Latest News
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IT control is king
Nick Day | June 14, 2011On a recent business trip I was enthralled by Liam Neeson’s performance in the thriller, Unknown. The movie starts with him making a frantic dash back to the airport after leaving his laptop behind in a cab.
Of course business mobility has been a long standing issue for IT. Whether it’s a loss, theft or a network meltdown, any of these situations can create a major issue affecting the continuity of a business. Securing the data is paramount. Easy management is crucial. Control is king.
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IPA’s Conway wins Young Professional award
Helen Hull | June 7, 2011
Andrew Conway, chief executive of First 5000 member, the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA), has been recognised as the Professions Australia ‘2011 Young Professional of the Year’.
The award is intended to encourage and recognise the achievements of a young professional who has demonstrated a noteworthy commitment to excellence and innovation in their profession and has worked to promote the profession as a whole. -
Guide to selecting an ERP
Michael McCash | June 6, 2011The implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to overhaul and automate business processes is a significant strategic investment for any organisation.
Buying the right system and choosing the best vendor partner are critical to a successful implementation – because in this instance the word ‘partner’ isn’t just a figure of speech.
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Economic snapshot – June
Alan Oster | June 3, 2011
The weakness in the March quarter GDP creates a perfect storm for a central bank attempting to tighten interest rates in response to the underlying strength of the economy.
While the Reserve Bank is looking forward to emerging inflationary pressures, it’ll be difficult to avoid the tactical complications presented by the recent slowdown in our economy.
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Collingwood taps social media
Helen Hull | May 30, 2011
Facebook is the most popular social network platform with one in four businesses having a Facebook presence, according to a recent study.
First 5000 member, the AFL’s Collingwood Football Club became active on Facebook and Twitter in early 2009, initially using them as tools to drive users back to the club’s website. -
Independents key to change
Glenn Druery | May 24, 2011It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that politics is something that only happens in the hallowed halls of Canberra or the sandstone buildings of Macquarie Street.
You could be forgiven for thinking that that the most impact you can have in politics is by the exercise of your democratic right once every few years.
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Australian retail community under threat
Jost Stollmann | May 20, 2011The digital economy will allow the big retailers to expand their domination further squeezing the remaining retail community.
The increasing preponderance of smartphones and ever-present broadband access allows the big retailers to deploy customer engagement strategies bundling financial and marketing services capabilities.
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Get into bed
Geoffrey McDonald Bowll | May 9, 2011Let’s do something the ACCC is going to hate, but can’t do much about. Get together with competitors.
There’s two sorts in business. The bulk want to make friends, have a few laughs, go to work in a good mood, enjoy the day, make a buck. The others, the nasty minority, think it’s about conflict and competition and killing the other guy.
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Telstra launches 2011 Business Women’s Awards
Helen Hull | May 2, 2011
Telstra has launched the 2011 Business Women’s Awards which have over the last 16 years uncovered amazing and inspiring business women and their extraordinary journeys.
Almost a quarter of women recognised as inspirational leaders in business through the Telstra Business Women’s Awards have joined a board following their success.
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PM Gillard talks Getting Aussie Business Online
Kate Dixon | April 20, 2011Well, it isn’t every day that the Prime Minister talks about MYOB but in late March we were in Perth to talk about Getting Aussie Business Online with Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy.
They were speaking about plans for the National Broadband Network and the need for businesses to get online to take advantage of the digital economy.
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Managing cash flow in the growth stage
Suelen McCallum | April 19, 2011For many medium businesses, growth is the barometer for success. But expansion can present challenges and one of the critical issues in any company when it is experiencing a healthy level of growth is cash flow.
In this article, I look at the reasons why cash flow is important and why growth often contributes to a lack of funds.
Cash flow basically means ‘Do I have enough cash in my bank account to cover my expenses?’ Sounds simple, but you’d be surprised at how many people ignore this. And not just small business either! Medium sized businesses have often achieved the desired levels of sales and growth but fail to realise what effects that growth has had on cash flow. -
Boost founder says push boundaries
Helen Hull | April 13, 2011Success in business is about attitude and not being afraid to make mistakes, according to Janine Allis founder and director of Boost Juice Bars.
Speaking at PMP Limited’s Schmart Marketing Conference in Melbourne and Sydney last week (4 and 6 April) Allis told marketers, advertising agencies and business managers you must make mistakes and push boundaries to find where your level is.
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Meta boards and collaboration
Lindley Edwards | April 13, 2011Recently Prof Drew Dawson, a non executive director of various organisations and the director of multi-disciplinary collaborative research centre at the University of South Australia and I had dinner.
In our dialogue we explored the concept of Meta boards.
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Protecting your equity, not just your property
Craig Boss | April 13, 2011
Protecting your business against the unexpected departure of a business partner is one of the most important insurances you may ever need.
Many businesses will insure their premises, equipment, and stock. They will take out worker’s compensation and public liability cover. However, they give no thought to the potentially devastating damage to the business caused by the unplanned exit of a business partner due to death, illness, or injury.
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What areas of regulation should COAG target for reform? | Have your say
Sally Rose | April 11, 2011First 5000’s sister publication Open Forum is currently hosting an online National Regulatory Reform Survey on behalf of the Queensland Office for Regulatory Efficiency, Queensland Government.
On 13 February 2011, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) tasked its Business Regulation and Competition Working Group (BRCWG) with developing options for a future national regulatory reform agenda for COAG’s consideration by the end of 2011.
The SURVEY closes midnight, Friday 15 April 2011, AEST.
