My Business magazine -- Useful links

Useful links

CPA Australia
InfoChoice
Cannex
ATOassist
ATP
Australianbiz

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 & Internet

Telstra
telstra.com/business

The site is so large this review will only focus on the business section. It has Run your Business, Tax, Accounting, Legal, Products and Services and Training sections. There are features in the highlights section, and down the left-hand side new issues concerning each area. The two areas that are different are the products page – a catalogue of Telstra products for businesses – and the training area. This section includes training modules from other sites and offers topics such as memory training and many managerial courses.

What’s Hot: Legal – there are numerous topics of interest in there.
Verdict: Telstra makes a good site, and this is no exception.
[ back to top ]

National Office for the Information Economy
www.noie.gov.au

“NOIE is helping Australians create a world-class online economy and society through its work developing, overseeing, and coordinating Commonwealth Government policy on electronic commerce, online services and the Internet.” There’s loads of information here, both what the Government is doing and areas to help your business join the eWorld. There are numerous case studies (some specifically for SMEs) from all types of businesses, and reports on the state of the national.

What’s Hot: APEC e-business: What do users need?
Verdict: It could be laid out a bit better, but the info is good.
[ back to top ]

Free corporate website health check
www.webcheck.hp.com.au

If you are online already, this is a handy site to visit. One half of the front page is devoted to selling you Hewlett Packard services, while the other is a check-up of the health of your corporate website. The service is for corporate websites only, as that is HP’s market audience. All you need do is enter in your details, nominate the URL and the date you want monitored, and HP will monitor your site for 24 hours, and send you an email with the link to your summary report.

What’s Hot: The word “free”!
Verdict: It’s a good way to give your site a check-up.
[ back to top ]

Australian Communications Authority
www.aca.gov.au

The ACA is the government organisation that hands out telecommunications and radio frequency licences. This isn’t an organisation which you will have had much contact with in the past, but its site is well worth a look to see just how this very important area of our lives works. There are also more mundane sections on areas such as cabling your home and office, FAQs on mobile phone numbers and downloadable compliance markers to check against.

What’s Hot: The tips to make sure your “expert” is registered.
Verdict: You won’t visit often, but it’s worth a look.
[ back to top ]

eCom-Adviser
www.ecom-adviser.com.au

Backed by some impressive organisations, notably NOIE, Gilbert + Tobin and PC World, this site, specifically designed to help SMEs move into e-business, is divided into two areas: the members and free area. You must register to enter the free area where there are articles on creating Internet business plans, website development, establishing and maintaining relationships with customers and outlining your obligations to customers. The members’ area costs, although there was no price displayed for membership.

What’s Hot: Obligations to the customer. Many businesses and sites ignore this part of the equation.
Verdict: No membership price but takes credit card details. For a site advising on e-business, shouldn’t it walk the walk?
[ back to top ]

Computer Training 2000
www.computertim.com

For many people, the problem with the Internet is that it involves computers. If you are one of these people, the training modules here should be able to help you. There are many different articles on how to do just about anything on a computer. There’s help on Windows 95/98, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, FrontPage and the Palm. The general help files have information on XP and other odds and ends.

What’s Hot: The feature entitled “Valentine’s Day Gifts”.
Verdict: Good basic help.
[ back to top ]

Legalese

Australian Law Online
www.law.gov.au

An ambitious site, Australian Law Online attempts to show you all Commonwealth, State and Territory laws. Once you decide which level of law you want to view, a subject list appears. Under each heading (eg employment) there are a number of articles and links to other sites in that area. Because of this, navigating the site is hard, as once you leave the law site, the only way to get back is to type in the URL again. Law Online also holds legislation, court and tribunal decisions for State, Territory and Commonwealth.

What’s Hot: Everything’s here.
Verdict: Given the numerous links to other sites, Law Online would be better using frames so it becomes easier to get back to its site.
[ back to top ]

IP Australia
www.ipaustralia.gov.au

Intellectual property (IP) is a little-known area, but as many businesses are becoming more reliant on their point of difference being information, process or a particular design, this needs to change. The site discusses what precisely intellectual property is, and how to protect it. It then talks about patents, trademarks and design protection. One area that’s good is the database in which you can search other people’s (protected) intellectual property. This site will enhance your awareness of the increasingly important area of IP.

