Latest News
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SMEs remain cautious about debt
Virginia Harrison | September 7, 2010Small & medium sized enterprises are reluctant to take on debt, as the aftertaste of the financial crisis and access to credit continue to trouble businesses.
The latest Veda Advantage Business Credit Demand Index showed demand for credit fell 5.6 per cent in the April to June quarter compared to the same period in 2009.
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UPDATE: Retailers lead the way in Christmas confidence
Virginia Harrison | September 7, 2010
September 2010: Australia’s executives are tipping strong growth in the lead up to Christmas, but remain cautious about bringing on new staff.The latest Dun & Bradstreet Business Expectations survey reveals improvement in 5 out of 6 key indicators of business strength.
Executives are confident of growth in sales, profits, inventories, capital investment and selling prices during the December quarter.
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Digital tools for pricing compliance
Virginia Harrison | September 7, 2010
Electronic labels are helping one hardware store owner save time and money, and stay on the right side of the law.David Berry owns Thrifty Link in Gunnedah and last year installed nearly 6,000 ILID labels throughout his store.
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Work safety more than hardhats and steel-capped boots
Virginia Harrison | September 4, 2010
Aussie tech-company keeps workers in high-pressure environments safe from harm. Virginia Harrison spoke to Leo Silver.Workers in high-pressure environments like prisons or hospitals can find themselves in life-threatening situations, and that reality has created a business opportunity for an Australian tech-company.
Integrated Wireless provide messaging and duress systems solutions to protect staff working in intensive environments.
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Women to drive the global economic recovery
Virginia Harrison | September 4, 2010
Women outpace men when it comes to growing businesses and hold the potential to lead the global economic recovery according to a new study.A report by Ernst & Young investigated the productive power of female entrepreneurs and states that women-owned enterprises grow faster than those owned by men.
Females own or operate up to 33 per cent of private businesses worldwide.
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Manager skill-set blocks mid-size growth
Beth Walker | September 4, 2010Medium-sized businesses often stumble when it comes to scaling up because they lack strong managerial skills.
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Cloud Computing: What does it mean for SMEs?
Matthew Sorell | July 22, 2010Cloud computing is the notion that you can put or process your data “in the cloud somewhere”. Where it is and how it got there is not your problem. How reliably it’s stored, whether it can be hacked into, and a whole host of other issues shouldn’t be your problem either; in the ideal cloud environment.
But back in the real world, reliability, access, security and recoverability are your problem, and that means that you do care where your data is and how it got there. How do you respond?
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Getting up to speed with workplace flexibility in SMEs
Juliet Bourke | July 22, 2010As a partner in a business, plus an outspoken advocate on workplace flexibility, I am very conscious of practicing what I preach and maintaining a competitive business edge.
I often hear it said that flexible work practices can work in a very big business, with lots of resources including an HR department, but not in small (1-19 employees) or even medium (20-199 employees) businesses .
That’s not my experience. I don’t think size matters – it’s more about creating a culture of give and take.
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Open Letter to the G20 Leaders
Patrick Callioni | July 21, 2010Markets make money whether the economy is going up or down – it is only the rest who stand to lose.
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Action on Gender Equality Urged
Les Pickett | July 21, 2010
Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick recently launched the Gender Equality Blueprint 2010. There are some highlights worth noting.
The Gender Equality Blueprint 2010 sets out fifteen recommendations in the following five priority areas: 1) Balancing paid work and family and caring responsibilities 2) Ensuring women’s lifetime economic security 3) Promoting women in leadership 4) Preventing violence against women and sexual harassment 5) Strengthening national gender equality laws, agencies and monitoring.
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Productivity Commission Review of Regulatory Burdens on Business
Les Pickett | July 21, 2010The Australian Government Productivity Commission invites comment on draft report on Annual Review of Regulatory Burdens on Business: Business and Consumer Services.
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Health Information Exchange becoming a reality in Canada. When in Australia?
Malcolm Crompton | July 21, 2010Canada is getting on with the job that matters with eHealth information: Health Information Exchange (I call it HIX…).
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Finding the First 5000
Peter Fritz | July 21, 2010Driving to work last week I was listening to ABC Radio coverage of the latest Dun & Bradstreet business report which indicated that 1 in 4 businesses expect to dismiss staff in the near future.
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How I Became a Chocolate Merchant
Peter Fritz | July 21, 2010I like chocolate.
Twelve years ago I landed in Brussels airport on a stopover and treated myself to a small box of Belgian chocolates which were absolutely wonderful.
I enjoyed them so much that I didn’t want to wait until next in Brussels to enjoy them again. So I kept the packaging and upon my return to Australia telephoned the company, Neuhause, and asked if they had a local stockist in Sydney.
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Actions speak louder than words: APEC Launches New Privacy Enforcement Initiative
Malcolm Crompton | July 21, 2010The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has launched an initiative to help boost consumer trust in e-commerce by fortifying enforcement of regional data privacy laws.
