For this week’s feature, we got to have a conversation with Georgina Browne, the founder of the surfwear label Aramita James. Georgina launched the brand at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and saw instant success. Beyond being a successful beach fashion brand, Aramita James takes pride in helping establish a community for the quintessential Australian beach girls who supporting the brand. ISB: What inspired you to come up with the idea of making surfwear fashionable? GB: Perhaps my upbringing in Melbourne influenced that desire, as we leaned towards more structured and tailored pieces. Whe ..read more

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a complex and widespread crime that is showing no signs of abating. The Australian Childhood Maltreatment Study from April 2023 found more than one in four Australians have experienced one or more types of child sexual abuse. You might be wondering: how does this relate to my small business? The reality is that every small business, including those whose business is conducted online, could play a role in fighting CSE. Through technological advances, perpetrators are finding more ways to harm and exploit our children through AI, live-streaming, sextortion and ..read more

A majority of Australians will support a ban of disposable coffee cups and sachets – but not of bubble wrap or cling film – according to a recent survey. Market research company YouGov found that 61 per cent of Australians will back legislation to ban disposable cups while 57 per cent said they are in favour of banning coffee machine capsules and condiment sachets. Moreover, 56 per cent are also open to banning plastic wrappers for food items and cotton buds made from plastic parts. However, only 48 per cent said they will support a ban of bubble wrap and 44 per cent are okay with banning clin ..read more

New research from RFI Global, commissioned by online small-business lender, Prospa, reveals that 46 per cent of Australia’s SMEs anticipate a decrease in turnover by the end of the year due to economic pressures and 54 per cent have said they are likely to need to invest further into their business to generate future cashflow.  Economic and supply chain conditions remain the biggest concern for businesses, with 59 per cent experiencing supply chain cost increases due to current economic conditions. Labour pressures are also a major concern for businesses, with 53 per cent trying to addres ..read more

As CEO of an innovation hub, I’m often asked by people what it takes to create a successful start-up. With more than 1000 start-up founders coming through our education programs, we’ve seen first-hand what it takes to succeed in the start-up world. It involves far more than an initial great idea. Successful start-ups require a carefully executed strategy, forward planning, perseverance and a lot of hard work. Through our programs, we’ve been able to identify what sets certain companies apart and gives them a competitive edge. Our recipe for a successful start-up Teams vs solo founders  We ..read more

A new report by bank payment company GoCardless reveal that the cost of living crisis, among other factors, has impacted business operations among SMEs. The Pursuing Payments report found that 55 per cent of SME leaders are worried that the number of late-paying customers will increase in the next 12 months, a major concern given that 50 per cent of respondents admitted they avoid awkward money conversations. And 19 per cent of respondents have estimated that their business loses between $6000 and $30,000 from late payments annually. Additionally, 86 per cent of SME leaders who ..read more

Nowadays it feels like every second person online peddles a tale of effortless riches, and small-business owners find themselves navigating a minefield of scams, crowded spaces, and dubious success stories. The allure of effortlessly scaling a business to unparalleled heights is tempting, but is it realistic? A closer look at the claims The pitch is almost always the same. Creators position themselves as the expert that is going to effortlessly scale you or your business to untold financial success, often through selling digital products or a ‘one-of-a-kind marketing funnel’. However, a few gl ..read more

In its newly-released 2024 Business Trends Index, Fiverr reveals that AI, eCommerce and social media marketing saw a significant increase in search results on their marketplace, indicating an increased demand for freelancers specialising in these fields among businesses seeking to achieve growth in today’s environment. Fiverr also noted that Australians in general are taking advantage of the demand for their expertise, especially in the aforementioned fields, as they enter into side hustles in a big way to combat cost-of-living pressures. Globally, AI services have seen a huge spike in demand ..read more

First Australians Capital (FAC), Australia’s only Indigenous-led social impact fund manager and business advisory organisation, has announced that Visa Foundation will make a significant contribution to the Catalytic Impact Fund. Visa Foundation will be investing $2 million to the fund, enabling the FAC to continue to promote and support Indigenous businesses and enterprises and help Indigenous people become economically independent. “Visa Foundation’s core goal of supporting women and underserved entrepreneurs is reflected in our collaboration with First Australians Capital,” Graham Macmillan ..read more

Australian small businesses are in the midst of an unprecedented skills shortage. In February 2020, mere weeks before the outbreak of COVID-19 in Australia, the proportion of businesses reporting at least one vacancy was 11 per cent. By November 2022, this had increased to 27.7 per cent. And, while businesses across a range of industries are still reporting significant recruitment concerns, the unemployment rate for Australians living with disability has not changed in over 28 years. In Australia, only 53.4 per cent of people with disability of working age are actively employed. That’s an unta ..read more