Western Desert wins Ethical Enterprise Award 2013
Holistic community health enterprise, Western Desert, has been announced the winner of the inaugural Ethical Enterprise Award 2013. At a national awards ceremony held in Melbourne on Friday night, the...
View ArticleGive the gift of sustainability this Christmas
Still stumped about what to get your loved ones this Christmas? An Aussie company has come up with the perfect present. Eucalyptus oil company Bosisto’s is inviting Australians to give friends and...
View ArticleFeeling the heat: Call for more green space
Small business may feel like bit players in the fight against climate change, but as Australia sets to sizzle this week, industry bodies are affirming we can all make an impact. One such way is by...
View ArticleSocial conscience and niche products a winning combo
For Melbourne-based entrepreneur Jonathan Hill, attending a backyard barbeque proved to be the start of a lucrative business venture. Along with his business partner Phil Richardson, Hill is now the...
View ArticleFree-range chicken edges closer to mainstream
Shifting consumer preferences for free-range chicken is making a real impact on what is being sold across Australia. Fast food retailer SumoSalad is the latest outlet to switch to free-range chicken...
View ArticleAustralian Made CEO says Toyota closure a wake-up call
The announcement that Toyota will phase out manufacturing in Australia is a critical reminder that consumers must consider the consequences of their buying decisions. That’s the view of Australian Made...
View ArticleMelbourne business walking the talk
When the Australian Fashion Report 2013 was released in August last year, there was a bit of noise from the usual suspects. But when the clock struck midnight, it was onto the next day’s news. Yet the...
View ArticleA Fairtrade rose for thought
As the roses given and received on Valentine’s Day now wilt, one small business owner is casting the spotlight on the sustainability of an industry. Owner and operator of the only certified Fairtrade...
View Article$10k business grant open to female entrepreneurs
A social and ethical investment organisation has launched a grant for women entrepreneurs valued at over $10,000. An initiative of Forming Circles, the Kickstart Your Business Grant is focused on...
View ArticleThe purple berry that could: entrepreneur behind acai
In Aussie health food circles, acai is as mainstream as bread or butter. More than 15,000 kilometres away, for families in the Amazon, acai berries are precisely how they make a crust. Dwayne Martens,...
View ArticleShopping for shoes is a minefield
This week I’ve been rattled by two separate, but related, shopping experiences. On Monday morning whilst out for some morning exercise, the sole of my trusty sports shoe finally gave way. With the...
View ArticleAustralian law firms ill-prepared for the future
A new Australia-wide study has revealed Australian law firms are ill prepared for the challenges of the future – more than a third admit their business models are not fit for the demands of the years...
View ArticleSMEs: Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards 2014
Victoria’s sustainable business innovators have two weeks until entries close for the Premier’s Sustainability Awards 2014. CEO of Sustainability Victoria, Stan Krpan, encouraged all Victorians who...
View ArticleDoes going green make small businesses see red?
No! And here’s my give tips as to how small business can go green (from start-up). 1. Don’t be fooled by ‘green’ marketing. Many companies play the ‘green’ card at the moment to attract customers like...
View ArticleKiwi entrepreneur taking on the chemical internationals
It’s odd that business owners who are committed to environmental values and minimising their impact are often branded hippies, in a dismissive sort of way. But if using entirely plant-based ingredients...
View ArticleDoing business with Africa: Potential and challenge
The other day I was chatting with one of my clients who just got back from Central Africa and he said to me: “I was just passing through Customs when the bloke in front of me was stopped because of his...
View ArticleMake sustainability count for your small business
With big businesses embracing sustainability as a fundamental business strategy, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are left to wonder if and how sustainability fits into their business model. Limited...
View ArticleHow to reinvigorate your business in 2014-15
One of the keys to shake-up your business in the new financial year is to keep your records up to date. Doing this increases your business’ value, provides easier access to finance and allows a better...
View ArticleSMEs battered by energy prices
Small businesses in NSW are paying the highest electricity bills in Australia when compared with other states, despite operators spending more time searching for the best possible deal. A survey of 520...
View ArticleRepair cafés lead change to throwaway culture
We live in an age where it’s not common to repair things when they break. Thanks to mass production and offshore cheap manufacturing, it’s seemingly easier, quicker, and cheaper to just replace the...
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