“This is a business, not a charity” – a phrase most of us, for one reason or another, have heard numerous times. Like the difference between good and evil, the former is driven by internal interests to make money, while the latter is driven by the needs of others to raise money. Their paths can […]
In this day and age, is there any business serious about its growth that doesn’t have an online presence of some sort? A website should be the starting point of every company’s marketing and business development plan, although an increasing number of small businesses, particularly side ventures of stay at home mums or those who […]
Now the sharing economy is evolving into something new. Ubiquitous communications, freelance work forces and low transaction costs are giving rise to the on-demand company, which aims to apply the principles of Uber or Airbnb to a much broader range of markets. (Irving Wladawsky-Berger, The Wall Street Journal) From food delivery, ad hoc tasks to […]
The story of Atlassian is the perfect tech startup fairy tale; two humble guys from Sydney bootstrap a company with a $10,000 credit card and pull off a successful IPO with a market cap of $4.4 billion (USD). Although, contrary to the hopes of many Australian entrepreneurs, the success of Atlassian doesn’t ride on the […]
There are many challenges facing small businesses and, with the New Year well underway, now is a good time to start addressing these head-on in order to build a stronger business. Whether you are a small enterprise just starting out or a mature business looking for additional growth, there is no shortage of challenges that […]
After a year in which the world economy experienced heightened volatility and global growth slowed, there has been a positive shift in opportunities ahead for SME exporters. Trade is still growing, albeit at a slower pace than before the global financial crisis (GFC). After relatively modest growth of 2.6 per cent last year, Efic expects […]
You’ve got the idea, you’ve done the research and your plans are ready and waiting; but finding someone to invest in an untested business model seems nigh on impossible. It’s the usual conundrum. A recent report from the UK suggested that despite high levels of confidence amongst younger entrepreneurs, many are being held back by […]
Recognition, reward and opportunity; these are the three key staples in the diet of an engaged and motivated employee. Yet – delivering the right balance of these ‘dietary requirements’ can be one of the biggest challenges businesses face. When they don’t get it right, a disengaged workforce and low morale ensues. With 20 years’ experience […]
Many people dream of starting their own business, whether it’s a restaurant, a clothing store or selling homewares online. But no matter what kind of business you’re thinking of starting, there’s one question everyone in the planning stages needs to ask themselves – what will set our business apart from our competitors? Finding your business […]
When it comes to thinking about cyber attacks many small businesses believe that it won’t happen to me. After all I am just a small business, with not much to steal. However when it comes to cyber crime, size isn’t important, hackers will take any data they can, and sometimes it’s much easier to get […]
