Yahoo Finance AU$1bn stash waiting for Aussies; Victoria virus costing Australia $1bn a week
Here's the Yahoo Finance morning wrap.
Yahoo Finance AUHow to get Amazon Australia's $400,000 giveaway
Helping the nation recover to the 'new normal'.
- Business Insider
TikTok's Australian boss rejects allegations it feeds data to the Chinese government, as the app faces increased scrutiny from local lawmakers
* TikTok is facing increasing pressure in Australia, just one month after opening its first local office. * This week, an unnamed federal MP called for the app to be banned, while Senator Jenny McAllister encouraged it to face the Select Committee on Foreign Interference Through Social Media. * It comes amid ongoing allegations the video sharing platform allows the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to collect data on its 1 billion active users and censor content that is politically sensitive to it. * TikTok's Australian management denied it would provide access to the CCP if requested and said it does not share user information with any foreign government. * Visit Business Insider Australia's homepage for more stories.* * *Having established an Australian office in Sydney just one month ago, viral video platform TikTik is already facing pressure to front up to Parliament.The app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has amassed an enormous global user base by allowing users to share short 15-second videos.Some allege its viral popularity also gives the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) the potential to harvest data from more than 1 billion active users, of which 1.6 million are Australian."There have been credible reports that TikTok takes more data than its users would expect, and moderates content for reasons that its users may not be comfortable with," Senator Jenny McAllister, chair of the Select Committee on Foreign Interference Through Social Media, said in a statement."I think Australians would expect that TikTok and other platforms will appear before the Senate committee to answer questions – both about their own policies and the best way to secure a healthy social media environment."There's certainly mounting pressure on the company to appear before Parliament to answer those questions. This week the Herald Sun published comments from an unnamed federal MP calling for the app to be banned here. TikTok's Australian management says the company maintains its independence from the CCP."TikTok does not share information of our users in Australia with any foreign government, including the Chinese government, and would not do so if asked. We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity," TikTok Australia's general manager Lee Hunter said in a statement provided to Business Insider Australia."We always welcome the opportunity to meet with policymakers to talk about TikTok, including the steps we're taking to make it an even safer and more creative place."Hunter also emphasised the fact that the servers where data is stored are housed in Singapore, with limited access from overseas entities.It's not the first time TikTok has faced this kind of scrutiny. Earlier this year, the Australian Defence Force banned TikTok from being downloaded on any device it issued to staff, following a similar ban implemented for US military and airport staff in February.More recently, India banned it along with dozens of other Chinese apps following a border dispute with China. It's become an even more sensitive issue in Australia following heightened tensions with the Chinese government and state-based cyber-attacks in June.TikTok has also come under fire for the influence it directs over the content on the platform, with leaked documents revealing it censored content deemed politically sensitive for the Chinese government as well as LGBTQ content in conservative countries.Of course, while TikTok poses a growing threat to US social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, some argue the Chinese app isn't necessarily more intrusive than what users entrust to its rivals and Google on a daily basis.Moreover, while it has raised the ire of some policymakers, the users who have flocked to it appear largely unconcerned.* * *READ MORE: * TikTok is hiring up in Australia, as the wildly popular short-form video app continues to build a local presence * China is warning students and tourists to reconsider travelling to Australia amid reports of rising racism, posing a $24 billion threat to the economy * Caught between Trump and China, Australia is starting to have second thoughts about the US
- Business Insider
10 things you need to know this morning in Australia
