Closing your business over the summer can make a lot of sense. Maybe your employees are on leave, you’re struggling with a staff shortage, it’s a quiet time of year, or you’re hankering for a break. Check these six tips to help prepare and you’ll be able to hit the ground running on your return […]
The CEO of Master Builders Australia (MBA) has likened the sector to the canary in the economic coal mine as volatility remains high in the construction industry. This is despite a slowdown in building cost increases. CoreLogic reports home-building costs eased to 0.5% in the September quarter, making it the slowest quarterly growth for eight years. That’s good news […]
Australia’s skills shortage and high manufacturing costs mean importing products and parts from overseas can make good business sense. This article is your risk management update on sourcing from foreign manufacturers. Risks of imported products/components Using overseas manufacturers to source parts and products raises these issues: If there’s any issue with the overseas-made product, you […]
The recent PwC scandal doesn’t only affect the top end of town. There are also plenty of lessons for SMEs about how not to do business. At the crux are the issues of contract breaches, conflicts of interest and professional indemnity. Let’s take a closer look. An overview of the financial saga PwC, short for PriceWaterhouseCoopers, is […]
The transport and logistics sector is the lifeblood of Australia. According to the Federal Government’s Australian aggregate freight forecasts, the nation’s ‘freight task’ grew over four-fold in the five decades to 2020. However, it forecasts a continuing slowdown in freight activity in the medium to longer term. That’s due to slower domestic income growth and less […]
Australia is suffering from a shortage of arborists, with an extra 20,000 needed by 2027, according to industry sources. Whether staffing is an issue for your arborist business, it’s vital to keep the spotlight on safety. This article covers a range of tips to help revisit and refresh your risk management approach. Assessing the tree Check […]
Did you hear about the Tradies’ National Health Month in August? It highlighted plenty of strategies and tips on this important topic to use year-round to protect the tradies in your midst and your business. Top risks tradies face St John Ambulance has a handy definition for tradies, saying they include technicians, trade workers, labourers, machinery operators, and […]
Resilience skills help businesses in crises, such as during the pandemic, but also outside of those times. Resilience is being able to evaluate, identify, and address challenges as swiftly as possible to achieve a good outcome. It’s good to know Australian SMEs have more support to deal with whatever disaster lands their way. Govt invests […]
With spring around the corner, it’s a great opportunity to start spring cleaning for your business. Evaluating your operations at the start of the second quarter allows you to tweak and transform in ways that may pay off for the rest of the financial year. Tip #1: Review your inventory With supply chain disruptions continuing, […]
The options for buying pre-loved equipment for your business can be plentiful. They could include online marketplaces, retail, direct from an owner, via auctions or brokers. Maybe the gear is still within warranty or has been reconditioned, rebuilt, or is sold as is. The Ritchie Bros Annual Market Trends Report shows Australian figures for 2022 increased from […]
