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Caimes

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Have we lost our sense of humour? Or is the Lynx Balls ad really...

There's nothing like getting banned by the Advertising Standards Board for generating masses of free PR. The latest Lynx ad, which seeks to encourage Australians to clean their dirty balls (the double entendre is more than intended), has been censured for denigrating the elderly.

Ego might be great for you. But it can be a business killer

Did you just become an entrepreneur? If so, have you wondered what motivated you to turn one? Money? Fun? Or simply ego? If it’s the latter, you might want to step back and review your innermost motivations. Or maybe see a psychologist before your business fails – as it will, crashing your ego alongwith.

Who gives a crap? [Hopefully you, dear reader…] [VIDEO]

Now’s your chance to make wiping your bum matter for more than just the bog-standard reasons. Social enterprise Good Goods recently launched its crowdfunding campaign for Who Gives A Crap, a new line of philanthropic toilet paper.

Woohoo! Social travel site Hooroo goes indie

Hooroo's approach bears attention. It is not mining technology to deliver what many others are doing. Instead, it is bringing a strong human touch. Taking the long and narrow path, in a manner of speaking, Hooroo has built a community that tell its stories directly to other users.

Going ‘glocal’ as an innovation mantra

We talk all the time about Australia's brain drain of start-up talent going offshore; well, the same is true of WA. Business Foundations has set a 'glocal' agenda to spur entrepreneurship and innovation. It wants to stem the state's brain drain, focusing on the local aspect, while simultaneously tapping synergies with the U.S., a key global lifeline that gives Australian startups generous funding and expertise, besides provides access to the world's largest market.

Accidents waiting to happen or people being amazing? [VIDEO]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. How do people know they can do this kind of stuff? In this compilation video from Stunts Amazing, all kinds of amazing human feats happen. And yes, in many instances, they are also probably accidents waiting to happen. But, it's the dogged determination and possibly the ability to abandon the possible risks involved that makes these people so amazing. Sounds rather like the character traits of an entrepreneur, doesn't it?

99designs founder Mark Harbottle sets new designs on Tweaky.com

So you wanted to add a Facebook link to your website and couldn't find somebody willing to do it at reasonable cost, and in...

How to avoid being pigeonholed

Often customers remember your business’ initial offering, but have difficulty imagining you producing new services. You’re not alone: being pigeonholed is a common business problem.

When social media goes horribly wrong: The ‘Shell Let’s go’ campaign

Imagine you're a multinational oil company. Then, think about the general reputation oil companies have, not forgetting the BP spill. Now, think about a marketing campaign to draw a lot of attention to the industry. Did you come up with a build-your-own-caption campaign? One that allows lots of sharing on social media? No? Well someone did.

There are only 25 things to hate about Facebook? Really? I have more [VIDEO]

A self-made YouTube celebrity, Julian Smith has just 25 things that he hates about Facebook. I make it a much higher number. How about you?

18/24. 94/100. Maximum Internet Down Under

ExactTarget, a global marketing firm that maps the digital footprint, has come out with data that suggest 94% of the Australian population is hooked to the Internet and a stunning 13 million – or nearly 60% of the nation – spends 18 hours a day, or nearly all of its waking time, online.

Three sales tips to grow your business

Everyone can become good at sales. It’s true that some people have a natural proficiency for selling while others have to work harder to achieve similar results, but the same can be said for nearly every task or skill.

Revealing company secrets: Big Mac special sauce no longer a secret [VIDEO]

What's next? Will Coca Cola reveal the formula for Coke? How about someone revealing the true secret of the 11 secret herbs and spices in KFC? Or, was it all just a cunning market ruse? What? Really? I'm shocked! It was a marketing.

How Halfbrick ducked tag of one-hit wonder with Jetpack Jetride

How does a gaming company avoid being a one-hit game wonder? Rovio and Halfbrick Studios have managed to leap that hurdle. What is the Halfbrick secret after the amazing success of Fruit Ninja? The company adopted the Google’s 80-20 method of work.

PR on a budget? Self-help PR might be a whole lot better

Many small businesses, obviously, don’t have the budgets to hire PR agency. But that is not the only way to build some good positive buzz about yourself or your business. A lot of the stories in the media are seeded directly by the business owners. What’s more, generating such publicity is not difficult or scary as many fear.

How far will people go for free crackers? [VIDEO]

Apparently, FMCG company Fantastic wanted to test how far people would go for a free box of their crackers. So, naturally, they built a machine. I don't think we have enough machines to do our bidding. This one, however, had people do its bidding.

Copywriting and SEO: keywords VS clarity

With the importance of search engine optimisation (SEO) receiving wider recognition, the copywriting landscape is changing. There are new rules writers need to adhere to when producing web copy to attract eyeballs.

Diary of a startup: Kicking the curse of the forever start-up (Month one)

Some people start a business, it takes off, makes millions, they sell it after a year or two, and then retire on an island somewhere. Most don't. Most small businesses get stuck somewhere between the start-up and growth phase, working 60+ hours a week, and forever pushing that proverbial elephant up-hill. At the moment, I am the owner of one such elephant-like business.

Is it time for Iceland to turn over a new [maple] leaf?

Even four years after the collapse of Iceland’s economy, investment in the once much-fancied krona waivers. Now, a seemingly leftfield solution has been thrown into the mix: to reboot Iceland’s circumstances, the Nordic European island should adopt the Canadian loonie as its national currency.

“Specialization is for insects”: The must-have talents of a multifaceted startup founder [INFOGRAPHIC]

Scott Handsaker makes the case for the versatile entrepreneur who exhibits traits that are by turns unorthodox, reckless and practical: "Hire A players, Replace B players"; "Tell an investor they have lost all their money"; "Act alone; Fail gallantly". How many of these do you find yourself capable of doing?
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