Good morning!1\. The NSW-Victoria border closes at midnight tonight. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said he, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison “agreed that the best thing to do is to close the border" as COVID-19 cases continue to increase in the southern state. There was an increase of 127 cases yesterday, and two deaths.2\. But if you're a Melburnian hoping to make a mad dash across the border today, you're out of luck. Anyone from Greater Melbourne isn't allowed to cross into NSW as of now, unless they obtain a special permit for a very limited range of allowed activities, like obtaining medical care or fulfilling a legal obligation.https://twitter.com/BreakfastNews/status/12802538741550530563\. The World Health Organisation is reviewing a report that suggests coronavirus can be transmitted by tiny particles in the air. This would be a worrying change from the currently accepted knowledge that coronavirus is transmitted through large droplets expelled by coughs, sneezes and speech.4\. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern indicated on Monday that the latest spike of COVID-19 cases in Victoria could delay a travel bubble between the country and Australia. There is a glimmer of hope that NZ could instead work out state-based travel bubbles – which would obviously preclude Victoria at this moment.5\. The cost of a second wave of COVID-19 infections to the Australian economy has been pegged at $100 billion by Deloitte economists. Describing a potential resurgence as “a disaster”, Deloitte Access Economics partner Chris Richardson forecast that, even if we manage to dodge a second wave, the economy would struggle to recover. “Families are struggling with the toxic trio of high debt, high unemployment, and low confidence, and 2020 is a shocker of a year," Richardson said. "The ranks of the unemployed will be badly swollen for a while."6\. Afterpay is seeking to raise $800 million in fresh equity, and its founders are looking to sell a $250 million stake, according to the AFR. The deal, which is worth a combined $1.05 billion, was slated to launch with the institutional placement of new shares and founder selldown on Tuesday morning.7\. TikTok's new Australian boss has hit back at calls for the app to be banned on national security grounds. Lee Hunter, who has walked into one hell of a new job, denied that the Bytedance-owned app shares data with the Chinese government. "TikTok does not share information of our users in Australia with any foreign government, including the Chinese government, and would not do so if asked," he said. "We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity."8\. Uber on Monday confirmed earlier reports that it would buy the food-delivery company Postmates for $US2.65 billion in an all-stock deal. Postmates was founded by Bastian Lehmann, Sam Street, and Sean Plaice in 2011. It serves the US and is headquartered in San Francisco. Uber has been circling around several smaller food-delivery businesses over the past few years, attempting to buy Grubhub and Deliveroo.9\. Some Silicon Valley companies have been listed as recipients of the US government's Paycheck Protection Program, which is basically like the US version of JobKeeper. These include Andreessen Horowitz, the Burning Man festival, Bird, Eat Club, and Enjoy. This is controversial because the PPP – unlike JobKeeper, which is far more broad-based – takes the form of low-interest loans specifically intended for small businesses, not larger firms.10\. Reddit and LinkedIn are making changes to their apps after Apple's big new iPhone update caught them snooping. The new update exposed the fact both apps were copying content from the clipboard without user consent. Reddit is releasing a fix for its app on July 14, while LinkedIn recently said it had released a new version of its app to the App Store that removes this functionality. TikTok was also caught doing this recently.BONUS ITEMIf you need a pick-me-up this morning, why not stress about your data?https://twitter.com/techinsider/status/1280254494123732992
- Business Insider
'It's never too early': Venture capital firms on the best time – and best way – to reach out for funding
* Stone & Chalk released its free 42-page capital raising guide for startups this month. * As part of the launch, the company held a panel discussion with members from venture capital firms on the investing process. * The panellists underlined the importance of founders building a relationship with venture capital firms before asking for an investment. * Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.* * *So you have a startup and you want to score some funding from a venture capital (VC) firm. VCs say that if you're only asking at that point, you're probably too late.In July, innovation hub Stone & Chalk released a free 42-page capital raising guide for startups, which includes the ways you can raise capital, what venture capitalists look for, and how to pitch your startup. During the launch, Stone & Chalk hosted a panel discussion where a range of venture capitalists provided insights on the funding process. The panel included Simon Cant, co-founder and managing partner at Reinventure, Michael Dovey, general partner at IAG Firemark Ventures, Andrea Gardiner, founder and CEO of Jelix Ventures and Chris Quirk, investment manager at Rampersand.They discussed the ideal timeframe for when startup founders should get in touch with VCs for funding, and the outlook for investments amid the coronavirus pandemic. The best time to ask for an investment The panellists said it was much better for startups to build a relationship with VCs long before they ask