Gerald Ainomugisha

So what the heck is crowd funding? Basically, this is how crowd funding goes. People come together, usually via the internet, pool their cash and inject it all together into an initiative by another person or organisation.

Most people nowadays have next to zero regard for basic workplace etiquette. And yet, in any business, new or old, small or large, the way employees treat and behave around one another plays quite a huge role in productivity. If you are looking to build a professional brand, then you cannot afford to overlook these six tips to office etiquette and manners.

To be social means to be engaging, so what you need to do is actively create and maintain better connections with your customers, prospects, suppliers and employees. For example, your website states who you are and what you do, but on the hand a blog reveals your character as an organisation, what you think and believe in.

All in all, as an entrepreneur, you will know in your heart if your business will work as a franchise, but that’s only half the story. Ideally, you’re going to need several years of audit-able accounts to prove the system works.

Only a few actually realise how small businesses can have a piece of this pie... a sweet one at that! In fact, most businesses are just starting to realise how lucrative this strategy can be, especially if you are low on capital and limited in resources. The truth is that despite the ever-looming potential setbacks, outsourcing will work wonders for any businesses, regardless of its nature and size, only and only if well managed.

More and more Aussie small business owners are mixing work with home life in the emergence of a new trend which has been dubbed...

Don’t let its 104 years of age fool you though; Robern Menz is still a very versatile player in the industry, and even produces high-quality confections for other international brand names besides the Robern Menz name. CEO Phil Sims says these companies have chosen to focus on their strong points, and leave production to more capable companies like Robern Menz.

THP is now considered the independent and emerging artists’ viable alternative to world-wide music sharing platform Spotify. It is carving its own path and in doing so allowing for the first time, never-heard-before artists of all genres to carve their own paths too, and expose their music to the listening public and commercial buyers. Club bands and solo artists too can promote their music there to get gigs.

It also found the majority of respondents (65%) were prepared to throw away at least $20 instead of having to chase a friend for the cash, with some saying they would even risk $100 to avoid the awkward follow-up. Money is tight for everyone right now but for some reason, Aussies still find it awkward, annoying, frustrating or even too risky for their friendships to chase friends for cash.

The prophets of gloom and doom suggest that the economy will struggle without a high-flying mining sector. But the fact is that the economy is constantly evolving and responding to change. One huge change in the operation of the economy is the trend for consumers and businesses to purchase goods online, requiring the goods to be stored and distributed to end purchasers.

The funds were raised in four rounds starting March 26, 2012. The initial shares were offered at 3 cents but by round four, they were going for over three times that at 10 cents. All in all, 21 investors participated in the raising including two senior figures in the SMSF and accountancy fields: Ron Lesh and Peter Jones.

Moneysoft raised the money in three rounds with each round opening and closing within 6-8 weeks, “which is a testament to the demand of the technology and the unique benefits it delivers, in particular to advisers and accountants

Conditions remained tough last financial year. Twice as many businesses experienced a fall in revenue and two in three estimated that economic improvement was more than 12 months away. What’s more, the highest levels of SME dissatisfaction with the Federal Government in the history of the research were recorded.

The weeks leading up to Christmas may be demanding for shoppers, but they’re even more so for business owners and their staff. Now is the perfect time to plan for this busy period to increase the likelihood of a successful and happy selling season.

Research shows that companies that invest in sophisticated analytics tools gain a competitive advantage and perform better. However this level of data analysis has been the domain of big business and more or less out of reach for small business owners.

Many business owners do not register IP because they’re frightened of incurring expensive legal bills, or don’t know where else to turn, and as a result many hide an ever present foreboding anxiety because they’re worried someone will “steal” their idea before they actually protect it.

"We now have 450 live videos on our dedicated YouTube site, with more than 5,000 subscribers and a track record of 6.5 million views and we will be looking to grow this further with a better and more enriching experience for users." Andrew McEvoy, Managing Director, Tourism Australia.

Online advertising has continued to grow, achieving 10% year on year growth recording $813.25m for the three months ending September 2012. The results show that while the general advertising market is softening, online advertising is firmly on track to speed past both newspaper and TV advertising in 2013.

Business information analysts IBISWorld reveal that overall Christmas spending will rise by 3.9% this year, and that at the height of the silly season, the average Aussie will spend around $1,600. This will bring the total to a whopping $28.5 billion – with IBISWorld General Manager (Australia), Ms Karen Dobie, expecting most of that growth to come from online sales.

Online video remains a small, but growing, proportion of total TV and video revenues. Informa estimates that it will account for 8% of such revenues by 2017. By the end of the decade, if current growth rates continue, it will account for over 10% of revenues. However, its value in the market today is concentrated among only a few players.