#Credit Crunch
Businesses optimistic about global expansion
Australian businesses remain optimistic about overseas operations despite the global downturn, according to results from the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation’s (EFIC) second annual Global Readiness Index, which charts the international experiences of Australian companies. Respondents from more than 80 percent of companies with offshore operations indicated they plan to expand them; more than 40 […]
Government to help finance small businesses
Small businesses finding it difficult to attain finance can expect assistance from the Federal Government, says Minister for Small Business Craig Emerson following a roundtable discussion between banks and business groups late last week. If an SME has had an application for credit refused by a financial institution, they will have a second chance to […]
True cost of finance
Second in our series on ‘The True Cost of Exporting’ is the cost of finance, from working capital to performance bonds and money for growth. Watching interest rates jump and dive in the last 12 months has been an uncomfortable ride for many borrowers, but particularly for exporters who must simultaneously contend with fluctuating exchange […]
The Mortimer Review
He conducted a review of business programs in 1996 and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2005, but what does David Mortimer have to do with export policy today? The submissions we put into the Federal Government’s Review of Export Policy and Programs commenced with the words: “Never has broadening and […]
Plan for business challenges
With increasing interest rates, fluctuating petrol prices, drought, lagging trade payments, and the credit crunch, planning for business challenges is a must for SME survival. Here’s your guide to expected business hardships, together with some expert advice to ease business conditions. Blow after blow has been dealt to SMEs, everything from a strengthening Aussie dollar, […]