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By Martin Nally I'm overwhelmed with work for my new business and I need to take on my first member of staff. How do I ensure that I get someone who has the right attitude and is prepared to stick with the business through thick and (initially, at least) thin? You need to seek someone with the right attitude for your business, not just for today but also for the future. So do the groundwork and define what you ideally would like and need in an employee. Firstly, as you are in small business you must seek a compatible person. That's compatible, not a clone.…

Written by Patrick Stafford Nearly 10 million more smartphones will enter the Australian market within the next four years, and businesses need to start preparing. New data from industry research house Telsyte shows that 10 million more smartphones will be in use by 2015, with the total number set to reach 18.5 million. By that time, nearly 90% of users will be using a smartphone as their primary device, up from the current level of just under 50%. While the iPhone may be popular now, the next few years will see an amalgam of different handsets from manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony and HTC, while…

Source: Patrick Stafford - Smart Company   Spotless financial records, low debtor levels and a clear, easy-to-understand business case are three critical requirements for any SME that wants to get funding from a bank, a panel of business and finance expects has told SmartCompany. While these expert say access to bank credit remains extremely difficult, companies willing to put in the hard work in preparing their pitch do have a shot at getting the cash they need to fund growth. The economy might be recovery mode, but the credit crisis is far from over for SMEs. The most recent Sensis Business Index for the March…

By Myriam Robin  The census is important to more than demographers and policy-makers. It's a snapshot of where we are as a nation, one which businesses can dip into for insight into their workforce and customers. Conducted every five years, now is the moment to explore it before its currency starts to wane. Here are 15 important points your business needs to know. 1) We're living longer: The median age in Australia was 37 years, steady from 2006. However, the number of Australians aged 85 or older was 1.9%, up from 1.6%. 2) And there's a baby boom: Fertility is up, which means there are…

Special disaster flood assistance grants of up to $25 000 are available to help Queensland primary producers and small businesses who have been affected by the November-December 2010 floods (including those in January 2011).  To help recovery in communities affected by flooding, people receiving these grants are encouraged to, wherever possible, support local business. The grant scheme will run until 30 September 2011.             Primary producers and small businesses in the following local government areas may be eligible for this assistance: Eligibility criteria:All applicants must be able to provide proof that they have suffered damage as a direct result of flooding – for example, photos. A…

By Michael Derin 2010 As someone who works with small and medium sized businesses I frequently get asked, "How are SMEs faring?" At the moment my answer would be they are operating amid a great deal of uncertainty. However, despite this many small businesses are focused on growth. A minority government, a two-speed economy, inevitable interest rate rises, lack of small business lending from the big banks and fears that the USA could be heading for a second recession all make for a business environment that is hard to predict and difficult to plan for. Many small businesses aren't sure how fast and how much…

By David Olsen Online retail is expected to grow by 40 percent by 2012 according to research released alongside the Online Retailer Expo and Conference in Sydney. The ecommerce industry in Australia has seen rapid growth over the last year and is forecast to reach $33.8 billion by 2012 up from $AU24 billion last year. In the last six months alone, traditional bricks and mortar retailers in Australia such as BigW have extended their presence online, providing a significant boost to the industry. Globally, consumers are expected to spend $119 billion by 2015 through their mobile phones, accounting for about eight percent of all e-commerce…

By James Thomson & Patrick Stafford With the new financial year just weeks away, entrepreneurs across the?country are busy putting together budgets and business plans and growth strategies for 2010-11. And after a difficult few years, many will be ?hoping for a big boost to the bottom line. There are countless ways for business owners to boost profits. Raising prices and cutting costs provide a great starting point, but?entrepreneurs need to think more broadly about strategies for winning?more business and lifting sales. To help, we've assembled 20 tips from?entrepreneurs and experts that will get you thinking about ways to grow your business and your profits.…

"A Business's staff are the most important people it serves. Satisfy and challenge them and you will almost certainly exceed your customers' service expectations."   Before we begin to examine the importance of staff to your business take one minute to answer these three (3) questions... 1.     When was the last time that a business you purchased something from rang you up to ask whether you were happy with your purchase?   2.     Has a business you regularly buy from ever sent you a Birthday Card?   3.     Name three (3) businesses that you have been to in the last month which made you feel welcome and went…

It's probably not an over-statement to say that a majority of SME businesses in particular are not as tax-effective as they should be. There are a number of reasons for this, the main one being "tax" accountants simply do not get involved in that kind of "bullet-proofing" or as it's formerly known "asset protection". The vast majority of SME owners will use an accountant merely as a bookkeeper. Although this is changing over recent times since the introduction of GST, an increasing amount of SME owners are beginning to use bookkeepers as a medium between themselves and their accountant. Clearly the less tax you have…