for an investment. It allows the VCs to get to know the founders and creates a smoother process for when you're ready to seek funds. "If you haven't been in touch with a VC and you are trying to raise immediately, then that's probably too late," Quirk said. Instead, the panellists agree that it's the earlier the better. "It's never too early to get in touch with them," Dovey explained – the catch being that you have to find the right way to connect."The mistake that I think a lot of founders make is the spray-and-pray approach, almost like spam," he said. "So don't send a mass email to every contact in your contact list or a generic email list of every investor that you've got in touch with [when] presenting your startup." Dovey also advised against sending cold messages through LinkedIn. The best way, according to Dovey, is to get in touch with VCs through a mutual connection."We have a website with our portfolio companies listed," he said. "Perhaps it would be helpful for the founder to make a connection with one of our portfolio companies and use that as a pathway to then build a relationship with us."And, of course, do some due diligence on the company – find out who it is and what it invests in, then use a mutual connection to make that contact.Cant agreed that the way you get in touch with a VC is important. He too suggested getting in touch with existing portfolio companies or making connections as the best way to make contact with Reinventure. "Something that I've seen work extremely well is when founders will get other founders who are further along the journey on to an advisory board or in some other capacity to ... support them in that journey," he said.But the VCs warned against outsourcing your capital raising to advisory firms."I would absolutely suggest: do not do that," Cant said. "There are a lot of VC funds who won't even take a look at a pitch from an advisor firm. "Part of the theory here is that, if I bank you as a founder, I need to be confident that you can raise the next round of capital. Now if the last round was raised by an advisor, I have no confidence that you'll be able to raise the next round on your own."Gardiner backed that up by saying "the best person to sell the investment opportunity is going to be the founder". "They're the ones that understand the space and are genuine and passionate about what they're doing," she said. "And I think secondary people just cannot do as good a job of selling it." How investors feel about the coronavirus pandemic The coronavirus pandemic has no doubt thrust numerous sectors into disarray, from the travel industry through to hospitality. But companies seeking funds seem to be bucking the trend. This year around 235 listed companies have raised nearly $15 billion on the ASX, around triple the average. And smaller private companies have followed a similar – albeit smaller – trend. Cant acknowledged that while there is "a little bit of trepidation at the moment" there's "more money sitting in the wings" to go into new ventures. Dovey said "it's not all doom and gloom" and that IAG Firemark is still "very much active". "We have dedicated funds with capital and the current environment hasn't changed that at all for us," he said. Dovey also had an optimistic view of the future of investing. "This COVID environment will pass," he said. "And I know the Australian venture capital ecosystem has probably never been as strong as what it currently is - there's more participants than ever, there's more funds than ever." He added that the maturity of the ecosystem has lifted significantly in the last five years. "I think the future's looking good," he said. "We've just got to get past this COVID hump hopefully this year and things should start turning around."
- Business Insider
Here are the 12 things you need when you're pitching to investors, according to Stone & Chalk's new capital raising guide
* Stone & Chalk released a guide to capital raising for startups. * The guide was developed in partnership with companies including venture capitalists Airtree and NAB Ventures, as well as the ASX. * It identifies what venture capitalists are looking for, explains the different funding rounds, and reveals what you should include in your pitch. * Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.* * *Innovation hub Stone & Chalk have released a new guide for startups on raising capital.Stone & Chalk provides innovation services to early stage tech companies, businesses and the government, with bases in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.This month, the firm released a free, 42-page capital raising guide for startups which goes through the process of – you guessed it – raising capital. The guide was launched with companies including Airtree (which backed design powerhouse Canva and education platform Edrolo), the ASX, and NAB Ventures.It provides a range of handy tips on raising capital, with explanations on the different types of funding rounds, the different ways you can raise capital, what venture capitalists (VCs) look for and how to go about pitching. What venture capitalists look for When it comes to what VCs look out for, Stone & Chalk points