The APEC Cross-border Privacy Enforcement Arrangement (CPEA) will serve as a platform for authorities to engage in information sharing, evidence collection and complaints handling, among other imperatives. The formal commencement day was 16 July 2010.
More mature age job seekers are building the skills and confidence they need to be more competitive in their local job markets thanks to the Career Transition Assistance (CTA) Program from @EmploymentGovAU first5000.com.au/blog/mature-ag… #matureworkers #olderworkers #haveyoursay
Flexible work policies don’t deliver instead you should be change management tool that works. first5000.com.au/blog/you-dont-… @TRANSFORMEDTMS @NinaFutureWorks #remotework #remoteworkin #workingfromhome #covid19 #coronavirus
How does your businesses support mature workers? Have your say to help other businesses develop best practices to ensure older workers stay employed. first5000.com.au/blog/have-your… #matureworkers #olderworkers
The Australian Space Discovery Centre, designed to inspire the next generation of the space workforce, is one step closer to launch. @SaberAstro, a key player in this initiative, was selected earlier this year to develop the Mission Control Centre. first5000.com.au/blog/green-lig… Retweeted by First 5000
More than 100,000 people across NSW will have the opportunity to reskill for the jobs of the future thanks to the NSW Government’s Skilling for Recovery initiative. first5000.com.au/blog/training-… @GladysB @Dom_Perrottet @GeoffLeeMP #COVID19 #coronavirus #jobtrainer
National Family Business Day is usually a day to celebrate, but 2020 is a year like no other. Times are incredibly tough and so many family businesses that were viable this time last year are now facing enormous challenges. #buylocal #smallbizau @fambizaus #NFBD20 twitter.com/ASBFEO/status/… Retweeted by First 5000
Family businesses will be key to Australia’s economic recovery from the coronavirus recession, according to Australia’s peak body for family businesses, @fambizaus, which is hosting its National Family Business Day, today 18 September #NFBD20 first5000.com.au/blog/family-bu… #covid19
With support from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DJC), @AusHumanRights has developed Upholding the rights of older workers—a free online training package on multigenerational workforces. @facsnsw #matureworkers first5000.com.au/blog/upholding… #matureworkers
The Victorian Government’s announcement of an additional $3 billion support package for business as they struggle through continued restrictions will spark hope for thousands of businesses first5000.com.au/blog/3-billion… @VicGovAu @vicchamber #covid19 #supportpackage
Budget 2020 is predicted to deliver mixed results for businesses, with half of SMEs confident the Budget will deliver benefits for their business, according to a special Budget Edition @MYOB Business Monitor, in partnership with @NousGroup first5000.com.au/blog/federal-b… #Budget2020
The Federal Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) has revealed that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, 65% of Australians regarded manufacturing as important or very important. first5000.com.au/blog/moving-fr… @AMGC_Ltd #Manufacturing #covid19 #coronavirus
The Australian Space Discovery Centre is one step closer to launch as construction of the facility and Mission Control Centre officially starts. first5000.com.au/blog/green-lig… #space @AusSpaceAgency @almclachlan1 @marshall_steven @SaberAstro
The past six months have been tough times for everyone, including for leaders. The emotional load is draining, and the light at the end of the tunnel is still too far ahead. Zivit Inbar of DifferenThinking explains. first5000.com.au/blog/what-is-t… @drzinbar #leadership
Ahead of tomorrow’s R U OK Day we share ways you can help encourage more life-changing conversations and share the message with your community and workplace while physically distancing. first5000.com.au/blog/ideas-for… @ruokday #ruok #RUOKDay #RUOKDay2020 #mentalhealth
Local businesses can now apply for grants that will strengthen skills, capabilities and capacity as part of the Government’s $150 million Moon to Mars initiative to enable Australian participation in space supply chains. @First5000 first5000.com.au/blog/new-front… Retweeted by First 5000
With the rapid changes in the structure of the employment market, mature job seekers need to be more agile in their thinking about work according to Hunter Leonard from @SilverandWise. first5000.com.au/blog/stop-look… @BLUEFROGFOUNDER #matureworkers #jobseekers #HaveYourSay
A report looking at the decision-making behaviour of Australians has provided insight into how the COVID-19 crisis has affected lifestyle, career, and other choices. first5000.com.au/blog/how-has-c… @ChoosiInsurance #covid19 #covid19aus #coronavirus
A new report has revealed how Australians can fight back against cybercriminals and protecting themselves with the help of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). first5000.com.au/blog/report-sh… @CyberGovAU @lindareynoldswa @PeterDutton_MP #cybersecurity #cybercrime #cybercriminals
Business trading conditions across the country have not improved despite the easing of restrictions in many states, the latest @AusChamber (ACCI) survey of small to medium businesses has found. first5000.com.au/blog/acci-rele… #COVID19Aus #covid19
For every dollar that a public organisation spends on effectively handling complaints, the organisation can reap up to a $5 return on investment (ROI), according to research, conducted for @SOCAPOz by the @Uni_Newcastle first5000.com.au/blog/public-or… #complaints #CustomerService