Economy
Boost the bottom line
| Jessica Gardner
Harmonized payroll tax, simplified awards, and a public-owned bank are good ideas.
Plan first, build later
| Nassim Khadem
Innovation and diversification can be building blocks of success but don’t neglect basic analysis.
Work, outsource, relax
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | People are working longer hours on some measures, but the farming out of household chores has freed up time.
Ratings mayhem
| David James
David James | No one’s listening to the ratings agencies any more and the poor darlings must be feeling awfully unappreciated.
Keep European negatives in perspective
| Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson | The year has begun with more horror headlines – and understandably so, given that a giant sword labelled ‘Europe’ hangs over the world economy.
The art of giving
| Jackie Range
Businessman and philanthropist Simon Mordant believes the rich have a duty to help narrow society’s wealth gap.
ATO hunts big miners, banks
| Nassim Khadem
The CFO’s of Australia’s top companies are reporting a more “adversarial” relationship with the Tax Office
Innovation a key driver of productivity
| Georgina DentLeaders push innovation; Mining drains labour pool; Gender discrimination; Incentives feed creativity.
Ratings agencies ‘a joke’
| DAVID JAMESInvestors aren’t relying on ratings agencies they way they used to.
No, the sky hasn’t fallen
| Kate Mills
BRW’s annual study of Australia’s Top 1000 companies suggests reports of the economy’s decline may have been exaggerated.
Bottom of barometer for lacklustre Oz initiative
| KATE MILLSOnly 2 per cent of global chief executives rate Australia high on innovation
Back to the future
| Shane OliverEconomy in Action | Indicators are a reminder: there really is nothing new under the sun.
Banking on virtue
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | Investment in the nation is riding high but it is important to focus on the virtues of diversification.
Why I call myself a feminist
| Kath Walters
To call myself a feminist is to identify with other women.
Let’s keep innovation alive
| Kath WaltersWithout new federal government support, local venture capital funds will collapse, and with it, the nation’s future.
Go with the flow
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | We can’t ignore how the world is changing and workers would do better to adapt to it, than resist it.
Growth binge over, time to trim down
| Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson | Australian banks have had a good run and now make up a disproportionately large share of the economy, but there may be lean times ahead for the finance sector.
Car makers rev it up
| Georgina Dent
Car manufacturing is a surprise winner in IBISWorld’s annual pick of the fastest-growing industries for the year.
Station rage
| Kath Walters
The exasperating approach taken by local councils to train station parking is driving commuters in circles.
Designing productivity
| Kath Walters
Smart companies are keeping the top talent, by using excellent office design.
Five serious summer reads
| Anthony Sibillin
Five reads for the summer break on leadership, economics, finance and management.
The wise woman
| Kath Walters
US journalist Barbara Walters is one of the world’s precious wise women.
Let’s build communities, not houses
| Kath Walters
My dream home is a village within the city. But the banks don’t understand.
Slim pickings at mad executive’s tea party
| David James
David James | Alice meets some very odd people indeed
Smooth operators
| Andrew HeathcoteThe rich are getting richer and for the first time the richest is a woman, Gina Rinehart.
On your marks
| Kath WaltersThe world economy is uncertain, but the BRW Fast Starters are sure-footed, global and delivering results.
China ultimately will save the day
| Damon Frith
Frith | I suspect Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel have turned their weekly meetings into a poker game.
China remains a beacon of growth and hope
| Michael BaileyWith Europe headed for the wall, it is reassuring to know China may be headed for a ‘soft landing’.
How the Rich 200 invest: Greg Coffey
| Andrew Heathcote
How the Rich 200 Invest | Greg Coffey has changed funds and strategies in an attempt to improve results.
Productivity pill turns 50
| Jeanne-Vida Douglas
It’s 50 years since the contraceptive pill was introduced in Australia and its economic impact has been profound.
China main contender for No 1 spot
| Phil Ruthven
Phil Ruthven | There are two economic measures by which we can rank the 230 nations.
Three European scenarios ... none good
| Shane OliverEconomy in Action | How a European recession is most likely to affect you.
Twelve predictions for 2012
| Tony Featherstone
Superstitious market watchers will hope 2012, the Chinese Year of the Dragon, lives up to its reputation for good luck.
The pull of supply and demand
| Damon Frith
Frith | Sensationalist forecasters love the term “peak oil” but what about “peak gold”?
Procedural justice
| Kate Mills
The mining tax may be the right result but government got there by the wrong route.
Yellowcake trade won’t feed business
| Jackie Range
Uranium trade could improve India-Australia relations, but isn’t likely to help businesses struggling in India now.
Recession haunts Asia
| Jeanne-Vida DouglasRecession looms large in the minds of business executives across the Asia-Pacific region.
Wrong budget at the wrong time
| Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson | The government wants a show of strength on fiscal finances, but it’s picked the wrong time to do it.
Climbing the ladder? Depends which one.
| Kath Walters
If you want advancement, sometimes you just have to leave.
Farewell, my country
| David James
A global government, with financial markets as its power centre, could be the result of the European crisis.