to six key areas: the market, product, capabilities, growth, financials and exit.In terms of the market, it asks questions like "Is there a market for your product or a big enough problem to be solved?" For your product, the guide asks questions like "How is it different?" "Is it solving a problem in a unique way?" "Do you have IP that your competitors don't have?"Capabilities refer to the skills and experiences of your team, while growth comes down to metrics like monthly revenue, how many units have been sold, or how many users have been acquired.Financials relate to the profit margin and annual recurring revenue, while exit looks at the potential buyouts and opportunities for exiting. The 12 key pitching slides When it comes time to pitch, Stone & Chalk says all founders need two different presentations: a pitch deck and an investor deck. The pitch deck is what you whip out when pitching on stage or to an audience. It tells the story of your start up and the problem it solves in simple terms with basic information and images to support it.Then there's the investor deck, which is usually sent out to a meeting ahead of time. This deck uses more business terms and discusses the startup's strategy in more detail.Also included in the guide is a 12 page slide outline for when you pitch. Here's what each slide should include: 1. IntroductionThe name of your startup and what your purpose is in a sentence. 2. Key insight story How you discovered the problem (or need) and what you're doing to solve it. 3. Problem statementWhat the problem is and how current companies are either approaching or neglecting it. 4. Relevant market opportunityThis is where you identify your market, target customer and the size of your target market. 5. CompetitorsWho your competitors are, and where your company sits in relation to them. 6. Your solutionWhat is your unique selling proposition? What makes it a game changer? 7. Competitive advantageWhat do you have that's hard to replicate? 8. Your team Your team's startup experience, expertise and history. 9. TractionYour timeline, any milestones and any customers you have. 10. Business modelKey financial stats and revenue streams. 11. Financial statusThis is where you outline your historical finances and projections related to your product. 12. Raise This is where you mention how much capital you're looking to raise and for how much equity.
- Business Insider
The best places to work with decent Wi-Fi on the Gold Coast – the new hot spot for entrepreneurs
> Business Insider has partnered with City of Gold Coast to help improve your view. It's hard to go without Wi-Fi at the best of times, and especially so when you have work to get through – but does that mean you should sacrifice good views?Considering several studies in the US have concluded that even looking at a tree can reduce your stress levels, it seems like the answer is no.Swap the concrete jungle for sun, sand and palm trees without sacrificing easy access to everything your business needs. The Gold Coast has changed dramatically in the last few years, transforming into a hotspot for budding entrepreneurs and food enthusiasts. Including being the first council in Australia to invest in a fibre optic cable, meaning they can provide ultra-fast, free public Wi-Fi.Thanks to this public Wi-Fi, you can easily work from just about anywhere - you can answer emails right on the beach if the mood strikes you.While you obviously have plenty of choices, here are a few of our top five picks for business-equipped spaces right by the water. 1\. New Wave Co-SpaceWhether you need a desk, meeting room or more permanent address without a desk New Wave Co-Work has you covered. Whether it's for 24-hours, a week or a month, you can make use of this modern shared office, surround by hip decor and motivational signs starting from only $30. 2\. Little Mermaid CafeMaybe you're a person who prefers a little background buzz and top-notch grub while you work? If so there are many cafes to choose from, but Little Mermaid is among the best. It's a good size, so you'll actually get a table and not feel pressured to make room for others. Plus it's on-trend and right by the ocean. 3\. Rhapsody ResortWhen TripAdvisor, Wotif, Booking.com and Hotels.com are all singing your praises, it's a winner. Not only do Rhapsody Resort have one or two-bedroom apartments overlooking the ocean, but they have boutique conference and event facilities for all your small event, workshop or board meeting needs. 4\. Southport LibraryI know, I know - who uses libraries anymore? Well hear me out, because you'll want to when you realise that Gold Coast libraries organise regular workshops and events to help you grow professionally. Throughout the year various successful entrepreneurs come in to share their top tips.
Yahoo Finance AUClosing deals over Zoom: How to make business soar during a pandemic
Making sales during a crisis isn’t impossible; you just need to rehash your approach, a sales expert has said.
Yahoo Finance AUThe only way to get your $1,500 Covid-19 quarantine payment
Victorians will be persuaded with $1,500 to self-isolate, but there’s only one way to get your hands on it.
