Small Business
Can you solve this door puzzle?
IMAGINE you’re in a room with 100 doors - each one has only a 1% chance of being unlocked. What is your chance of escaping?
‘Are you a pathetic man-child?’
THE radical world view behind a controversial mens-only workspace has been exposed in a cache of deleted blog posts. And the men are in retreat.
$9m deal to save Hooters Australia
ONE year after going bust, Hooters has racked up a win, turning sales around and putting its breast foot forward with massive expansion plans.
The key to small business success
STARTING up a small business can seem overwhelming — but many successful Australian operators claim there’s a winning method to the madness.
Starbucks wins $500k bong payout
STARBUCKS has won more than half a million dollars in damages in a bizarre court battle against a bong-maker.
No happy endings on ‘Uber of massage’
A NEW start-up describing itself as the “Uber of massage” wants to give massage therapists a happy ending — by tidying up a “dodgy” industry.
College in court over $360m ‘scam’
A TRAINING college shut down over allegations it ripped off students could be forced to repay hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.
Should bosses pay for work drinks?
STINGY bean counters are putting end-of-year shenanigans at risk by refusing to fork out for work drinks. But experts say it could be their loss.
‘I turned $5k into $3.3 million’
IT’S HARD not to hate Iyia Liu. The 23-year-old is set for life after making herself rich selling an obscure product.
From living in this castle to totally broke
BETH lived in a castle, and had staff on call at all hours. That all changed when she lost her business, but she says it’s the best thing that ever happened.
Fake cheese maker ‘got death threats’
THIS cheese maker ripped off customers with fake Parmesan, and the people wanted blood. She got a $6600 fine and probation.
From dead end job to $7 million a year
ELI Censor hated her job so much that she quit. A few years later, she is running a business empire that turns over $7 million a year.
AFL parade is a business rip-off
SMALL business owners dread the AFL grand final parade public day off, a day they have started calling “a nothing day off”.
How to make money in your spare time
FORGET the excuse that you’re too busy, there is an easy way to make money in your spare time. Here is how to pursue your passions.
Men-only barber ignites furore
FEMINISTS have declared war on hipsters. A male-only barber shop in trendy inner Sydney has come under fire.
Instagram ‘bug’ worth $3 million
WHIZ kid Hugh Stephens has made $3 million off one strange Instagram feature. He’s amazed the gravy train has lasted this long.
Cheapskate diners driving eatery to ruin
IT WAS a nice idea — give customers the power to pay what they think the meal they’ve eaten was worth. Here’s how that turned out.
Syrian refugees invent helpful app
A GROUP of Syrian refugees have created an app to help other refugees navigate Germany’s welfare system.
Why I quit my $500,000-a-year job
AT THE age of 30, Susie Moore was making more money than most. Then she quit to start a side business. She thinks we should try it too.
How to make cash from Pokemon Go
POKEMON Go isn’t just doing big business for Nintendo. There are four simple ways you can make money from it, too.
Aussie invention breaking records
THIS Aussie company has created what some are calling a “game changer”. It’s already broken records — and it hasn’t even launched yet.
ATO cracks down on hidden cash
HUNDREDS of thousands of Australians are using this to earn extra cash. If they’re not careful they’ll be punished.
The question leaders must answer
AS MALCOLM Turnbull and Bill Shorten prepare to go head-to-head in the news.com.au debate, Trent Innes has one burning question.
Turnbull’s Grant Denyer moment
WELCOME to the Malcolm Turnbull Show! In the strangest election event yet, the PM has hosted a stage-managed forum that came across like a talk show.
Lib brothel-owner quits party
VICTORIAN Liberal candidate John Hsu quit on Saturday after it was revealed that he owned a Melbourne brothel and didn’t tell the party.
Cafe worker paid $1.35 an hour
A BUSINESS owner “lured young backpackers to a remote area” with dodgy Gumtree ads and paid them as little as $1.35 an hour.
