Lou Corteen’s journey into the world of food manufacturing began with a simple compliment. “A friend raved about my green tomato chutney and told me I should sell it. I thought, ‘Yeah, OK, that’s what I’m going to do,” Lou recalls with a laugh. From that spark, Urban Forager was born, starting as a small venture at local farmers markets. Lou’s...
If your business sells any kind of unpackaged, ready-to-eat foods, it’s important to keep your customers safe from food-borne illnesses. Here’s what you need to know about the new food safety management standard introduced in Australia – and what action you need to take. It’s not pleasant to imagine the consequences for your customers, business and...
Tendering is the process of creating a formal offer (or ‘bid’) to supply goods, services or works as requested by a government agency or private organisation. Procurement and tender specialist Celia Jordaan also sees tendering as an opportunity to work out what you do well in your business and use that to your competitive advantage. Through her...
Are you finding it hard to work out how much you should be charging for your services? One of the most common questions we’re asked by new business owners is how much should they be charging per hour for their services. There are a number of factors to consider when setting an hourly rate. Here are our top tips if you are running a service-based...
If you’re expecting a surge in business in the 2024-25 financial year that will boost your taxable income, now is the time to plan ahead to make sure you meet your obligations and maximise your cashflow. Take a look at your expected taxable income for the current financial year (2023-24) - that’s the assessable income for your business minus any...
A new form of paid leave has been introduced to assist employees who are experiencing family and domestic violence. We outline the facts about the scheme and how it affects small business employers. What is family and domestic violence? According to 1800 Respect, domestic and family violence happens when one person in a relationship hurts another...
In today’s competitive markets, you can’t afford to lose sales through poor customer service. Wow your customers with our tips on how to keep them happy.
Find out more about the ban on single use plastics and what you can do to get your business ready.
While some businesses have their peak season over the Christmas and New Year period, other businesses experience a lull or schedule a shutdown. If December and January are usually quiet for your business, you can plan ahead to make the most of your downtime. At the end of a busy year, it’s important to take some time to relax and recharge when...
You may be aware of the wise advice that to achieve the best outcomes, you should work on your business, not just in it. However, the reality is that some important but non-urgent tasks usually sink to the bottom of the to-do list. This includes maintaining an effective online presence - an essential part of a modern marketing approach. Overall...
When deciding to structure your business as a Pty Ltd Company, it’s important to understand exactly what protections operating under a company structure does and doesn’t offer. An incorporated company, often recognised by the addition of Pty Ltd after the company name, is one of the structures you may consider for your new business. A company is a...
Problems and delays getting invoices paid can be an issue for all types of business – and contractors and subcontractors in the construction industry can be hit particularly hard. Many subcontractors and suppliers have to spend considerable amounts of money to pay for the materials and labour they need to complete a project. Issues and delays...
