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Sunday 20 July 2008

Australia's online magazine for entrepreneurs & SMEs

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2008 SmartCompany Awards
SmartCompany Awards 2008
The hottest small and medium business awards in Australia.


Energise Enterprise 08
Victoria's small business festival running throughout August. Find out how SmartCompany is involved.


News & Trends Box
SmartCompany Headlines
Get the latest small and medium business news headlines on your website or intranet.


No Payroll Tax
No Payroll Tax
Sign the petition and help us get the politicians to cut this terrible tax.


Multi-billion dollar industries
Multi-billion dollar industries of the future
10 industries have been nominated. Is yours one? 


Federal budget 2008
Federal Budget 2008
Read about the washup from Federal Budget 08.


bullet-proof your business
Bullet-proof your business
Survive the slowing economy with these tips.


Tax Advice
Tax Time Advice
All the tax advice and tips you need now that June 30 has passed.


Top Searches

  1. Elderslie Finance
  2. Bill Express
  3. Telstra iPhone
  4. Energise Enterprise 08
  5. Kleins
  6. Costco Australia
  7. Tax tips
  8. Bubhub
  9. iPhone
  10. Leadership

Top 75 searches... 


The power of Google
The power of Google
Whatever you do, don’t mess with the $200 billion giant.
SEO mistakes
10 biggest SEO mistakes
Get better search rankings with an SEO strategy, but watch out for the traps.
10 ways to lose your business
10 ways to lose your business
Watch out for these 10 ways you could lose your business.

Smart Blogs

Out-of-the-box ways to retain staff

Get Out of My Way : Kindergarten had some basic rules, and every business can benefit from remembering some of those simple guidelines. NAOMI SIMSON

What a difference a year makes

The Futurist : Every business must understand that as the credit crisis gets worse, they must have very strong trade and credit policies. COLIN BENJAMIN

The iPhone and mobile advertising

Online Sales : With the iPhone now landed, the uptake of mobile ads could change the way you get your message out there. CHRIS THOMAS

The simple pitch

Funding Your Business : Your pitch needs to be more than just interesting – it needs to be compelling. DORON BEN-MEIR



The SmartCompany commmunity - your ideas, problems & reactions. Come on, we’re waiting…

The great web developer rip-off: Join the debate. Have your say.

Feedback

Richwell writes on Cultural Leadership blog: Counter cyclical investing is a well tested exercise. Now is the time for new directions and bold moves (posted 17 July)... more.

Seth from whiteknightwebdesign.com.au writes on Why you should sack your web designer: In reading both of these columns (including Aunty B) how, in a market where there is a significant amount of choice, do these terrible companies stay in business and manage to accumulate staff? (posted 16 July)... more.

Malcolm Bradbury from the Wangaratta Chamber of Commerce writes on the same issue: I cannot believe the absolutely biased article you have published from Craig Reardon regarding web site development. His views and cost estimates are sensationalist at best (posted 16 July)... more.

Louise Gorrie from BlackMax Medi adds: My, we web developers have been taking a beating from your website. I know, it's not entirely unfounded (posted 16 July)... more.

Sue Brown writes on Franchising Tips blog: While statistical information is often reported about franchisors, Jason’s comment “what then happens to the franchisee” in relation to collapsed franchise systems should sound alarm bells (posted 16 July)... more.

Steve Torso from wholesaleinvestor.com.au writes to Dr Exit: After reading both your books, you realise that there would be a lot of business owners who have never understood the strategic value of their business. You realise that the value of a business is relative to the potential buyer and how they can exploit its opportunities (posted 16 July)... more.

S Wallis writes on franchising: McFedries comments (see below) are misleading. He should be aware that "not significant" franchisee numbers are really a direct result of the franchisee/franchisor relationship (posted 16 July)... more.

Ray Borradale writes on Franchise tips & trends blog: While everyone seems to be expecting a lot of franchisee submissions, I'm not that sure (posted 16 July)... more.

Ian Foster from QRMe.co.uk writes on Online Sales blog: The uptake of QR codes has been very slow in the British market. I believe it's been the typical waiting game (posted 15 July)... more.

