News Briefs
June 2006
REGIONAL BUSINESS MAGAZINE OWNER ON I'M BOSS TV
Regional Business Magazine will be one of the first small businesses to appear on the new I'm Boss TV online website. Television production company, Small Screen Entertainment, is launching the nations first 24/7 television channel for Small and Medium sized businesses from June 1.
Seen discussing how regional business is a catalyst for sustainability and other issues which are covered by the Regional Business Magazine, owner, Juliet Duffy will be appearing in a 3-minute interview which audiences can view at their convenience, thanks to flash streaming technology.
Content channels, containing interviews with industry experts and paid advertorial segments include; News & Information, Money & Wealth, Sales & Marketing, Franchising, Smart Business, Education & Coaching, Technology & Online, and Success Tips – with future content channels to be added in the following months.
“Our June 1st launch reflects the growth in broadband connections by SMEs and the increase in owner managers seeking advice and information that's going to lead them to a more successful business,” said Jake Challenor, Managing Editor, imboss.tv.
According to the 2005 Senses® e-Business Report, sixty-three percent of wired SMEs are now using broadband and eighty-six percent of regional businesses are now connected to the internet. Organisations and agencies can register their interest now, and download the June/July media kit at www.imboss.tv .
PROTECTING AUSTRALIAN IDEAS ON WORLD IP DAY
Australian Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane, challenged Australians on World Intellectual Property Day in May, to look more closely at what is behind the innovations, products, designs and brands which surround us in our day-to-day lives.
“We've all heard of copyright and patents, yet the link between creativity and intellectual property (IP) is not something we often think about,” said Mr Macfarlane.
“ Australia has a world-leading IP system which is there to support researchers and entrepreneurs – from today's backyard inventor to tomorrow's small business.”
“But for it to provide the protection it's designed to, businesses have to be generally more aware of the value of their property, systems and operations,” he said.
In 2004-05 IP Australia, the national body responsible for overseeing IP protection registered 12,388 patents from 31,915 applications, and registered 50,123 trade marks from 86,668 applications.
Recent Australian innovations include:
- Smart Lids Systems which has developed a plastic lid which changes colour to reflect the temperature of a hot drink;
- Rotasole which has used medically-inspired technology to give sports shoes a unique turning ability to prevent injury, particularly to knees; and
- Primal Prawnstar which has designed fishing lures which mimic nature with flicking tails and life-like swimming movements.
“World IP Day is … a reminder for business to re-assess the value of their ideas and systems, and take steps to protect it,” Mr Macfarlane said.
Visit www.ipaustralia.gov.au for information of how to protect your own idea.
EFTPOS AND VISA DEBIT CARD REFORMS
Following a meeting of the Payments System Board on 28 March 2006 the Reserve Bank released a package of reforms to the EFTPOS and scheme debit systems.
Debit card systems
Broadly, the reforms involve:
- interchange fees in the EFTPOS system which are paid by financial institutions that issue EFTPOS cards, are likely to fall to around 4 to 5 cents per transaction, from an average of around 20 cents currently;
- interchange fees in the Visa Debit system, which are paid to financial institutions that issue Visa Debit cards, are likely to fall to an average of around 15 cents per transaction, from around 40 cents currently;
- requiring the Visa system to remove the restrictions on merchants that require them to accept Visa Debit cards if they accept Visa credit cards, and that prohibit merchants from imposing a surcharge on Visa Debit transactions; and
- the adoption of a cap on the price that existing participants in the EFTPOS system can charge new and existing participants for establishing a connection.
The current structure of interchange fees creates a strong incentive for financial institutions to promote the Visa Debit system over the EFTPOS system, despite the EFTPOS system having lower operating costs. If a cardholder makes a payment with an EFTPOS card, the institution that issued the card must pay around 20 cents to the merchant's bank. In contrast, if the payment is made with a Visa Debit card, the institution that issued the card receives around 40 cents on average. This difference in fees is despite both forms of payment accessing a deposit account.
