From The Australian, Entrepreneur THERE are many reasons to start a business. Some people are driven by money. Others by passion. But for Omar Kilani, of Sydney, the Remember The Milk web application came about simply because of a personal need and his passion for programming, which he has followed since he was 13. He wanted to organise himself, and his business partner and fiance Emily Boyd was an enthusiastic user of to-do lists. In 2004, Kilani relished the programming […]
Tag: The Australian, Entrepreneur
Putting out the garbage
From The Australian, Entrepreneur: An online questionnaire can help employers sort the chaff from the grain when it comes to recruiting workers, writes Ed Charles | September 28, 2007 THE internet is a wonderful thing for job hunters. Once an online resume is created, it can be sent almost effortlessly to as many potential employers as the applicant wishes. The SME recruiter, however, is fast becoming overwhelmed by resumes — many from people who are inappropriate for the job. According […]
The world of long working hours
From The Australian, Entrepreneur: The independence flowing from having your own business can come at a high price, Ed Charles discovers | August 31, 2007 MEN work longer hours than women, and self-employed men work longer still. The problem for the entrepreneur is to take control of the hours worked. “The self-employed just work a lot more and are a lot more likely to work long hours than the non-self-employed,” says Mark Wooden, professorial research fellow and deputy director of […]
Interactive beats static
From The Australian, Entrepreneur: Blogs save time and energy, writes Ed Charles | July 27, 2007 THE hype over blogs focuses on gossip and radical politics. What many people miss is the power of the blog as a marketing tool for small business and an alternative to e-newsletters. BUSINESS BLOGS • workingsolo.com.au • blog.completepotential.com • trevorcook.typepad.com • www.benjaminchristie.com • www.nobledentist.com.au/blog/index.php • www.frankteam.com.au/blog • blog.nowhiring.com.au • www.barrett.com.au/blogs/suebarrett • lukegoodwin.blogspot.com Blogs offer superior features to static websites, sometimes cost nothing and are […]
Biofuel for thought the way to go
From The Australian, Entrepreneur: Travel broadened the mind for an adventurer who is into cleaner motoring, writes Ed Charles | July 27, 2007 IN starting a business or achieving anything in life, timing and chance play as large a part as passion. For Daniel Epstein, a lifelong environmentalist who recently returned to Melbourne after living in San Francisco and then Byron Bay, all three came together earlier this year. First, global warming and the environment reached the political agenda and […]
Simplifying the small business tax system
From The Australian, Entrepreneur: CANBERRA IS CUTTING SOME OF THE RED TAPE TO REDUCE THE BURDEN, ED CHARLES REPORTS TAX isn’t the simplest of subjects and for many entrepreneurs or small business it is an annoyance that gets in the way of business. But now the tax office seems to be finally acknowledging that it is anything but simple. It is dropping the moniker of the Simplified Tax System in favour of the Small Business Tax System and cutting red […]
Standards important for home office
From The Australian, Entrepreneur: Ed Charles | July 27, 2007 THE home office is often thought of as an oasis outside office politics, an ideal space without interruptions, but the reality is that there might be more distractions at home. For people who have kids (or partners), their grubby mits can get over everything. Even though a home office may be stuck in the corner of a garage or family room, it is important that it is ergonomic and professional, […]
Rocky relations
The Australian, Entrepreneur A well-meaning government code to clear up franchisee confusion may be badly flawed, reports Ed Charles March 30, 2007 GOVERNMENT moves to make the franchise industry more transparent have been cautiously received by the $128 billion sector, with worries it will lead to more red tape and increased costs and that important elements have been left out. Chris Malcolm, founder and managing director of Clark Rubber, which last year was awarded franchise of the year, says the […]
Waging guerilla war
You can create a marketing buzz on a small budget, writes Ed Charles IT’S the classic business dilemma. You’re launching into a crowded market and the main competition has a marketing budget of tens of millions of dollars, whereas you have a few thousand. You can’t compete head-on. The only option is to use your wits and creativity to create a marketing buzz out of nothing. Welcome to the world of guerilla marketing. The term was coined by Jay Conrad […]