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 Useful linksCPA AustraliaInfoChoice Cannex ATOassist ATP Australianbiz Telecoms, IT and InternetTelstraNational Office for the Information Economy Free corporate website health check Australian Communications Authority eCom-Adviser Computer Training 2000 LegaleseAustralian Law OnlineIntellectual Property Australia Gilbert + Tobin Phillips Fox Gadens Lawyers Freehills Australasian Legal Information Institute Brennans SuppliersImrapt General Business InformationAction Internationalbusiness publicity Australian Security and Investments Commission - Small Business Entrepreneur Business Centre Mind Your Business Bplans.com Australian Business Business Access CCH Business Owner's Toolkit Small Business Support Network EBS - (E-Myth) Networks and Professional OrganisationsAustralian Institute of Company DirectorsMicro Business Network Business Software Association of Australia Women in Business Small Business Association of Australia and New Zealand National OH&S Commission Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner Office of the Employment Advocate Australian Industrial Relations Commission Seek Australian Job Search Australian Employee Ownership Association
CPA Australia www.cpaaustralia.com.au As you would expect from a site designed by accountants, everything you need on accounting matters is presented in a clearly laid out format. Each link has a small paragraph explaining what the topic has inside. One half of the site is devoted to professional accountants, while the other half is general information for non-beancounters. The forums are limited to members of the CPA, so don't expect any free Q&As with the experts. What's Hot: Inside the information centre, the section entitled Help for Small Business. Verdict: Worth bookmarking. [ back to top ] InfoChoice www.bankchoice.com.au With all the bank and non-bank lenders around these days, not to mention the choices in travel, insurance, investment and phones – a site such as InfoChoice is well worthwhile. As you’d guess, the site compares and contrasts the options available in each area. It divides into two different areas – phones and everything else. Once you have entered the phone area, you go to a completely different site, and the only way back is to use the small drop down menu on the righthand side. What’s Hot: Finding the cheapest flight with ease. Verdict: Despite the awkwardness in going from area to area, the site is worth a visit. [ back to top ] Cannex www.cannex.com.au If you only visit one area of the site – the Star Ratings – you’ll be saving yourself a heap of money. The ratings are put out at the start of each quarter and compare “over 2,000 mortgages, 130 margin loans and 250 credit cards from over 400 financial institutions in Australia”. Cannex rates credit cards, margin loans and mortgages. On a subscription-based service, Cannex will show 15,000 products in eight separate modules. The first seven are Deposit Accounts, Term Investments, Mortgages, Small Business Loans, Personal Lending, Agri Business, and Credit Cards. The last module shows all the fees and features. What’s Hot: Star ratings. Verdict: Current information in one spot. Great! [ back to top ] ATOassist www.ato.gov.au The ATO site is one you will turn to repeatedly. While the site is classified into different groups of taxpayers, its sheer size makes a keyword search almost a necessity. One area of particular interest to those who haven’t been to the site recently is the “Taxpayer Alerts”. These contain areas that aren’t under investigation by the ATO, but may be in future. This means you can change your tax before getting into trouble. What’s Hot: The search button, without it, the site is useless. Verdict: With such a complex subject, the ATO has done a good job of organising the site. [ back to top ] ATP www.atp-online.com.au ATP publishes tax books. The site combines author information and a catalogue of books on sale. The books on GST and tax look to be extensive, but there isn’t enough information on each book to decide to buy it. The site is hard to navigate, with both frames and awkward drop down menus. Going into some areas leaves you with no way back out. Talk to your accountant about useful tax books and then head to the site. What’s Hot: The books themselves look good. Verdict: The site needs work. [ back to top ] Australianbiz www.australianbiz.com.au Australianbiz is a website devoted exclusively to small and micro businesses and functions as a tool to assist business owners to better manage their business and income tax obligations. The site is continually maintained by practising accountants and contains handy finance tools, various calculators, business templates, business articles and monthly business tax updates. Also included is a facility to obtain quotes on small business and professional indemnity insurance, plus tools to help business owners find the right accountant and much more. Telecoms, IT & InternetTelstra Legalese
Brennans SuppliersImrapt Template Central General Business InformationAction International www.action-international.com Action International is a global network of business coaches head quartered in Brisbane. Action provides small/medium size business owners with short-term assistance and long-term training through a mentoring program that provides both extensive business experience, and comprehensive business strategies and systems. The mentoring programs cover areas including sales, customer service, marketing, team building, business development, finance and much more. What’s Hot: Verdict: [ back to top ] businesspublicity www.businesspublicity.com.au SMEs can now access quality public relations advice and assistance thanks to this low cost on-line service. The main section of the web site describes the services available, including writing media releases and media relations, identifying key messages, and other useful communications activities. A private clients only section contains a wide range of information that is the result of more than 40 years' public relations experience. What’s Hot: A useful and free newsletter that gives tips and hints on a range of publicity