Mini mogul turns down $41m
DON’T be fooled by his braces. Baby-faced Taylor Rosenthal is a budding Bill Gates. The teen has turned down a $41m offer.
Shop fined for ‘sexist’ hours
A SHOPKEEPER has been fined $730 for ordering different opening hours for men and women at his store.
Tax deductions for cars rev up
TAXPAYERS are claiming larger work-related car expenses - but rule changes to be introduced this year are set to slow down many motorists.
Start-ups strangled by visa red tape
A HIGH-FLYING entrepreneur who was deported from Australia has thrown a spotlight on how the immigration system is failing start-ups.
Meet fashion’s hottest new trend
IT TOOK a session in a teddy workshop that gave Mon Purse fashion entrepreneur Lana Hopkins her business ‘light bulb’ moment.
‘It was all smoke and mirrors’
HUNDREDS of Australians have lost their life savings in the collapse of a “cashback shopping” scheme. It’s been called a “f***ing mess”.
The story behind that wine glass video
YOU’VE seen the video: the amazing new mattress that can hold a full glass of wine while being jumped on. Here’s why it sparked a bitter slanging match.
Is this the most ridiculous rule ever?
THE food truck fad has taken over. But inconsistent laws are making it difficult to get their wares in front of hungry people who want them.
This stat proves Australia sucks
CONGRATS, Australia. We are officially the worst country in the world to do business, according to this one annoying statistic.
If you’re at work today, look away now
WE were all warned not to take a sneaky sickie today. That was unless you work for this guy — the best boss in Australia.
Eatery accused of hiding $11 secret
IT’S known for queues of customers and cut-price menu items, but authorities say the food isn’t the only thing Mamak has been doing on the cheap.
The best news yet for Airbnb
IF YOU were thinking of renting out your spare room to backpackers but were worried about falling foul of the law, things could be about to change.
22-year-old who already has 20 employees
WHEN customers order their grilled chicken from 22-year-old Akanksha Taneja, they probably have no idea who they’re really dealing with.
Is this the luckiest lotto shop ever?
CARLO Addamo’s little outlet has sold a staggering 31 first-prize lotto tickets, and on Saturday, he did it again.
Why cheap suits make big bucks
BUYING a suit is expensive, time-consuming and generally a pain. Here’s how two uni mates turned it into a $10m powerhouse.
Aussies dunked in China shark tank
TWO young Aussies will have the opportunity to turn their start-ups into the next billion-dollar tech ‘unicorns’ on a new Chinese reality TV show.
What 2016 will bring for business
WHAT do business owners, professionals and experts expect 2016 to hold for business? Here’s everything you need to know.
10 Australian start-ups to watch
THE topic of innovation is on everyone’s lips thanks to Malcolm Turnbull today. Here are some start-up success stories you can’t ignore.
‘I was only making $80 a week’
BEHIND the trendy facades, shop owners in this inner-city shopping precinct are being crippled. One rule is to blame.
Not smiling: Salim’s very bad day
HE’S pleaded guilty to a charge, settled a lawsuit, been slapped with another and got into a spat with a journo, all in one morning.
Workplace where you set your own salary
CATERED lunches, indefinite leave, and setting your own pay sound like a luxury jaunt rather than a day job, but here, they’re all normal.
Pollies ‘king hit’ at wild council meeting
A COUNCIL meeting over controversial parking meters has erupted into violence, with two politicians attacked.
Avoid losing sleep over the dream
ROSS GREENWOOD: The dream is obvious. You want the company to get bigger and to have more cashflow. The nightmare is delivering — on time and on budget.
The dollars and sense of hiring
THE decision about making any capital investment is to work out the return you will generate on it in the short term and long term.
Turning ‘failure’ into business success
JANE Lu isn’t afraid to credit the ‘utter failure’ of her start-up venture for the $10 million success of her second fashion business empire Showpo.
Staying small can be beautiful
TALK to almost any businessperson and the first thing they will want to discuss is growth. How to grow, where to grow, how to manage growth ...