- Business Insider
Nestlé's Australian confectionary boss says the company is changing the names of Red Skins and Chicos lollies so it is not 'marginalising' its customers
* Last month, Nestlé announced plans to change the names of its Chicos and Red Skins lollies. * The decision followed global Black Lives Matter movement brought issues of racial injustice to light. * Nestlé General Manager of Confectionary in ANZ, Chis O’Donnell told Business Insider Australia what led the company to change the names. * Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.* * *In June, Nestlé revealed its decision to replace the names of its Red Skins and Chicos lollies, after the Black Lives Matter movement brought the issue of racial discrimination and injustice to the forefront around the globe."Redskin" is widely understood to be a derogatory word for Native Americans and First Nations Canadians. "Chico", on the other hand, can be offensive to those of Latin American descent. Concerns about the names of the lollies being offensive have been raised for several years.The lollies are made under the Allen's brand, with Australia being the only place they are sold. "These names have overtones which are out of step with Nestlé’s values, which are rooted in respect," Nestlé said in a statement at the time.Nestlé General Manager of Confectionary in ANZ, Chis O’Donnell, discussed the lolly name-change with Business Insider Australia."It was a reflection of us wanting to ensure that we weren't marginalising any of our consumers," he said.O'Donnell said the Allen's mission is "creating smiles". Determining consumer groups "weren't smiling" about this situation, it signalled to the company that a change needed to be made."In the first instance, we just made the decision that we are going to change the name," O'Donnell said. "We're now going through the process of what we're going to change it to and we'll work quickly to get it into the market.""What you see with that example is an evolution of brands wanting to continue to be relevant into the future," he added.
- Business Insider
The ATO has begun punting ineligible workers off JobKeeper, with its incoming audit expected to cause ‘mayhem’ for small businesses
* The ATO has revealed it kicked 6,500 businesses off the government's JobKeeper after their claims were deemed fraudulent or ineligible. * 8,000 people have been sent letters indicating they may need to repay wage subsidies they have already received. * As the ATO assigns 3,000 employees to the review process, those numbers could jump higher still – with some warning the audit process itself will cause "major problems" for honest small businesses. * Visit Business Insider Australia's homepage for more stories.* * *The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has got its work cut out for it as it begins auditing the businesses receiving payments from the $70 billion JobKeeper program. The tax office has already stopped 6,500 business from receiving the $1,500 a fortnight wage subsidy after their claim was deemed either ineligible or fraudulent."[We] have an important role to ensure the integrity of the stimulus measures and when we uncover fraud or people seeking to exploit them, we’ll take action, as we know the community would expect us to do," deputy commissioner Will Day said."If you've received a benefit as part of the COVID-19 stimulus measures and we discover you are ineligible, you can expect to hear from us. If you think this may apply to you, you should contact us or speak to your tax professional."Designed to subsidise wages for businesses that have seen their turnover fall, the scheme is supporting some 3.3 million workers across 872,000 plus businesses.As with the early access to super scheme the ATO also administers, JobKeeper applicants were mostly approved across the board straight away, with the intention of later reviewing their eligibility.The sheer scale of the program has necessitated the assignment of 3,000 ATO employees to review each business."At any particular time, we are reviewing between 2 and 3% of JobKeeper applications," a spokeswoman told ABC News.The review poses a herculean task for the tax office which relies on participants to self-assess, a model that is far from perfect.The cost of the JobKeeper program, for example, was eventually revised down by a whopping $60 billion, with Treasury blaming businesses that misreported the size of their workforce.Last week, Independent Contractors Australia Ken Phillips commended the ATO on the speed with which they set up JobKeeper but warned the audit process would be where it could all come tumbling down."They did a spectacular job of putting in place the JobKeeper scheme. This thing could have fallen over quite quickly, and they had extraordinarily short timelines in which to do this," he told the government's standing committee on taxation."But, the minute we start dealing with the audit and enforcement area of the ATO, we're dealing with the dark forces, to be dramatic about it. We haven't yet seen the ATO implementing the audit and enforcement areas, and this is, in our view and our experience, where we're going to have very major problems."Specifically, Phillip took issue with the ATO's role as judge, jury and executioner in its review, potentially stinging honest operators with little avenue for appeal."If the ATO do an audit and they believe and form the opinion that you have committed fraud, that is effectively the end of the case; they are the sole arbitrator," he said."I am predicting a blow-up of enormous proportions here that is going to cause mayhem, particularly through the small business community."Around 8,000 businesses have already received a letter from the tax office indicating they may need to repay JobKeeper payments.For many, it's a debt they can't afford. An independent study of Australian businesses provided to Business Insider Australia found that one in four couldn't pay their taxes and GST upfront last year, largely for cash flow reasons. To unexpectedly have to pay back months worth of wages during a recession may prove too much. While the ATO remains of the belief that the "overwhelming majority" of applicants are honest, it now has to wade through $13 billion in payments to find which ones should never have been made.With hundreds of thousands of businesses left to examine, the ATO has a long way to go yet.
