August 2014 Issue 96

Specialists in personal, business and corporate financial planning services We believe financial planning is not only about the quality of advice, but more importantly it's about a trusting relationship and the reliability of the people helping you to manage your wealth. The difference at RSM Bird Cameron Financial Services (RSM BCFS) is that we take the time to understand you...

Most Australian workers are covered by a Modern Award set down by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (now known as the Fair Work Commission or FWC). Modern Awards are generally specific to a particular industry - such as Retail Sales, or Construction, or Restaurants - and set out the minimum wages and conditions of employment that apply by default to...

The 2014 ACT Chief Minister's Export Awards celebrate the excellence of our exporting industry. We are a city of innovators and entrepreneurs and the fact that our exporting industry has grown by 10.7% over the last five years is testament to that. The ACT Government's recent trade mission to Singapore was an important stage of the Canberra's business growth. Three...

Canberra businesses have the confidence, expertise and products to make a mark in Singapore and right through South-East Asia. Canberra exporters are making an impact on the world stage and bringing to life the opportunities that are emerging from our vibrant innovation and knowledge intensive economy. It appears uncertainty from the contraction of the Commonwealth public service has only strengthened...

The goal of any online marketing or advertising is conversion. Small businesses spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on online advertisements to promote their products and services. Many of those adverts direct potential customers to the main website or a generic web page. The result is, poor lead conversion. Valuable leads are lost because of poor quality landing pages. Here...

Not many of us have a clear vision of what we want from our career at a very young age. However, somewhere along the way, we have to realise that unless we decide on our career goals and take action to achieve them, where we end up will be a matter of luck. Begin your career planning today with this...

Have you ever considered buying an investment property but have been daunted by the task and fear of getting it wrong? There are some fundamentals that you need to understand to be a successful property investor. This includes doing your research and finding a qualified property investment advisor who can help you through the process. You'll need to assess the...

When Google purchased YouTube in 2006 for a reported US$1.65b, I wasn't really sure what they had in mind, other than controlling the universe, one cat video, at a time. But now YouTube should really feel like part of the AdWords family, as Google opens up a whole new world of advertising possibilities with "Online Video" campaign options in the...

Intellectual Property (IP) may or may not be considered strategically important at the outset of developing new software or the latest smartphone application. However when it comes time to commercialise your products, get a 3 rd party to make amendments to code or graphics, or you need to register or confirm a clear chain of title to your IP, issues...

The new financial year brings in some changes to superannuation that everyone should be aware of. Superannuation guarantee For the 2014/15 year this has been increased from 9.25% to 9.5%. Both employers and employees should ensure this increase is being complied with. Concessional contributions Concessional contributions are those which are taxed at 15% upon entry into the fund. They encompass...

What is superannuation splitting? The trustee of one spouse's superannuation fund can be required either by Court Order or by agreement to split some of that spouse's superannuation interest to the other spouse on separation. Both spouses then have separate interests in the superannuation fund, which they can access on their retirement. In some cases, an interest can be 'rolled...

I recently attended the Entrepeneur of the Year awards hosted by EY and was reminded of the incredible success stories continually occurring in the Canberra business community. While our daily papers are filled with tales of woe on the state of the economy and the budgetary impact on the ACT over the next few years, these businesses are continuing to...

An organisation's board plays a critical role, and a good board can greatly increase an organisation's chance of success. The Board of Directors is charged with the responsibility of maintaining good corporate governance; it is the guardian of fairness; transparency and accountability in all of the major financial and business dealings of the company; and defending the interests of investors...