What’s Hot: The database – with IP, first come, first protected.
Verdict: Damn useful.
[ back to top ]

Gilbert + Tobin
www.gtlaw.com.au

If you have a set of lawyers already, you should check out this site for the publications, if nothing else. If you don’t have a set of lawyers, in this world, you’re in trouble already. The articles are on numerous topics, from media and copyright law through to telecommunications, anti-trust and competition law. G+T specialises in corporate, technology and communications law, and by the looks of the articles, they know their stuff. It’s easy to get caught up surfing the publications as they are well-written, knowledgeable pieces.

What’s Hot: The cool tools.
Verdict: While you mightn’t use its services, the site is valuable.
[ back to top ]

Phillips Fox
www.phillipsfox.com.au

Targeting a larger market than Gilbert + Tobin, you’d expect the publication section would also be more extensive. There are more specific topics, but areas such as biotechnology are not relevant to every Australian business. E-commerce and information technology, insolvency and debt recovery, insurance and financial services all appeared to be more generally applicable. Another point, some of the articles are topical to New Zealand or Vietnam, but this isn’t always pointed out in the title.

What’s Hot: The new look site is easy to navigate.
Verdict: The information is there, but there could be a few more updates.
[ back to top ]

Gadens Lawyers
www.gadens.com.au

Gadens publications are on 18 different areas, all of which look to be topics businesses should know about. There is the somewhat standard information on GST, super and tax, as well as the more interesting looking dispute resolution and franchising articles. In particular, the workplace relations area holds one article titled “Suspensions, Dismissal and Policies in Workplace Agreements. How NOT to do it” which looks extremely handy. Unlike the other sites, Gadens has been very busy writing – so far this year, they have written more articles than G+T or Phillips Fox.

What’s Hot: Trade Practices – something business should be intimately familiar with.
Verdict: Concise information, good site.
[ back to top ]

Freehills
www.freehills.com.au

Freehills has obviously discovered people are interested in its publications, as these take up most of the front page of the site. Again the topics are diverse, covering 32 different areas. Also of interest (located on the right-hand side of the front page) is a guide to the new privacy laws and how to implement them in your business. The guide discusses the laws (and pushes Freehills services), and shows what you need to do to be compliant.

What’s Hot: The Freehills guide to takeovers. Think big.
Verdict: Much better functionality than other lawyers’ sites, with good info to boot.
[ back to top ]

Australasian Legal Information Institute
www.austlii.edu.au

This site has over 1.5 million searchable documents. These are legislation, treaties and decisions of courts and tribunals as well as bits on law reform and royal commission reports. But all of these are written in legalese, so to help us normal people the site has a set of plain English guides to the law – Community Legal Information. Finally, the links section contains law sites from around the world. With all this information, thank goodness the search engine is a good one.

What’s Hot: The User Guides.
Verdict: A well put-together site.
[ back to top ]

Brennans
www.brennanlaw.com.au

Solicitors and migration agents
Contact: Paul Brennan
[ back to top ]

Suppliers

Imrapt
www.imrapt.com.au

Imrapt.com.au is a website run by leading IT distributor Ingram Micro. The website provides a comprehensive product catalogue, with information on barcode printers, barcode scanners, receipt printers, POS computers, keyboards, cash drawers, touch screens and software. In addition to information the website is able to put consumers in touch with approved resellers.

What’s Hot:
Verdict:
[ back to top ]

Template Central
www.templatecentral.com.au

This site’s main message is “Communicate with Style” and it has done a good job of looking stylish. The site sells pictures – logos, images and templates. You can either search through a list of previously designed images or get one custom- made for you. What wasn’t made clear was whether the pre-designed images are sold to you exclusively, or whether you’ll be seeing the logo elsewhere. On the plus side, the site has a few “how to” pieces on tweaking your design.