Yahoo Finance AUWhy tax refunds are actually bad for you
Excited to get some money? Well it's your cash in the first place.
Yahoo Finance AUSo you just raided your super. What next?
So you withdrew your super. Here's how much you need to salary sacrifice to catch back up.
- Business Insider
6 perks of doing your MBA online – from flexibility to saving money
> Business Insider has partnered with CQU to help further your career. »There are upsides to revisiting uni when you're further along in life.For one, you'll likely have a clearer direction than you did fresh out of high school, and people who continue their studies after being in the workforce tend to have an actual goal in mind.The ultimate challenge, at least in the past, was how to successfully balance full-time study with a full-time career. Do you put your entire life on hold, potentially sacrificing your career trajectory, to go back and study? Can you afford to study again, with MBAs costing an average of $58,000 in 2020? Should you risk your current wage to progress further?These are all valid questions that universities have made steps to address and solve, with CQUniversity Australia leading the charge. 1\. Fewer overheads can mean affordable pricingGenerally, online courses can cost the same as their on-campus counterparts, however, with CQUniversity's online MBA (Leadership), they've circumnavigated many of the overheads associated with traditional course delivery, reducing the administration and course costs that come with timetabling of lecturers, rooms and equipment, making the entire process far more affordable.Depending on the type of MBA you are considering, you could be looking at other Australian MBA’s ranging in cost from $37,000 through to $100,000, so the price tag of $17,000 for a quality MBA is much more affordable and won’t break the bank. Plus, there are options to pay upfront, as-you-go, or access the FEE-HELP loan scheme if eligible. 2\. More flexibility than a standard courseRemoving the need to commute to and from uni is a massive advantage for people who need to keep their schedule flexible, and, since working from home has proven to be more successful than initially predicted, there's no reason to suggest that the success rate can't be translated to studying from home, too.CQUni’s MBA (Leadership) takes online learning a step further, providing all course content (including readings) from a single mobile-friendly platform, in sessions designed to take 30-40 minutes. 3\. The day of the deadline can cease to existOne of the most enticing aspects, though, is that CQUni's online MBA (Leadership) course has removed assessment deadlines, allowing you to complete the course in as little as 12-18 months or up to five years – and for the naturally tardy, that's music to their ears.Granted, deadlines can be a great motivation for completing work that'd otherwise slip by the wayside, but as long as you create a study schedule that works for you with self-set deadlines, there's no reason that you'd become more complacent than if you were doing a course that would punish you for late submissions. 4\. It decreases the risk of burnoutAt the crux of it, online studying allows for the unpredictable nature of life and you won’t be penalised for taking your time, which is much more reflective of reality than your standard uni semester.The flexibility of the course allows you to move at your own pace and maintain your current full-time position without risking very real burnout – additionally, you can also pause or fast-track your workload to study around social and family commitments or if you're required to log some last-minute overtime.“The student is in the driver’s seat. I decided when I wanted to study, what I wanted to study and best of all when I wanted to submit my assessments. There are no semesters, so once I completed a subject, I could move straight onto the next which worked great for my lifestyle,” said MBA (Leadership) graduate Susan Morey. 5\. The benefits can be immediateThere are numerous MBA options to choose from which align to different student goals. Some students have their sights set on world domination, while others complete an MBA with a comparatively modest desire to further progress in their current role or obtain new skills that will give them leverage when applying for more senior positions. The MBA (Leadership) focusses on the key elements of leadership, social innovation and entrepreneurship, giving students the know-how to lead a business into growth, and the course units can be completed in any order allowing students to immediately benefit from implementing what they have learned into everyday work life. 6\. Networking opportunities can ariseReturning to uni alongside like-minded students can open numerous doors as, when it comes down to it, life after the age of 21 is 90% networking. You could connect with people who work in an industry or for a company that you've always fancied, and just like that you've found your next career venture.“Although the course is completely online, I was able to connect with other students to meet people from completely different fields and backgrounds. In the 21st century, networking is no longer confined to a classroom – group forums and social networks are just as accessible wherever you are. I am still involved in a group chat where we have lively discussions," Morey explains.If you are looking to accelerate your career as a successful, transformational leader you can read up on the MBA (Leadership) here.