Teen’s business backed by the Jenners
A TEENAGE dropout’s business is riding high after receiving the best endorsement she could ever have hoped for.
The curse of the black dog
PEOPLE who start their own business are vulnerable to depression and other mental health conditions due to the financial and family pressures they take on.
Juggling costs and cash flow
ONE of the most common problems of emerging businesses is managing cash flow as the operation grows. It’s almost a chicken and egg problem.
Why you’ve been pooping all wrong
THIS bizarre commercial may sound like toilet-training for toddlers, but apparently adults have been doing it all wrong without even knowing.
Business naming rights and wrongs
THE most natural thing when starting a business is to name it after yourself. That way customers know who they are dealing with. But there’s a problem.
Business turns down budget booster
IT WAS billed as the big-ticket item of Joe Hockey’s small business budget, but new data suggests it hasn’t been the booster the government might have hoped.
‘I basically get paid to watch a movie’
SOMETHING radical is happening to work in Australia, and it’s opening up huge opportunities to make easy cash.
Opportunity is knocking in Australia
HAVE you ever wondered why so many immigrants to Australia succeed in business? Or why so many Aussies succeed when they move overseas?
Ten steps to opening a restaurant
THINK you’re ready to become a restaurateur? As with any business, opening a restaurant is no easy task. Here are 10 things you must do first.
‘This is costing us huge $$$’
WHEN tests revealed the food his firm was making was potentially deadly, Stewart Parnell did the unthinkable. He’ll spend 28 years in jail for it.
Ditch the rhetoric and enact reforms
ALTHOUGH the economy is in transition from a resource construction phase to … well, that’s the problem the Abbott government struggled with?
Australia, Weet-Bix is in trouble
AUSTRALIA is suffering from a secret identity crisis. You may not have realised it, but our iconic brands are struggling.
Shaquille O’Neal’s epic business blunder
SHAQ has signed a fair few endorsement deals over the years, but passing on this one was a huge mistake. And he did so for a ridiculous reason.
Change gives scope for success
IN Wollongong, every day, people worry where their future lies. Now the future of one of Australia’s two remaining major steelworks is in doubt.
Staying afloat in a business storm
JUST like management change, new people moving into a business creates uncertainty in staff, suppliers and customers unless managed well, and in advance.
Apple spruiker’s 10 steps to success
HE’S the man who introduced the world to Apple. Now Guy Kawasaki has revealed his 10 simple steps for striking it big.
Smart way ahead: Gather the best advice
TOO many prospective business owners work on gut-feel alone. But business intelligence is far more than that. The best business decisions are calculated risks.
Juice brothers pressing ahead in WA
FROM humble beginnings at a family farm north of Toodyay, the Michael brothers have moved their juice company to the big smoke.
World’s weirdest business ideas
SENDING people potatoes with a message scribbled on it is now a thing. It has been branded a stupid idea, but it’s not the only weird business making big bucks.
Saying yes: Acting in the affirmative
IT’S the most simple of words, but often the most difficult for businesspeople to achieve. “Yes.”
‘I pay bills by selling my used undies’
SHE quit her job after hurting her shoulder. But one woman discovered she could make a quick buck by selling her used underwear to strangers.
How a town saved their pub
IF you want to know what a pub is worth to a small town, wait until it burns down. Then it’s clear the pub was everything.
How to answer the burning question
NO matter if you are a speculative miner or a hi-tech start-up: the No. 1 problem you confront in starting any new commercial venture is “cash burn”.
Simple trick to earn you billions
THIRTY days. Apparently, that’s all it will take to come up with an idea that’ll make you filthy rich.
Tight spot: PM’s dilemma over your pay
TONY Abbott faces the prospect of having to recommend slashing the weekend wages of tens of thousands of Australians ahead of an election.
Pay cut looms for lots of Aussies
SOME of Australia’s most vulnerable workers are about to get hit. The Productivity Commission wants major cuts to their pay.