What’s Hot: The templates are for both Mac and PC.
Verdict: Nice looking stuff.
[ back to top ]

Viking Office Products
www.vikingop.com.au

Viking has its complete range online. The site is divided up into furniture, technology, office supplies and warehouse (with Ink/Toner/Ribbons having a separate area again). Like many store sites, the disadvantages lie in the catalogue. It’s hard to have a look around to compare models and prices. It’s far simpler to order something you know, easier to do a reorder. There is a search function on the site, but this does not get around the compare and contrast issue.

What’s Hot: Free lollies on big orders.
Verdict: If you have a catalogue, go online for quick ordering.
[ back to top ]

Officeworks
www.officeworks.com.au

Officeworks is another big supplier and so it’s no surprise that it has an online presence. If anything, the site is the same model as Viking. You can’t compare and contrast makes and models, you can’t even see a picture without clicking on an extra link. So once again, if you have the catalogue or otherwise know what you need, go for it. Otherwise, just use the site to order the catalogue.

What’s Hot: The ordering process – it’s quick.
Verdict: Order a catalogue and you’re home free.

[ back to top ]
E-Store
www.estore.com.au

E-Store sells all kinds of paraphernalia. Sure, it sells computers, but this is the least of its stock. It also sells mobile phones, books, DVDs, sports equipment and on and on. They have turned from a technology store to a department store. The site is one of the better designed stores in this review, as it is relatively easy to find what you want.

What’s Hot: The prices.
Verdict: The Australian Amazon.
[ back to top ]

Harris Technology
www.harristechnology.com.au

Whether you want to have an online presence or not, virtually all businesses need some form of computing power. If you’re the sort that wants to build something from scratch, go straight to the motherboards and chipsets. On the other hand, if you’d prefer a pre-built machine, there is a variety here. Harris will also sell you software, printer supplies and so on. The site has a confusing frame system, and you’re never sure where the information you wanted will appear.

What’s Hot: 75 per cent off section.
Verdict: Get what you need, right price, but frames are trying.
[ back to top ]

Australia Post
www.australiapost.com.au

The front page of the site has a number of tools, including a postage assessment calculator, a postcode search, post office locations, international postage guide and a parcel tracker. In the business section, there’s a long list of all the things Australia Post can do for you. The odd one out is financial services. This doesn’t mean Australia Post has become a bank, it means it has insurance and other helpful products.

What’s Hot: Postcode look-up.
Verdict: A good site, gets you where you want to go.
[ back to top ]

DHL Australia
www.dhl.com.au

There are two levels to this site. For non-registered members, you can track a package, calculate costs, find out transit times etc. Once you have registered (free) you can also book shipments, order supplies and track your packages by the account number. This site offers free software to track shipments, calculate costs and manage shipping with DHL (links to its systems). One interesting note is the way the ATO charges GST on shipments – explained in a GST feature.

What’s Hot: Tracking freight.
Verdict: Simple to use and has all the functionality you need.
[ back to top ]

General Business Information

ActionCOACH
www.actioncoach.com.au

Since founder and CEO Brad Sugars decided to franchise the company in 1997, ActionCOACH is recognized as the leading company of its kind and has been the recipient of numerous franchise and industry awards.

It is also one of the few professional services firms built to leverage the current skill set of high-achieving business professionals and executives who in turn advise, mentor and coach current business owners to higher profits, better performing teams and more successful companies.

With a range of products and services including group coaching workshops and seminars, one-on-one coaching programs and a new executive coaching product, ActionCOACH is on the leading edge of results-driven and innovative global business development.

Not only does ActionCOACH work one-on-one with companies delivering hundreds of proven strategies, the company's tested and proven systems have helped build tens of thousands of profitable businesses all over the world.

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 Organisations

Australian 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 ]

Useful links

Telecoms, IT and Internet

Legalese

Suppliers

General Business Information

Networks and Professional Organisations

Telecoms, IT & Internet

Legalese

Suppliers

General Business Information

Networks and Professional Organisations