Anthill Magazine

Olde-tyme writers dropped sleepers into their work, lines only later generations would have the nous to decode. Matthew da Silva intrepidly delves into bookish bombs that fizzled.

The Commonwealth Bank is currently running an advertisement that irks me. Beyond all the arty-farty advertiser speak and debate over the campaign’s merits in the industry media, it contains a terminology flaw that sticks out like dogs balls. When the kid says, “Can’t we just promise to fix it?” my hackles go up.

Cold calling is tough, humbling, depressing and exhilarating, all in the space of a day. Having just started his own business, John Kelly is learning this the hard way.

Franchising is often a desirable growth option for profitable companies looking to expand. However, competing with the best in the game requires planning and a sound strategy. Ian Krawitz, of market research house 10 Thousand Feet and www.toprfranchise.com.au, shares his top seven tips for franchise success.

Jeremy Levitt once had a promising career at the international law firm Allens Arthur Robinson. For him, entrepreneurship was just a pipe dream, and it wasn't until the moment he finally shook off the guilt associated with leaving the law firm that the dream had become reality.

Well whaddya know. Two weeks after we wrote about Mahalo founder Jason Calacanis's suggestion that Microsoft and News Corporation should do a search deal that freezes out Google (Murdoch and Calacanis hatch separate plans to shut out Google)... it's been revealed that Microsoft and Murdoch's News Corporation are in talks about just such a deal.

Any time the world witnesses a cultural event such as Thierry Henry using his hand to put the French football side into the World Cup finals, it's never long before someone creates a flash game based on it. Check out the "Thierry Henry: France Quality with the Hands!" game (translation from French). The question is: How many people are still playing the game after they stop laughing?

Apple and Google have radically different approaches to building online marketplaces. So will our smartphone apps of the future be delivered from the hallowed alter or the pulsing street?

Apple and Google have radically different approaches to building online marketplaces. So will our smartphone apps of the future be delivered from the hallowed alter or the pulsing street?

With no employees or office space, Yaro Starak makes half a million dollars a year sitting in a café typing on his laptop. He represents a new breed of digital entrepreneurs, one of just a handful of people who make good money from professional blogging.

With so much information flying around these days, it’s easy for good ideas to slip through the net. Roger La Salle highlights the importance of trawling deep and wide.

When it comes to building a company from scratch, there’s no substitute for hard work, writes Sahil Merchant.

For those who haven't quite gotten their heads around what Google is up to with it new Chrome browser and future web-based operating system, the search giant just released this video explaining it all in very simple terms. This accompanied Google's announcement today that it is releasing the Chromium OS open source project.

Growing businesses often find it difficult to justify the high cost of mainstream advertising. But in this age of DIY, there are other options. Take this crudely shot, dancin' rappin' goof of an ad for Flea Market Montgomery from 2006. Not so long ago, it would have slipped away without much notice. But a dose of YouTubescence transformed it into a pulsing internet meme, delivering over five million views and a unique form of celebrity for its star.

What are the most pressing issues facing Australian business owners and CEOs? To find out, The CEO Institute polled its members on a range of questions during the month of October. Here are the issues that business owners and leaders deemed most important:

We’re conditioned to think that people who excel at school are the ones that go on to excel in business. However, research indicates that a better guide is not the distinction between A and C students but between ‘fixed’ and ‘growth’ mindset individuals. Robert Wood explains.

In his first post, The cheque is in the mail, I'll respect you in the morning and your email system will generate a 125% ROI in ten months, Mr 1% Spend explored the idea that Return on Investment (ROI) is a concept manipulated by marketers in order to produce unmissable investment propositions. Here he expands on this topic with an example of this technique and how it will leave you, the customer, completely dissatisfied.

According to the latest rankings released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, China is again our number one trading partner. But it raises the question: Do we have too many eggs in the China basket?

Cafés and other physical retail businesses aren’t generally thought to be reliant on high-tech gadgets. But as Matthew da Silva discovers over one too many espressos, wherever hot milk signals profitability, a house laptop is never far away.

Here's an example of a small business driven by his love for soft drinks. What's remarkable about John Nese, owner and founder of Galco's Soda Pop Stop, is that he has unintentionally created his own blue ocean strategy, selling something as simple as 'sugar water'. Thanks to the Startup Melbourne blog for bringing this to our attention.