Yahoo Finance AU5 best apps to help with your 2020 Australian tax return
Doing your yearly paperwork is easier than ever with these tax-savvy apps.
Yahoo Finance AUATO explains exactly how to claim your remote work hours
A spokesperson for the ATO told Yahoo Finance exactly how and where to claim your hours worked from home.
Yahoo Finance AULessons in productivity from working at home with kids
Working from home while managing children isn't a walk in the park, but it teaches some interesting productivity lessons.
- Business Insider
Amazon claims its new robot-filled Sydney warehouse is an 'employment creator'
* Amazon is building a new robotics fulfilment centre in Sydney, which the company says will create 1,500 jobs. * Amazon Australia director of operations Craig Fuller told Business Insider Australia the company has been working on the project for 12 months. * Fuller argued the robots bring "safety" and "productivity" to the working environment. * Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.* * *On Tuesday, Amazon announced it's building a new robotics fulfilment centre in Sydney. This marks the fifth fulfilment centre the company will have in Australia, which will be home to 11 million items. The giant centre will be around 200,000 square metres across four levels – roughly the same land size of Taronga Zoo – with Amazon outsourcing construction to Goodman and their joint venture partner Brickworks. The site will have robots designed to cut down the time it takes stow products away or pick them up for new orders. Amazon Australia director of operations Craig Fuller told Business Insider Australia the company has been working on this project for 12 months, engaging with the New South Wales Government, the Penrith City Council and its development partners along the way."The New South Wales Government has been really supportive," he said. "They really helped us with permits and development applications."He explained that with a lot of thought is put into each building in Amazon's network."We constantly think about its role and its purpose and we invest accordingly in technology," he said. For example, the robotics building isn't suited for large products – such as, for example, ladders – but well-suited for small items like books, electronics, food and beverages. Amazon argues total automation isn't on the cards for the new facilityAmazon expects to finish its new robotics building in 2021 and create 1,500 jobs. Fuller said it will start hiring "well ahead of that opening" in line with the building's construction schedule.When asked whether the fulfilment centre will eventually become fully automated, Fuller said it was an "employment creator"."We know from our experience of launching Amazon robotics buildings in other countries that we actually make jobs," he said. "Since we started launching robotic sites, we've created around about 300,000 jobs."He added that people will still be required: "We still need people to maintain and look after the robots."A Reuters report pointed out that Amazon brought in robots to pack orders in its fulfilment centres in the US, leading to a possible loss of around 1,300 jobs from 55 fulfilment centres. The difference in Australia is that this is a new facility. The robots and safety For Fuller, the benefit of robots is that they bring "a lot of safety to the working environment as well as productivity." However, there have been reports out of the US suggesting more injuries have occurred at Amazon centres with robots versus centres without them.A report by The Atlantic together with Reveal from the Centre for Investigative Reporting on worker injuries at Amazon's warehouses said, "Of the records Reveal obtained, most of the warehouses with the highest rates of injury deployed robots." The report highlighted that when robots were introduced to Amazon's facility in Tracy, California, the rate of serious injuries rose from 2.9 per 100 workers in 2015 up to 11.3 in 2018.In response to claims of higher injuries at robotics centres, Fuller said, "I just think those claims are not true.""My experience with robotic sites is that the robotic field itself is completely caged off and closed. Humans cannot walk onto the floor of the robotic site. If we have to do maintenance, then we shut the site down and we do that with no risk to humans."My experience with Amazon robotics is that it's extremely safe for people in the workplace."Amazon has been operating fulfilment centres in Australia for two and a half years and Fuller is "really proud of our safety record". "We really do put safety first," he said. He added that Amazon carefully thinks through the ergonomics of the roles it asks people to do and mentioned measures like stretches at every shift and training employees so they learn right body movements to minimise the risk of injuries related to doing repetitive tasks."I can look back at the record that we have had in the last two and a half years and stand proudly behind that and know that in this new site, we'll continue that trend."
