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The risk factors surrounding exposure to silica, and rise in industrial desease claims, are presented.

The reasons behind the growth of stock market listings of Australiain small companies are presented.

The business growth plans of chief executive John Tolmie of Darrell Lea Chocolate Shops Proprietary Ltd., through franchising, are presented.

The economic impact of Australia's free-trade agreements with the United States, Singapore and Thailand is discussed.

The details on the business success of entrepreneur Steve Morriss, who adopted green technology on recycled printer cartridges that are resold, are presented.

The advantages of starting business early, in the context of business success of companies such as Kinetic Defence Services, are presented.

The need for Australian small businesses to adopt tax compliance is examined.

The significance of owner-manager structure, for the success of fourth-generation family businesses, is examined.

The business success of OBE Beef, which forecasted $10 million revenue for 2004-05 from exports, is examined.

The details on the impact of high insurance premiums on small and medium-size firms in Australia are examined.

The reasons behind the business success of Brian Dolling of NuKorc, which is projecting $50 million revenues from synthetic corks, are presented.

The positive impact of free trade agreement between Australia and China, on Australia's economy, is discussed.

The issue of business trademark protection for small businesses is discussed. The details on intellectual property dispute of PsyCare, in Australia, are presented.

The details on business growth of Award Bookkeeping Company, which posted $1.3 million turnover for 2004-05 under chief executive Deb Shugg, are presented.

The details on business growth of Healthy Habits, which posted $5 million turnover for 2004-05 under chief executive Katherine Sampson, are presented. The company ranks seventh among fastest growing Australian franchises.

The details on revenue growth of Muir Engineering by 20% for 2004-2005, which is attributed to adoption of quality control measures, are presented.

The adverse financial costs of fraud being incurred by Australian companies are assessed.

The significance of entrepreneurial experience for business success is discussed. A profile on the business growth of Webjet, under the stewardship of David Clarke, is presented.

An overview of revenue growth of Australian agricultural sector is presented.

The article discusses challenges faced by three Australian start-up companies with regards to seeking funding from venture capitalists. David Jones and Scott Thomas' track record helped them raised capital for technology firm ThreatMETRIX. Anwar Khalil convinced capitalists that investing in Martian Logic is safe. Aura Interactive received funding from investors Incubators ADI and Information City.

The article discusses China's efforts to address international intellectual property (IP) rights and the counterfeiting of goods. More than 13,000 cases of IP theft were filed in courts in 2005. Beijing's municipal government has already included IP protection on the city's economic and social development plan. 300 Chinese enterprises will be awarded "model enterprise" status for their IP protection efforts.

The article discusses the challenges faced by Australian franchisors who are planning to expand in other countries. Franchisors should consider several factors before lending themselves to global expansion. The biggest pitfalls are supply chain logistics, the need to customize products, services and brands to the local market and foreign legal systems and regulation. Above all of these challenges, the risk of using the wrong business model is hovering.

The article discusses various new fashion designers that have creative talent and excellent business skills in Australia. One of them is Yeojin Bae, fashion designer that launches her own eponymous label. Another one is Jayson Brunsdon, the founder and sole designer of his self-named label. And also Alex Zabotto-Bentley, founder and sole designer of FashionAssassin clothing brand.

The article features several business enterprises in Australia. MFS, founded by Phil Adams and Michael King, is managing $4 billion in funds, including $500 million in the emerging hedge funds business HFA Funds Management Group. Boom Logistics is a company that supplies cranes, cherry pickers, access equipment and many others. Gloria Jean's Coffees was the second most popular brand described by 40 percent of survey participants.

The article presents a discussion about the confusion and complications that business enterprises have regarding the pressure they experience by regulation and being fed up with costs. It states that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission are the well-known organizations relative to regulation.

The article presents the top 50 philanthropists in Australia based on the total amount donated as of 2005. These philanthropists include Marjory Edwards who donated $37 million of her estate to several nonprofit organizations, Greg Poche who donated $32.5 million, and Margaret Doyle and George Henderson who donated $16 million of their estate.

The article points out that U.S. companies are using intellectual property as a weapon and often resort to litigation to test the ability of their competitors. U.S. companies have a bigger tendency to sue because the U.S. legal system, unlike in Australia, does not require the loser to pay the winner's costs. Also, lawyers can appear on a contingency fee basis.

The article focuses on the potential of investors or business owners to draw venture capitalists into a bidding war in Australia. It points out that most investors have struggled to set up meetings with the small group of companies in the sector. Venture capital firms consider innovative ideas, products, services or technology when negotiating with investors.

The article reports on the sales improvements in the small-listed companies. Despite on the sizeable downfalls in the business in 2005, small capital companies that were labeled as market dawdlers had exceeded the earning anticipations including the WorleyParsons Co., an engineering and construction company.

