia under the Federal Government’s new import legislation have arrived in Perth. ASX-listed cannabis company Creso Pharma and its partner West Australian medicinal cannabis wholesaler Health House have this week received an importation of cannabis oils from Canadian cannabis group CanniMed. Under Government legislation put in place […]

An agreement between Airtasker and Unions NSW aims to improve conditions for workers who use the online job-posting platform, according to reports. In addition to updating its price guide to reflect award wages or higher, Airtasker will introduce a personal injury policy as well as a dispute resolution process to be overseen by the industrial umpire, Fair […]

Entries are now being accepted for the 23rd annual Telstra Business Women’s Awards, which recognise the achievements of exceptional business women from across Australia and Asia. Telstra Group Executive Joe Pollard described the Awards a unique platform for business women to be seen and heard as well as as a springboard for them to to […]

One of the best things about today’s technology is connectivity: with the ever-present nature of mobile devices, it’s now easier than ever to stay in touch with those who matter to you. This also extends to business management, where there are many different technologies available to constantly and consistently track orders and know where your […]

In organisations where flexible working is permitted but its parameters are ill-defined, the full benefits won’t be reaped, according to Tony Simonsen, Managing Director of Polycom Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).  A global study by the video collaboration company found that Australia is one of the most flexible countries to work in, with nine in ten companies (90%) […]

In the marketing and advertising world, younger markets or audiences have always been notoriously difficult to crack. Their loyalty is critical to the future success of any brand, and yet they can be the most resistant to persuasion. And in the case of Millennials, it gets even tougher. Is your business struggling to reach and […]

In decades gone by, businesses sometimes set the trends for society. Fast forward to today where things move so fast that businesses are having to catch up with society. Even though most CEOs would not want to admit it, their organisations probably still look and operate far too much like a system designed for Henry Ford’s […]

In recent times, Australian businesses with global ties have experienced a prolonged period of uncertainty, riding out everything from Trump’s unpredictable administration to Theresa May’s shock call for a snap election. The French election for presidency is no exception, with Marine Le Pen now through to the second round of voting. The far-right candidate is […]

If you are seeking to foster a high-performing workforce in your organisation, it would be counter-productive (not to mention narrow-minded) to subscribe to the saying “out with the old, in with the new”. Long-held myths about mature age workers (e.g. they are change-averse, they are not tech-savvy, they have a ‘use by date’, etc.) have […]

The sales profession is undergoing a big cull with over 20%  of sales roles expected to be cut by 2020 according to some analysts[1]. There are three macro shifts responsible for this rather ominous reality. Firstly, buyers are more discerning than ever before as they turn online for identifying and acquiring products and services without the need […]

Marketers are caught in the eye of the perfect storm. On one hand, we are being pummeled by a wave of new demands from business leaders, wanting the marketing department to take more responsibility for the ‘customer experience’, deep into parts of the business we have traditionally never set foot. On the other, like an incoming tide, […]

For the most part, people are very good at picking up on the verbal and visual clues that indicate another’s mood. For those in customer-facing positions –  whether it is over the telephone, via digital communication or face to face –  dealing with clients who aren’t entirely sure what they want is often unavoidable. Fortunately, there are a number of tell-tale […]

Employers often get the most out of their employees at the very beginning of their tenure, when the employee is keen to impress, eager to make a good impression, and excited to learn new things. But the honeymoon period doesn’t last particularly long, with most people becoming comfortable enough to rest on their laurels and […]

The fact that Aussies love the beach is undisputed worldwide. What is concerning, however, are the potential business impacts, with a survey of 2000 adults, undertaken by Finder.com.au, revealing that one in seven (14%) have cashed in their sick leave to get some sun and hit the waves.  Every time an employee decides to fake an illness […]

The 457 visa changes continue to divide the business community as to whether they represent an opportunity or a challenge to overcome. For David Ballerini, co-founder of Melbourne start-up Liven – a restaurant discovery app – a key concern is the potential for increased development costs.  “Occupations to be dropped from the replacement programs include ICT support and test […]

Last week, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman released the findings of the Inquiry into Payment Times and Practices in Australia. The results were startling but, for many small businesses across Australia, they were not surprising. The inquiry revealed almost half of small business are owed more than $20,000 from late payments, and […]

The federal government is replacing 457 visas with a new type of temporary visa designed to ‘better target genuine skills shortages’. The announcement was made on Facebook by Malcolm Turnbull who explained “Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs”. The Prime Minister said the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa will feature “new requirements including […]

Personal relationships in the office can be expensive for employees and their employers in both a financial and reputational sense. In recent months there have been a series of highly publicised cases where big business has been hauled over the coals for its approach to the issue. But this can be just as costly for small […]

No business operates in complete isolation. Agreements must be made between your business and its customers, as well as with other businesses such as suppliers and distributors. So how do businesses enforce their agreements? The answer is through the formation of legally binding contracts. Unfortunately, many businesses get caught out with unenforceable contracts and, in turn, […]

By extending payment times to small businesses in the supply chain, large Australian and multinational organisations are effectively using them as ‘a cheap form of finance’, according to a new report by the Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO). The report, which responds to the Ombudsman’s inquiry into payment times and practices, highlighted the […]