The biggest myth about business names and trade marks

“If you believe registering your business name will stop other businesses using the same name, you’re not alone. Many small business owners are operating under this popular misconception, which could prove a costly experience, both financially and emotionally.” Read on

IP Australia Smart Start – 10 Steps

How to manage your creative work and intellectual property online

“It is with a hard heart that I write this post today. It has come to our attention that a design, The Pocket Light by Hyun Jin Yoon & Eun Hak Lee (Ryan Harc), was stolen, produced and sold unlicensed under another brand… In many ways the Internet is a new medium when it comes to the management of intellectual property. Many designers are still struggling to reconcile its power of reach versus control of information flow. Here are some of my thoughts on managing creative content on the Internet.” (Read on)

Brian Ling Yanko Design

Which social network is right for your small business?

“The paradox for SMEs is that the best results from social networking occur after a considerable time investment – something that is in very short supply in smaller business. ” (Read on)

Craig Reardon SmartCompany

Lock down the point of supply

“To drive growth in any business you need to find some point of difference which can give you a head start on the competition. You need a competitive advantage which is sufficiently important to your target market that you get the business rather than your competitors.. The conventional answer is usually strong intellectual property position but not every business can create this advantage. However, a little more creative thinking might suggest that you try to gain control over an item of supply which is essential to the end-user solution. You then own the entire supply chain.” Read on

Tom McKaskill SmartCompany

A sprinkling of grants wisdom

“With more applications received than there is money available to fund projects, consider these tips when writing your grant application.” Read on

Design Victoria

Email marketing: Ring a bell, get a food pellet

“Email marketing can be tough. Your strategy and execution doesn’t have to be that bad for it to shut down communication with customers… You’d imagine that the consumer judges each new unread email from you independently of previous emails. But you’d be wrong.” Read on

Alan Jones Australian Anthill

How to create an international e-business

“The internet literally brings home the idea of a globalised world, but e-businesses cannot afford to be complacent about the global customer when it comes to exporting. Here’s a guide on how to think global, act digital and create an international e-business.” Read on

Adeline Teoh Dynamic Export

Fake it til you make it: 10 ways to make your business appear bigger than it is

“Being perceived as professional by outsiders is a common challenge for small businesses. Many startups reach a stage where meeting clients in cafes no longer cuts it. Here are 10 simple ways that your company can make itself look bigger it is.” Read on

Rowena Murray Australian Anthill

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

“In its infancy, most business owners will reinvest all their cash back into their own enterprise to maintain control of their own destiny. But diversification is the key to any great entrepreneur and it is important to avoid putting all your eggs in the one basket in case it goes belly-up.” Read on

Alex Tilbury News.com.au

Selling to new Japan

“With a trade relationship with Australia stretching back more than half a century, Japan shouldn’t be dismissed as an export market, despite economic woes and the rise of its neighbour China. Read the headlines about Japan’s economy over the past year and you’d be forgiven for believing it was the land of the setting sun. If you think Japan is entering its twilight years as one of the world’s great economies, however, you’d be underestimating its intrinsic power.” Read on

Adeline Teoh Dynamic Export

Transform your design business

“Design Victoria has launched Transform Your Design Business, an online guide that equips Victorian designers with the know-how to successfully navigate the grants space and write strong grant applications. It seeks to ensure designers can take full advantage of grants and assistance available to them, to help fund new design initiatives for local and international markets and kick-start growth and success.” Read on

Design Victoria