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Social media and digital advertising have opened up great new marketing opportunities for family-owned businesses. But Mark Chipperfield argues that successful branding, which eludes so many players, may simply be a question of harnessing the values and traditions within your … Continue reading
The federal government is now offering bonus payments for employers who hire older staff, but as Cheryl Rabbah discovers many family businesses are already recruiting, training and employing mature-age workers. Shane Kelly, who heads up a South Australian engineering … Continue reading
Have you started planning for your retirement? Probably not. Too many business owners fail to make the correct decisions – or seek the best advice – when it comes to handing over the reins. There is little consensus as … Continue reading
Running a pie business might be the Aussie man’s idea of heaven but former NRL star Sean Garlick is determined to produce a new generation of healthy, nutritious pies for the modern metrosexual palate. In his decade-long stint as … Continue reading
Health and aged care is booming in Australia, but many family-owned businesses are yet to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by this fast-growing and innovative market. Ruth Callaghan charts the obstacles facing smaller operators who want to carve … Continue reading
While the business community has taken a jaundiced view of the federal government’s carbon legislation many commentators say that the new tax could provide plenty of opportunities for the owners of small to medium enterprises in Australia. Carbon tax. … Continue reading
Almost 80 years after it first trundled into action the much-loved Scenic Railway in the Blue Mountains, just outside Sydney, is about to embark on an exciting new technological leap that will launch it firmly into the 21st century. … Continue reading
The resources boom in Western Australia is proving to be an El Dorado for many family-owned business operators, but as Ruth Callaghan explains success brings many challenges, such as soaring costs and increased competition. While the East Coast economy … Continue reading
Thinking of a holiday in the Northern Hemisphere? Melanie Wynne suggests three great destinations that have dropped off the travel radar, but should be at the top of your list. Viva Espania Stretching sun-drenched and untamed from the Pyrenees … Continue reading
Frustrated by the lack of proper cider in Australia, James and Gail Kendell began making their own. Five years later Small Acres Cyder is one of the most successful cider houses in the country. When the “tree-change” movement took … Continue reading
Uniform national legislation covering the Australian work place seems like a sensible idea, but many employers and state governments don’t want a bar of the new health and safety act. At best, it’s a shot at reducing the 15 … Continue reading
Property developers are brilliant at weaving fantasies out of thin air, but too often fail to deliver on their promises. But Mark Chipperfield discovers a family-run property enterprise in South Australia that is trying to break this real estate stereotype. … Continue reading
A husband-and-wife team in Adelaide is proving that it is still possible to manufacture high-quality consumer products in Australia despite stiff competition from mass-produced imports. Mark Chipperfield tracks down one of the country’s last true-blue barbecue makers in a modest … Continue reading
Many men don’t understand what it takes to hold a family business together across generations. There are very good reasons why women are better equipped for this role. Almost 2.5 million years ago our earliest ancestors, homo habilis (“handy … Continue reading
When her charismatic brother died in a motorbike accident Sara Pantaleo not only saved the family pizza business but created one of Australia’s most successful food franchise operations. During the 1980s students from Melbourne University liked nothing better than … Continue reading
From a tiny father-and-son outfit in Adelaide, Beaumont Tiles has grown to become Australia’s biggest importer of tiles. Co-founder Bob Beaumont talks to Mark Chipperfield about the company’s first 50 years. If newspapermen have ink in their veins, then … Continue reading
The Australian saltwater crocodile is an apex predator – it sits at the top of its food chain. An adult croc faces few natural threats, other than man, and ferociously uses its considerable bulk to assert dominion over its chosen … Continue reading
Technigro is a leading vegetation manager in south east Queensland and is well on its way to realising its vision of changing the way vegetation is managed in Australia. Peter Fuller talks to Nick Bloor about innovation in family business.
Glitter and Dance has experienced 500 percent growth in the past 10 years and now turns over more than $1 million. Not bad for a small Brisbane based fabric store. Cindie Smart reports…
Despite its cyclical highs and lows the Australian wine industry is a shining light of value added success and innovative marketing. Nathan Gogoll talks to four family winemakers who are collaborating on the international stage to build their brands.
It’s not Angove’s any more – it’s Angove Family Winemakers. There’s no more bag-in-box – instead there is the quality Vineyard Select range, and a previous reliance on exports has given way to a focus on regional branding and the … Continue reading
Phil and Alison Hoffmann have a birthday book that includes all 140 of their staff and the names of their children. They say the passionate team at Phil Hoffman Travel is what’s enabled the company to survive and prosper through … Continue reading
With new funding available to industry as a result of the introduction of the carbon Tax, it makes sense to explore government incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy. You may be surprised by what is available. Since the … Continue reading
Many older entrepreneurs are now preparing to exit from the family business, but today’s tough market conditions makes realising your investment more difficult, and less rewarding, than you might expect. Ruth Callaghan investigates. The business is bigger than you … Continue reading
A good accountant is often the cornerstone of a family-owned business but choosing the right person is not an exact science. Graeme Beveridge provides some useful tips to ensure your candidate is up to the job. It goes without … Continue reading
Businesses who employ one defence reservist generally search for more, according to Dr Pamela Schulz, the South Australian Defence Reserves Support Council chairperson. “A real skill transfer takes place, every reservist brings something back to work,” Pamela says. “And we … Continue reading
Remember the days when the mere thought of selling your business put a smile on your face and lightness to your step? What happened? How did joy become displaced by dread? How did the straightforward path to selling your business … Continue reading
FBM asked Kerryn Newton, managing director of Directors Australia, and Mike O’Hagan, one of Australia’s most successful family business entrepreneurs, to provide their insights into making the family business strategic.
The process of selecting a non-family member to be a CEO or other senior leader at a family-controlled firm is fraught with emotional, business and governance challenges. Clarke Murphy from Russell Reynolds Associates identifies the key factors boards of family-controlled companies should consider in their succession planning and provides a diagnostic framework to help boards navigate the process.
Enterprise Connect is helping Australian businesses develop strategies to ensure they prosper into the future.
Tough market conditions can test any business.
But according to Australasian Turnaround Professional of the Year Michael Fingland, from Vantage Performance, businesses that are willing to innovate with new products and services during difficult times are the companies that generally survive and thrive. Michael Fingland provides 10 business survival tips…
What happens when business vision starts to get some traction and the phone begins to ring? Governance expert Kate Costello looks at what will give you the vision, the skills and the rigour to take your company to the next level.
It’s now almost 12 years since a Federal Government introduced a high impact new tax. The Goods and Services Tax, affectionately known as GST, created much anxiety and fear. Entering the unknown can be a nerve-wracking experience. But 12 years … Continue reading