Family planning key to survival
CASHFLOW is king for any small business, and especially for those starting. Mortality rates of new enterprises are extremely high, but rewards for those who make it can be significant.
Family planning key to survival
CASHFLOW is king for any small business, and especially for those starting. Mortality rates of new enterprises are extremely high, but rewards for those who make it can be significant.
Bakery cops backlash over anti-gay letter
SOCIAL media is in an uproar over comments by an Adelaide Hills baker criticising a local newspaper for “promoting gay and lesbians”.
Fake online reviewers busted
THE consumer watchdog is getting serious in its war against fake online reviews, slapping one company with a $30,000 fine over dodgy testimonials.
Minister quits over staff bullying claims
VICTORIAN Small Business Minister Adem Somyurek has been forced to resign after an investigation found he had “physical contact” with staff.
Ten ancient businesses that still exist today
BUSINESSES like breweries, hotels, restaurants and more have been successful for centuries, some even dating back more than 1000 years.
One business thriving in Greece
ATMs are running empty, petrol pumps are dry and shopping malls are deserted. But there is one business that is thriving amid Greece’s financial uncertainty.
‘Nothing will replace hard work’
SINCE buying networking community Business Chicks nine years ago, Emma Issacs has transformed it from 250 members to more than 35,000.
Business lessons from Bob’s Burgers
WHAT can you learn about business from your favourite TV shows? Apparently quite a lot. Here are five lessons from Bob Belcher.
Senate passes $20,000 tax break
SMALL business will officially get access to $20,000 tax deductions after legislation passed the Senate today. Find out if you’re eligible.
Food firm has organic growth spurt
STARTING a new business is all about having confidence and getting on with it, says Ozganics founder Anni Brownjohn.
Cheaper taxis to hit Perth’s roads
AVERAGE cab fares are expected to drop by $5 to $10 as three major new players enter the WA taxi industry aiming to smash the stranglehold of Swan Taxis.
Alexander’s get-rich-quick plan
ALEXANDER Beniac-Brooks loved shoes. But a venture involving designer watches and investors from private schools seems to have gone wrong.
Things you need to do this month
IF YOU run a small business, the end of the financial year can be the most stressful time. But there are two very important things you need to do this month.
Patrick Stewart and the Bert and Ernie cake
PATRICK Stewart, thespian and all-round pop culture icon, has come out swinging over a Bert and Ernie cake.
Five lessons from Game of Thrones
JUST like the dungeons under Meereen, the world of work is a real life Dragon’s Den. Here are five lessons everyone can learn from Game of Thrones.
Growing your business overseas
EXPANDING your business overseas is no easy feat but these award winners share their tips on how to do it right.
Budget reprieve for small business
THE Federal Government’s small business budget came just in time, with small business confidence across Australia hitting an all-time low in April.
‘It’s going to bloody happen’
MARK Bouris is excited — he’s just given the Government a kick up the arse on behalf of Aussie battlers everywhere.
How to get Macca’s delivered now
IMAGINE having your own personal servant a text message away. This start-up can do just about anything for its customers — just don’t ask for drugs.
It’s Joe Hockey’s ‘Viagra Budget’
THE Treasurer’s second attempt at a Budget has been labelled his “Viagra Budget” because it delivers “excessive stimulation”.
Our most shameless party animal
HE SURROUNDS himself with scantily-clad girls at decadent parties. But it isn’t just for fun - the Aussie Hugh Hefner has another motive.
The supermarkets controlling our nation
MARK Bouris is pissed off. He says big supermarkets are taking over and destroying small business, but worst of all, we’re all encouraging it.
Burger shop’s Facebook rant backfires
THE owner of a burger restaurant has caused outrage with an expletive-laden Facebook rant against a customer who complained about food poisoning.
The massive problem with Shark Tank
MARK Bouris is fired up about shows like Shark Tank. “It pisses me off deluxe and makes me want to vomit”.