activities Verdict: A top quality service at the lowest possible cost [ back to top ] Australian Security and Investments Commission – Small Business www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic_smlbus.nsf Plenty of information for smaller enterprises here, covering scams, directors’ duties, tips to keep your company in shape and so on. If you’re dealing with another company, you can search the database to see if it has a banned director. On a more practical level, you can lodge your annual return, and/or check the details of your company and update as needed. What’s Hot: Getting your money back – a section for dealing with creditors. Verdict: Lots of good information here. [ back to top ] Entrepreneur Business Centre www.ebc.com.au A fine site from this Perth-based organisation. The sections are along the natural lines of starting (or buying) a business, managing and growing it, getting online and then there’s resources and products. According to the site, the resources section has over 7,500 articles alone. One feature with appeal is the Q&A with an expert. You can check the archive and then ask an expert about a broad range of topics. You have to be registered to do so, but it’s free. What’s Hot: Free advice service. Verdict: Definitely on the “to visit” list. [ back to top ] Mind Your Business http://www.mindyourbusiness.com.au Mind Your Business website is dedicated to helping small and home based businesses from the comfort of their own home or workplace. They offer the benefits of online networking, business listings, virtual business cards, profiles, live chat, competitions, articles, links and so much more. They're open 24/7 - visit Mind Your Business whenever you need a shot of inspiration for your business. [ back to top ] Bplans.com www.bplans.com Business plans, web plans and marketing plans. While too few businesses have them, they are an important element of success. This site is run by a software company so there is a strong push to buy and use its software to make the plans, but there are also a number of articles on how to make plans without it. There are sample plans to give you ideas. What’s Hot: The miniplan tool. Verdict: A good site, achieves what it sets out to do. [ back to top ] Australian Business www.australianbusiness.com.au Right in the middle of the front page is the question “how can we help you?” Under it are five answers – “find quick info”, “manage your people”, “grow your business”, “influence public policy” and “visit our partners”. The site is well laid out, with some interesting areas, including defence online (for those working in a defence business environment) among others. There is also general info on the economy and a daily update. What’s Hot: Information about a traineeship program. Verdict: Come over for a browse. [ back to top ] Business Access www.sbv.vic.gov.au Although this site is Victorian, many of the features and sections are national. It offers a number of guides to starting and running a business – some are being rewritten to include tax law changes. The old ones have been removed and the new ones should be up online soon. For Victorians, there is a free mentoring and coaching service, events to attend, and links to other Victorian sites. What’s Hot: The information sheets. Verdict: A good site for both Victorians and those across the border. [ back to top ] CCH Business Owner’s Toolkit www.toolkit.cch.com This is an American site, so check the information before applying it to our environment. Much of the site is devoted to numerous SOHO guides. Check the table of contents first up – so you can see the full range of features and decide where to go from there. There is an online store in the site, but with freight costs tending to be high from America, you should think twice before ordering. What’s Hot: Winning government contracts. Verdict: Bookmark it! [ back to top ] Small Business Support Network www.ozsmallbiz.net The site has different interest areas, including “Starting Out”, “Grow Your Business”, “Manage Your Business” and “How to do Business on the Web”. It offers a number of tips in this last area, and has domain name registration and hosting services (including discussions on free web hosting). Online looks to be its area of expertise and its online business articles are very good. What’s Hot: Business Database – networking it. Verdict: A good workhorse. [ back to top ] EBS - (E-Myth) E-Myth Mastery Business Development Program www.smallbusinesscoach.com.au We specialize in E-Myth Brand Business Development Coaching. Most business owners work too hard & receive too little reward; their business consumes their life. What we do is help them to work ON the business; identifying, developing & implementing systems so that it transforms the whole business to produce consistent, predictable results and frees them to enjoy life. Contact Details 1800 350 336 [ back to top ] Networks and Professional OrganisationsAustralian Institute of Company Directors www.companydirectors.com.au This national organisation has many events running around the country. It also has international links with both the UK and the US through the IoD and NACD. Membership is 13,000- strong and the organisation accepts membership from both directors and senior officers. The site outlines all its events and showcases its journal, although it is not possible to read articles. What’s Hot Education. Can’t get enough of that. Verdict: Does a good job of showing benefits of membership. [ back to top ] Micro Business Network www.mbn.com.au This is really a site you can spend a lot of time in. There is a directory, forums and mini-websites of members. There are “how to” features, but the site mostly promotes membership and the awards its members have won. The main issue with the site is navigation. Each menu click opens a new menu, so while you think you’ve gone somewhere else, the mainframe stays the same. What’s Hot: Star signs for businesses – what more do you need!? Verdict: Past the navigation, it’s a great site. [ back to top ] Business Software Association of Australia www.bsaa.com.au This organisation comprises of many of the software manufacturers in