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Jody Murray

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Dorothy Polka, 2010 Anthill 30under30 Winner

Polka Dot Bride, started three ago by a now-25-year-old entrepreneur, is an online marketplace and inspiration clearinghouse for Australian couples preparing to say "I do." The business was started in 2007 by a Sydney-area woman who is now 25 years old and and who carefully maintains her anonymity on her site and on this profile (Dorothy Polka -- Dot Polka ... get it? On her site, she goes by Ms. Polka).

Jack Delosa, 2010 Anthill 30under30 Winner

What truly sets apart the 23-year-old Jack Delosa is that he's driven to bring more budding entrepreneurs into the fold. His latest venture, The Entourage, aims at inspiring and developing up-and-comers while linking them to mentors and potential investors. In Delosa's words, it "connects Australia's best entrepreneurs with Australia's next entrepreneurs."

Jack Fitzgerald, 2010 Anthill 30under30 Winner

At age 23, Jack Fitzgerald is well on his way to never having to call someone "boss." And for that, he rejoices. "Working for someone else sounded like a jail sentence. I had to create a business or join the 9-to-5," he says. The result was Ship 2 Anywhere, a website that allows people to compare shipping costs of top couriers.

Could this adorable, app-enhanced doggie be YouTube’s next pop star?

The music industry's backlash against Auto-Tune is well-documented, though it reportedly endures on countless CDs and on every episode of "Glee." LaDiDa isn't designed to be insidious; it's tech is actually quite cool. The user chooses a musical tempo and style, then serenades the iPhone or iPad. The app uses the voice to compose a melody. Think of it as karaoke in reverse.

Among the CEOs of the nation’s top 200 companies, only six are women. Pathetic...

Among the CEOs of the nation's top 200 companies, only six are women, according to a recent survey. There are only five female chairwomen in those companies, and just 8 percent of key management positions held by women. And things are unlikely to change soon.

Why shake-up Twitter’s management team? #makemoney

Earlier this month, Twitter announced a shake-up at the top. CEO and co-founder Evan Williams stepped down and was replaced by COO Richard Costolo. Trouble in tweet-land? If it wants to reach its goal one billion users (and actually make some coin), things will need to change.

$43 million earth sciences collaboration gets under Australia’s skin

The government has pumped $43 million into an initiative designed to really get under our skin -- from a geological standpoint. The money is going into AuScope, a nonprofit company designed to help governments, universities, and research and science agencies collaborate in their efforts to better understand Australia's natural resources.

Australian’s buoyancy bazooka wins international Dyson design contest

Longreach -- a portable water-rescue device that can fire an expandable buoyancy device up to 150 metres -- has won the international 2010 James Dyson Awards, an annual competition aimed at coaxing crazy-like-a-fox ideas from the next generation of design engineers.

ASSOB’s five-million-dollar resurrection a positive sign for capital seekers

The Australian Small Scale Offerings Board, the National Stock Exchange's largest capital-raising platform for showcasing unlisted companies for investors, posted a $186,000 profit for the fiscal year ended June 30, coming from a loss of $4.8 million the year previously.

World’s economic malaise gut-punches Australian R&D as new bill gets tabled

Australian companies continue to increase their investment in research and development, but the growth rate has dropped dramatically, according to figures from the national Bureau of Statistics. This coincides with amendments to the Governments R&D tax credit bill.

Emerging markets get hosed on broadband costs

Research has revealed that emerging consumers are paying far more on average than the rest of the world, despite earning the lowest wages.

How much is your business worth? The same as last year, survey finds

The value of Australia's private businesses are stuck in neutral as the global economy continue to grind its gears, according to a quarterly study.

Equal pay for women? Not likely, Australians say

A new study shows Australians are largely pessimistic about the likelihood of women receiving equal pay to men, though most Australians firmly believe in the idea.

Five sure-fire ways to be a lousy manager

Here are five can't-miss ways to make Michael Scott look like Manager of the Year, along with suggestions on how to avoid them. In other words, avoid these tips with the same fervour as you would a Justin Beiber concert.

Strong business confidence means sunny December for Australian businesses, says D&B (hold the barramundi)

If only confidence was a tangible commodity, like coal or iPhones or barramundi. Because Australian businesses appear to be investing heavily in it. Confidence about sales, profits and capital investment are heady and strong for the final quarter of 2010, according to Dun & Bradstreet's latest National Business Expectations Survey. This could indicate a sunny December for Australian business.

Election accelerates mobile ‘news’ adoption, says Nielsen

Australians' use of handhelds to track the election and its aftermath led to record usage levels. Nielsen's Mobile Market Intelligence service saw overall volume leap by 19 percent in August, compared to July, with the major news organisations the key beneficiaries of the traffic increase.

Checkmates: Couple’s chess club and bar idea wins angel grant

A few months ago, when her partner was having trouble finding work, Jasmine Costello encouraged him to learn chess as a way to take his mind off the job rejections. Rich loved the game so much that it led to an entrepreneurial brainstorm that recently earned the couple the 2010 Commander Business Grant. They call it Chess-Nuts.

Despite spectre of big tax, mining goes boom with jobs

“Since the Henry Tax Review recommendations were released in January, miners have not curbed their hiring activities in anticipation of a tax on profits," said Robert Olivier, director of global market intelligence for Advantage Resourcing. "In fact, they have done quite the opposite. They’ve hit the employment button hard to meet surging global demand.”

Why 75% of Australian business-women use social media for marketing purposes

Nearly three out of four Australian businesswomen use social media as part of their marketing strategy, according to a survey released by the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Social media tools such as Twitter and LinkedIn are firmly established as an important component of a business’ marketing strategy, said Suzi Dafnis, community director of ABN, a training, mentoring and advocacy organisation with more than 20,000 members.

Australian businesses express guarded optimism

Australian business are upbeat about the future -- or, at the least, they are putting on a brave face. The latest MYOB Business Monitor reveals that 74% of businesses reported revenue levels the same as a year ago, or higher.
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