When Kathmandu announced its net profit had increased 64% in FY16, group marketing manager John Sette cited a comprehensive brand refresh as one of the factors that had contributed to an improvement in the company’s fortunes. He also praised the efforts of Melbourne brand and design studio SouthSouthWest, which had assisted in rebranding the travel […]
Motivating a workforce to operate at maximum capacity is no easy task. The ability to produce and maintain thriving human capital is one of the primary factors that differentiates a prospering business from those that struggle. On the flip side, what are signs of complacent staff? 1. Engagement In any workplace, it’s natural for staff […]
As the financial year draws to a close and next year’s budgets are debated, there are plenty of ducks to get in a row before July 1 hits. While travel spend may not be front of mind, as CFOs we need to think differently (and strategically) about maximising time on the road and the costs […]
A common symptom of the 21st century is the reliance on a digital productivity tools…often to the point where the users become inefficient. Sound like an oxymoron? Recent research by Nitro shows Australians aged 18 to 25 (Gen Y) are over-reliant on email, apps, social media and cloud technology, and thus new productivity pitfalls are emerging. The research found specifically that nearly nine […]
It’s not always easy to take up a CEO role. It can be easier if no one liked your predecessor. It can be harder if you’re taking over from the founder and harder still if the founder is still in the business. The nature of the challenge depends somewhat on the stage at which the […]
This may be a passage from Lewis Carroll’s novel Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland but it perfectly sums up the strategic approach of many Australian businesses… “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here” said Alice. “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to”, said the Cat. “I don’t much care […]
Over the past 10 years, we’ve seen AirBnB become the largest accommodation provider with no properties, Uber become the largest taxi company with no cars and Alibaba become the largest retailer with no stock. Tesla, which is changing the rules of the game in the automotive industry, is led by someone with no industry experience […]
By the time you have read the title of this article there is a 50/50 chance that you have got something else on your mind as well. In 2010, Harvard psychologists carried out a study that tracked people’s activities, their thoughts and their feelings at random intervals. They found that just under 50% of the […]
It’s a familiar tale: a small business gets off to a flying start…and then growth stalls. Sales plateau, staff morale falls and the company’s leader feels frustrated at his or her seeming inability to take things to the next level. Often, this is caused by the leader’s failure to adjust their leadership approach from a directive […]
A new year inevitably leads to new business goals but what many SME owners don’t realise is that these goals could trigger compulsive behaviours and actually stunt a company’s growth. There are only two types of goals business owners make – objective and subjective – the latter will negatively impact profits and workplace culture. Subjective […]
