Small Business

Dodgy sparky leaves $11,000 mess

A MELBOURNE couple has been left $11,000 out of pocket by a dodgy electrician who plundered their savings to wire their home while unlicensed.

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.

Nine-year-old raking in the cash

HIS parents wouldn’t buy him an Apple watch, so this Melbourne schoolboy found another way. He’s now turning over $300 a week.

Burger joint in text message war

A BURGER joint has bitten off more than it can chew after one of its workers started a text message war with a disgruntled customer.

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.

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.

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.

‘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”.

Business owners can’t afford retirement

OPTIMISM and confidence are positive traits of many small business owners, but may be damaging their chances of retiring comfortably.

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.

ATO crackdown on sharing economy

A STERN warning has been issued to hundreds of thousands of Australians earning extra income from the sharing economy — you will get caught if you don’t declare it in your tax return.