Management Matters

Counterfeiting is rife in Australia and many people who would consider themselves law-abiding are involved. We're not talking counterfeit currency here, but the manufacturing, importation...

If you're like most people, you've probably already had that world-changing idea, but never acted on it. If your company is like most others,...

A thorough legal clean up of the company several months in advance of going to market removes the risk of having your dirty laundry...

The Packer deal took everybody by surprise. It coincided perfectly with the media reform announcements, but in fact had more to do with maximising shareholder value than with media reforms.

Everyone knows that business is all about cycles. What goes down must go up, and vice versa. With my dot-com scars so recently healed, I am loathe to be trumpeting another technology boom. But things are certainly afoot.

The similarities between start-ups and film projects are even greater in the US, where venture investors are likely to install their own people into a business for a short period of time to help get it moving.

One of the great misconceptions about patents is that they can only be obtained on an invention of a tangible item. However, patents can also be obtained for how a business function is performed, provided certain criteria are met. These patents are known as "business method patents".

As anyone who has passed within earshot of me over the last few years knows, I'm a Googleophile. Of course, this hardly makes me Robinson Crusoe. Millions of people around the globe believe Google is more than merely a hyper-successful technology company; it is a force for human advancement.

Microsoft. Amazon. Intel. Federal Express. Google. Due to economies of scale and network effects, these firms are likely to dominate - for decades - the global industries that they created. Australia desperately needs to create new industries as the USA has done and as all other first-world nations are struggling to do.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. More than one million of them operate in Australia, accounting for a staggering 97 percent of all private sector businesses. They employ around 3.6 million people, representing 33 percent of our workforce and 49 percent of all private sector employment.

Cash is king... and no one except Elvis is likely to disagree. So why don't we ever have enough and how can we fix cashflow problems without selling off part of our company?

While sometimes apocryphal, start-up failure rates tell a sombre story: most start-ups don't see their third anniversary. This high attrition rate has many causes, but a primary factor is poor cash flow management.

Your IP is registered, but that’s no guarantee your livelihood is safe from harm. Without enforcement, those patent and trademark certificates aren’t worth the...

There is a time-honoured business model in China known as "Copy To China" - find a product or service or business model that works in the US or elsewhere and replicate it in China. In the technology industry this is exemplified by ChinaHR.com Holdings Ltd building a Monster look-alike and then selling 40 percent off to Monster Worldwide, Inc. for US$50m or Joyo.com Ltd replicating Amazon and then selling it to Amazon for US$75m. The same model is popular in many other markets, particularly Australia. Seek has had great success emulating Monster.

So, you've selected a great brand and have started to build consumer awareness and loyalty in it. And, of course, you've done the right thing to protect your rights in the brand by registering it with IP Australia. Your work is finished. Right?

I just don't get the handout mentality. A friend of mine is doing his Doctorate. His research institution and the university will own any IP generated, and he is immensely grateful for the modest stipend that he is surviving on throughout this process.

Director responsibility to maximise value especially with the advent of AIFRS In the wake of several recent corporate failures and scandals there is unprecedented scrutiny...

Offshore intellectual property transactions, generally, include an element of escrowing. Whether an intellectual property owner is involved in a licensing, franchise, reseller, distribution, partnership, joint...

Achieving your first sale can literally make or break a start-up. Many investors will delay committing significant funds until you can identify a customer...

The past 20 years has seen increased recognition of the role that intangible assets play in contributing to a company’s value. This is demonstrated...