Australia. “Software publishers lose billions of dollars a year worldwide to software piracy.” So BSAA wants to highlight the problems of piracy, and suggests ways that ordinary businesses can ensure the software they buy is original. “BSAA is protecting copyrights and preserving jobs in Australia through education, assistance, and litigation.” What’s Hot: Purchasing software online. Verdict: If your business creates software, join up. [ back to top ] Women in Business www.womeninbusiness.com.au Designed to help women through networking and education, Women in Business has a lot to offer. Education is available both in the form of events and numerous features in the elearning section. There are pieces on designing an office, through to networking and mentoring. One particularly amusing piece was written in 1943 entitled “Guide to Hiring Women”. The events section details networking functions. What’s Hot: How to be a mentor. Verdict: A great looking site. [ back to top ] Small Business Association of Australia and New Zealand www.seaanz.asn.au The site is very small, especially when compared to some other sites. While the Association does put out a journal, the only portion of the journal online is the contents page. The rest of the site is the executive committee, some links to the International Council for Small Business, a membership request form and information on the upcoming conference. The conference looks interesting; this year’s theme is Small Enterprise: tapping into the global economy. What’s Hot: 2002 Conference. Verdict: The small site makes it hard to judge the organisation. [ back to top ] National OH&S Commission www.nohsc.gov.au The Commission wants to see workplaces free from injury and disease, and the site has information for businesses to help this happen. There are articles on managing workplace hazards, discussion forums and other help. However, the site itself is a big bar to finding anything. Links don’t look like links. Articles are obscurely named Practical Guidance Material. Making a spade look like one and calling it such would be a big help. What’s Hot: Practical Guidance Material. Ignore the name, there’s a lot there. Verdict: The site is obtusely designed, making fact finding a real hunt. [ back to top ] Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission www.hreoc.gov.au The main focus at the time of review was Human Rights. Children in immigration detention was the lead story and there where many similar. The section “Information for Employers” has lots of articles on the responsibility of employers, relevant legislation, ideas on how to develop policies and procedures etc. For those encountering racial issues, there’s a “Race for Business” information pack available. What’s Hot: Vicarious liability – what employers could be liable for. Verdict: A great resource. [ back to top ] Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner www.privacy.gov.au The new Privacy Act and its impact on the Internet have made big headlines over the past year and changes to the Act affect all businesses and their dealings with both the public and employees. The site has the Act in full as well as media releases. There are a number of industry-specific guides (eg the health sector). Of interest are the results of last year’s privacy study and details on a privacy network focus group. What’s Hot: Guidelines to the National Privacy Principles. Verdict: With privacy such a big issue, visit this site. [ back to top ] Office of the Employment Advocate www.awaonline.gov.au This is a separate site from the Office of the Employment Advocate, but confusingly called the same. This subsite can help you create Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs). This is a great tool as it has suggested clauses for many different industries and types of employees in each industry. With a few clicks, you have a fully functioning AWA with your company’s name, the name of the employees and other personalisation. Once you have registered with the site, you can save and revisit any AWAs you have made previously. What’s Hot: Create an agreement from scratch or use the template. Verdict: A great tool, especially for smaller businesses. [ back to top ] Australian Industrial Relations Commission www.airc.gov.au Should you enter into dispute with employees (about wages or conditions of employment) or have a terminated employee bring an unfair dismissal case against your company, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission site is a good first stop. From here you can get guidance on preparing your case (or determining whether you have a case) as well as read up on decisions made by the commission. The AIRC rules are available to peruse, as is the helpful user guide. What’s Hot: Hearings and decisions – can help your own case. Verdict: Good information, simple layout. [ back to top ] Seek www.seek.com.au This site has been top of the pops since it burst onto the scene many years ago now. Many recruitment agencies use this site to find employees for their clients, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t as well. Posting an ad to the site is simple. Click on “Hiring Staff”. While the site is free for job seekers, it costs employers to post ads. Once you have registered with the site, you can post and edit ads. What’s Hot: At extra cost, the automatic filtering service. Verdict: There’s a reason Seek’s number one. [ back to top ] Australian Job Search www.jobsearch.gov.au Number two in the employment section (according to Hitwise) is Australian Job Search. Like Seek, it is possible for employers to post their ads directly online. In order to publish, you first must register with the site – a free service. Once registered, you can then post your ad online – another free service. The ads will also appear on Centrelink screens so officers can match jobs to their clients. What’s Hot: My short list – keep track of applications. Verdict: The site has a wide range of skill levels – from IT professional to cleaner, and the cost can’t be beaten. [ back to top ] Australian Employee Ownership Association www.aeoa.org.au [ back to top ]  |
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