The article reports on the benefits of a website for small businesses in Australia. Online baby accessory retailer Babybuds took almost two years to create a reliable and secure website. Problems arise when small business owners equate the popularity of online shopping with profit and revenue. Analysts advise that online strategies must be tight which means spending almost as much time and money on e-commerce websites and market as big-business counterparts.

The article offers a report on the BRW Top 25 Law Firms survey for 2006 in connection with work-life balance. The survey shows that young lawyers are abandoning the conventional high-pressure path to partnership in favor of a career as in-house counsel. It reports that 23 percent of the total population of lawyers are considering leaving the profession, and shows that work-life balance was cited as the most common factor motivating them to consider quitting.

The article reports that an increasing number of Australians are buying real property overseas. In particular, they prefer Asia for its higher rates of return notwithstanding higher risks. On the average, Shanghai real estate yields an annual return from 16% to 18.5%, attributable in part to the undervalued Yuan.

The article reflects on the author's view regarding the move by banks into the small and medium-size enterprise (SMEs) sector in Australia. According to the author, the move has not helped every business get its financial needs. He cited that many SMEs after years of combating the banks for credit, they still find that sucuring funding remains difficult.

The article discusses the growing popularity of online export. An Exporting Online poll reveals that small businesses are nearly twice as likely to export online as their corporate counterparts. The web eliminates trade barriers, bypasses middlemen and cuts through language barriers. To overcome online export challenges, many small businesses should stop acting globally and begin thinking locally.

The article reports on the Narelle Anderson's determination to survive and prosper in the male-dominated garbage collection business in Australia. Anderson is the chief executive of waste management company CBD Enviro Services, which transports most of the garbage from office buildings, government departments and businesses in Sydney and Canberra to recycling plants. Its revenue has increased by 35 percent to $3 million in 2005-2006.

The article focuses on the proposal made by Lex Forsyth, the founder and chief executive officer of Sea Cargo Logistics in Australia, on speeding up the freight movements to and from the Port of Brisbane. Forsyth suggested to build a $40-million transport hub with warehousing and a rail link. He hopes to secure part of the funding from the federal government.

The article focuses on the difficulties faced by small businesses in Australia, which is caused by several factors such as rising petrol prices, higher interest rates, and increasing labor costs. Alan Milwidsky, a trade consultant and director of Business Strategies International Inc., stated that small businesses need waterlight import strategies to succeed.

The article features financial adviser Colin Resnick and is now the director of Babtec Holding. Resnick known to be a turnaround doctor who helped recover a veterinary and holding company which was formerly named as Petsfirst. He has been rescuing businesses from the edge of bankruptcy. He grew up in South Africa and had the first job to assess whether a company should be closed or not.

The article focuses on the introduction of workplace laws in Australia. The franchise of Pulp Juice put down liquidation and the staff was provided with new workplace agreements under the Federal Government's Workchoices legislation. Experts encourage businesses not to cast out the new system due to the fear of getting it wrong. Peter Hendy said that the new Australian Workplace Agreement provide small business a lead in competing with big business since it permits a more elastic workforce that moves with demand.

The article discusses the impact of the Israel-Lebanon conflict on the foreign trade between Australia and the Middle East. Several Australian companies have signed deals with Israel-based companies. Economists have warned that any escalation of the conflict would be disastrous for Australian industries. Recent bombings in Lebanon has stalled Australia's exports to the country. Despite disruption in exports to the Middle East, economists are positive due to growing income in the region.

The article reports that businesses in Australia need to increase their investment in research and development, and get better at turning research into products. Australia spends just 1.62 percent of gross domestic product on research and development, well below the 2.2 percent average for countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The article discusses the barriers and opportunities offered by India's economic growth for Australian businesses. The country's annual economic growth has averaged 6 percent. One of the barriers to Australian businesses is corruption, however, the opportunities offered by the country's economic growth and demographics outlive these barriers. India is also expected to overtake China as the world's fastest-growing economy over the next 30-50 years.

The article discusses on the shortage of skilled workers and its implications to small business enterprises in Australia. The country's unemployment rate is just 5.1 percent, which indicates that the country is already close to full employment. More than 20 percent of the country's business owners, including small businesses, are actively looking for staff overseas. According to LIVEINAustralia company CEO Assyl Haidar, recruiting overseas workers is a tough and expensive process.

The article discusses the business success of Ecowash Mobile, a waterless car-washing business in Australia. Co-founder Jim Cornish says that price and quality drive the sale. Ecowash revenue increased from $655,000 in 2004-2005 to $3.9 million in 2005-2006. Thirty franchises now operate under the Ecowash brand that sells for $55,000.