Finance

How bricks and mortar outfits can hold their own against online. It is all about the experience. Retailers are seemingly fighting a losing battle to the internet but all hope is not lost. I have just returned from a trip through the US, Mexico and Fi…

Never mind that the economy is feeling rather flat. If you don’t raise your prices you’re dudding yourself. Well the carbon tax is here and Australia, as we know it, still seems to exist. The feedback I have received from businesses aroun…

Uncertain times demand a process to handle the little steps that lift your profitability Former US president John F. Kennedy said, “Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future”. …

The New Zealand Government made a tax increase sound quite harmless When does 2.5 = 20? Only in New Zealand! This has nothing to do with the IQ level of the average Kiwi but with a clever positive advertising campaign mounted by the government in rel…

It’s about the boss. I have just returned from some consulting work in South Africa, where there are huge opportunities for IT business growth. The World Cup has delivered incredible infrastructure benefits and smart entrepreneurs are trying to…

Arguing for a price hike is never going to be popular. I copped a hammering in the local media recently after commenting on a council draft management proposal. One particular highlighted item is a proposal to put the price of water up to $1.53 a kil…

Established processes can seem worthwhile but they may just be rusted-on habits holding you back. Do you sometimes see something and think to yourself “I just don’t get it?” The reporting of Aussie rules football scores is at the to…

But the IT sector in Australia is travelling far better than its counterpart in the emerging economy of South Africa. I’m sitting 10,972 metres above the Republic of Malta on my way from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on the first part of a world sp…

Don’t mention the war! I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it.” Those immortal words from Basil Fawlty are particularly relevant at the moment. I am absolutely over all the talk of the recession. Will everyone please stop men…

Dealing with clients, no matter how annoying, is a reason why we have jobs When the call comes, it may not be convenient. When the call comes, it rarely comes with all the required information. When the call comes, you may not know all the answers or…

Don’t forget your business fundamentals, warns our resident reseller, who reminds us about the benefits of good customer service and word-of-mouth marketing. An amazing thing happens when you ask people a question. You get an answer. Sometimes …