Management Matters
News, opinions and advice on managing business systems and people.
What’s in a (business) name? More than the bard bargained for
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” the Bard of Avon wrote, memorably. But it is not a spirit that is widely imbibed in the world of business. The easier thing is to simply copy the name, or, shall we say, brand. Just what is the importance of a business name?
Right on time: here’s how small businesses can go about avoiding late payments
Large Australian companies and institutions are infamously bad at paying smaller businesses on time. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission reports that nearly three quarters of all invoices are paid late.
Who else is fed up with Freeple (“Free Stuff People”)?
If you're going to give something away, you need to know what the value of it is and what your ROI is. Too many people are caught up in this 'giving stuff away for free and hoping money happens later' thing. I'm guessing that's because they're afraid of selling.
PR for all budgets: should you outsource to agencies, consultants or DIY your PR?
Whether you decide to embark on your own PR implementation and campaigns or whether you decide to hire a PR consultant or agency depending on your budget.
What’s your exit strategy? Snapchat wouldn’t sell for $3 billion, would you?
The question is probably not “would you?” but “could you?”
Of course, the average SME owner can never achieve these crazy valuations. Instead, most lose...
Opportunity looks a lot like hard work. Kutcher’s incredible speech at Teen Choice Awards...
You might think I've lost the plot, posting a Teen Choice Awards video, but stick with me on this. And, persist through the random...
Federal R&D Tax Credit Bill passes, more changes to come
The passage last Thursday of the Tax Laws Amendment Bill (2009 Measures no 4) represents the Rudd Government's first significant milestone on the road to delivering a more streamlined R&D Tax Credit for innovative Australian businesses.
Are your customers taking over 50 days to pay you? According to D&B, that's...
According to Dun & Bradstreet's (D&B) latest trade payments analysis, the payment terms of Australian firms have declined for the second consecutive quarter. A fall of three days since the previous quarter and 5.6 days in the past six months has reduced terms to 51.8 days – just above pre-crisis levels.
When things don’t turn out as hoped… Small business lessons from Stan Cash, the...
For over 35 years, the Caval family have been part of the bulky white and brown goods electrical industry, an industry that was cluttered...
This is what governments and corporates can (and really should) learn from start-ups
Governments and corporates are increasingly being challenged by smaller, more agile start-ups, who are able to rapidly innovate and disrupt their industries
91 year old starts new career as a product designer in Silicon Valley [VIDEO]
IDEO is one of the poster-child companies of Silicon Valley.
It was the first, reputable design and innovation firm. IDEO, through using customer-based design thinking,...
Wicked cool skateboarding cat the latest viral video helping grow a small business! [VIDEO]
My daughter wanted to teach her cat to jump through a hoop for Christmas. Needless to say, the cat didn't want to do anything...
The power of social media extends into space: Chris Haddfield’s awesome Space Oddity [VIDEO]
Commander Chris Hadfield used social media to get the world interested in space again. Today he returns to Earth after five months in space. He returns a great astronaut and, an epic content marketer.
Growing up global: Meet Owen Kerr, CEO of Pepperstone [VIDEO]
I recently chatted to Owen Kerr, who is CEO of Australian forex broker Pepperstone.
Pepperstone is a hot business in a fast growing space....
Which startup has raised over $500 million in funds? [VIDEO]
It's a startup that's promising to bring magic back into the world of technology.
It's called Magic Leap and, it looks awesome.
The company has just...
How to become the master of your domain [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY]
There are a number of myths and misunderstandings surrounding registering a domain name. The reality is domain registration is just one small step towards interwebs domination, not the end goal. The following myth busters will ensure you go online with eyes open.
Three reasons why you should start holding your own events in 2014
It's 2014. It is time to take centre stage and make the most of your face-to-face marketing channel. There is no like right now...
Avoid Christmas cash squeeze. Just plan early
For most of us, Christmas is cause for festive spirit and celebration. For business owners, it is not quite the same. The ruling spirit...
Can a company really outsource something as important as R&D?
Long before the term ‘GFC’ became common parlance, cost cutting was part of the fabric of business. The question is: are all departments of an organisation eligible for outsourcing or should some be kept close to the company’s chest? Peter Lewis looks at what can be done with Research and Development.
This new start-up is out to kill missed deliveries once and for all
Remember the last time you bought that case of wine online? You salivated and anticipated the delivery, but when you got home, you opened...