Scott Mathias writes on Growth Doctor blog: Good piece Louis... even though I am a busy small business owner and manager I make time to "catch butterflies" as I call it (posted 14 July)... more.

Antony McGregor Dey from QMcodes.com writes on Online Sales blog: I agree you’re going to see a lot more codes over the coming months (think the Olympic games) especially as agencies start to experiment with this awesome technology (posted 14 July)... more.

Walter Adamson writes on Online Sales blog: The frustrating thing about the Telstra promotion was  downloading the QR application to my NextG phone failed – another NextG handset failed as well. Not a good start (posted 11 July)... more.

Deanne de Leeuw writes on franchising: Adrian McFedries’s comment (see below) regarding the not "statistically significant" numbers of bad franchisors is insulting to those thousands who have lost their life savings (posted 10 July)... more.

Felicia Shukor writes: Reading Mia's journey, starting her own business at a very young age, has truly inspired me and I say to myself, if she could do it, I could do it too, (I hope). Sky's the limit! (posted 10 July)... more.

Ray Borradale writes on franchising: Thanks Adrian (see below), but when the interest is only in maximising franchisee-based franchisor revenue it does not go well for any network (posted 10 July)... more.

James Wester from Pacific Octane writes to Business Tech Talk blog: I would like to add a twist to your take on it. The ICANN talks of the new TLDs to appeal to a broader scope of industries is revolutionary, but it's also inviting big trouble (posted 10 July)... more.

Chris writes on eBay and PayPal: You have a great online article but with all the goings on with eBay lately and how bad it has become for sellers it would be nice to see some support of one of the new sites (posted 10 July)... more.

Adrian McFedries from DC Strategy writes on the franchising inquiry: This latest announcement of a Federal Government has again raised the prospect of regulation being used to stamp out practices that have not been demonstrated as statistically significant (posted 9 July)... more.


Grow Your Business

Growth through stand-alone acquisition

Growth through acquisition, the stand-alone way

Acquisitions that are not integrated can most often present very attractive ROI while avoiding the inherent risks of full or partial mergers. By TOM McKASKILL



Hot Innovator

Stephen Webster Storm Sustainability

The perfect Storm

A wave of government grants for community water projects has helped take Storm Sustainability from start-up to $50 million business in just two years. Managing director Stephen Webster tells JAMES THOMSON how the company is handling explosive growth


Top Story

Search and sales tools

Top 10 search-and-sale tools and how to get on top of them

The web is constantly changing. CHRIS THOMAS runs through the top 10 new search tools to help you get found and sell more


Tax & Legal Update

Tax risk management

How to manage your tax risk

Every business owner should get their head around the very real benefits of tax risk management. By TERRY HAYES


Industry Trends

Convenience store industry trend

A convenience truth

The convenience store sector has been growing strongly thanks to time-poor Australians. But as ROBERT BRYANT of IBISWorld explains, the industry needs to look at new strategies to combat increased competition and changing tastes.


Web Secrets

Web secrets, Sack your designer

Why you should sack your web designer

Remember “Video killed the radio star”? Well now there’s a new tune being sung by SMEs around the world – “Software killed the web designer”. By CRAIG REARDON


Entrepreneur Online

Clay Cook Vibe Capital

Cashing in on communities

Find out how young entrepreneur, Clay Cook, changed his 80 hour working week to three hours a month leaving him free to develop new online businesses. By AMANDA GOME


Rich Secrets

Rich lose money

Billionaires' investments go bad

The well-off can be caught by sharemarket shenanigans just like the rest of us, reports JAMES THOMSON. Gerry Harvey, James Packer and Richard Pratt have seen their investment portfolios take a hit this year.


Wealth/Super

Apartment market strategies

Why units are smart buys in a weakening property market

Despite the worsening conditions for the residential property market, MICHAEL LAURENCE identifies an opportunity for smart, and patient, investors


Industry Growth Focus

SmartCompany Dun & Bradstreet Industry Growth List

Top 50 construction firms

The SmartCompany Dun & Bradstreet Industry Growth List for the construction sector reveals a fragmented broader industry that has shown strong growth in favoured parts but revenue that is sensitive to wide ranging influences. By MIKE PRESTON