The reforms announced will narrow the current 60 cents difference in interchange fees to around 20 cents. These reforms will promote competition between the schemes based on the benefits that they offer to cardholders and merchants, rather than on fees that are not subject to normal competitive pressures.
SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM FUNDING
Organisations servicing small businesses around the country have responded with 420 applications for funding under the Australian Government's small business program, Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business.
Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business, which has funding totalling $39 million to 2008, is a suite of programs which support a new culture of entrepreneurship by providing competitive, merit-based funding to improve Australia 's small business operating skills.
The Minister for Small Business and Tourism, Fran Bailey announced recently the applications came from every state, the ACT and the Northern Territory . New South Wales led the charge with 136 applications, followed by Victoria with 91, Queensland 69 and South Australia with 56.
“I'm delighted with the response, particularly the training and mentoring element aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs which attracted 279 applications,” Fran Bailey said.
“The training and mentoring component is designed to provide access to skills development, while succession planning is designed to develop the skills of small business owners to maximise the value their business.”
AusIndustry is currently assessing applications and an announcement of successful applicants will be made shortly.
Further information on Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business can be found at www.ausindustry.gov.au , or calling the AusIndustry Hotline 13 28 46.
TELEWORKING FOR RURAL WOMEN RESEARCH
The Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women (FAAW) will be researching teleworking opportunities for rural, regional and remote women thanks to a grant from the Department of Family and Community Services.
This research is designed to improve employment opportunities for rural and remote women.
Teleworking is working outside the central office, either for an employer or in your own business, using telecommunications to do so.
FAAW appointed research consultant, Jane Dowling to conduct the research. The research will identify opportunities and barriers to telework and FAAW will build a database of women interested in, or already teleworking, and promote the research to key businesses and other interested parties.
This work builds on the inquiry conducted by the Commonwealth Government in 2005 to increase the uptake of teleworking in Australia .
FAAW has taken a lead in promoting the benefits of teleworking for women, employers and their communities by having significant input into the national telework inquiry last year.
“While the inquiry had a largely urban focus we argued that the benefits for rural women, their communities and employers are as large if not larger,” said Chris Capel, Director of the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women.
Newly appointed researcher Jane Dowling teleworks from her home office in Ulladulla in NSW and will be demonstrating the benefits of working from home while actually carrying out the work.
Women already teleworking or who wish to, and who are interested in participating in the research should contact Jane Dowling by phone on 0402 908 987 or email janedowling@shoal.net.au
The Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women is an independent non-profit organisation whose mission is to resource, empower, research, influence and partner for the benefit of rural women. For more information on the teleworking project see http://www.faaw.org.au
AUSSIE BEEF IN BEST SHAPE FOR YEARS
After a strong performance in 2005, the outlook for Australian beef remains positive in 2006 with export earnings set to rise and cattle prices remaining at record levels, according to a new industry report by the world's leading agribusiness bank, Rabobank.
However the report, produced to coincide with the Beef Australia 2006 expo in Rockhampton in May, also warns that complacency may soon pose the biggest threat to cattle producers and processors, with many of the current factors thwarting the industry's major competitors in North and South America heading for resolution in 2007.
The report shows that Australian beef exports performed strongly in 2005 with total exports reaching 914,000 tonnes shipped weight, valued at AUD 4.6 billion, a one per cent increase on 2004.
The report's author, Bill Cordingley, Senior Analyst (Animal Proteins) with Rabobank's Food and Agribusiness Research (FAR) division, says that Australian beef export earnings are at record highs due to Australia's almost exclusive access to the Pacific Basin's highest value export markets, particularly Japan and South Korea, where customers remain deeply concerned over beef quality and the reliability of supply.
Australian beef dominates the South Korean market, representing 72 per cent of all imports in 2005, up from 56 per cent in 2004, and has won an almost 90 per cent share of Japanese beef imports, following outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in the US and Canada in 2003.
"While these events work to Australia 's advantage in the short term, they also highlight the fragility of global markets, and the Australian beef industry cannot afford to be complacent," warns Mr Cordingley.
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