- Business Insider
Meet Zeller, the business fintech founded by ex-Square execs taking on Australia's big four banks
* Former Square executives Ben Pfisterer and Dominic Yap have founded business fintech Zeller. * Having raised $6.3 million, Zeller aims to provide a financial solution for businesses covering payment, savings and spending. * While not technically a bank, Pfisterer has likened the company's services to that of a business-facing neobank. * Visit Business Insider Australia's homepage for more stories.* * *Square, co-founded by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, wants to change the way customers pay. Now Zeller wants to do the same for business finance as a whole.Founded by former Square exec Ben Pfisterer and Dominic Yap, the Australian fintech is finally being unveiled after raising $6.3 million before the coronavirus pandemic.Speaking to Business Insider Australia, Pfisterer said the genesis of Zeller came from seeing Australian businesses left behind on the three fronts they use most."First and foremost they need to get paid, then they need somewhere to put that money and then need a way to deploy it, to pay their bills and staff and invest further. What we wanted to do was create a solution that did all three for them on one system," Pfisterer said. "One simple set of fees, no lock-in contract, simpler to onboard and simpler to use."While there's been some innovation around the edges, Pfisterer says Australian businesses have largely been lumped in with the big four banks who haven't been spurred to shake things up in a long while. If it sounds at all familiar, perhaps it is. Australian neobanks have made similar promises to overhaul consumer banking and offer a much-need injection of competition.While Zeller doesn't have any immediate plans to get a banking license, it may have taken some inspiration from Judo, the digital business lender which recently surpassed a $1 billion valuation.It may not intend to lend like Judo but it clearly shows the significant appetite – not to mention spoils – for digital business alternatives.Specifically, it's looking at the middle of the market, where Pfisterer says there are 1.5 million businesses which aren't being catered for.Pfisterer says Zeller is now ready to make a mark of its own."You see neobanks popping up everywhere, but they're all consumer-focused. There's no sort of neobank focused on all these other business needs. It's quite complicated but we think we have something completely unique."
Yahoo Finance AUHere's everything you need to know for tax time 2020
It's been a crazy year, so read this before you do your return.
- Business Insider
'We didn't want to get a real job': Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar on his upbringing and the company's early days
Image: Supplied * Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar is the latest guest to feature on Julia Zemiro's ABC show "Home Delivery". * In it, Farquhar describes his upbringing via his childhood home, the high school he went to, and Atlassian's first office. * Farquhar says the company started after he met fellow co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes at university. * Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.* * *Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar gives a peek into his upbringing and the early days of the company in the latest episode of "Home Delivery" on the ABC, hosted by Julia Zemiro.In the episode, he takes Julia through the home he grew up in in Castle Hill, describing what his childhood and family life was like.One of four children, Farquhar described the activities he was involved in when he was younger, from being in the Scouts to getting into computers.He recalled the time when his family didn't have a computer but his friend did, so he would go over and play on the computer there. "I remember one night crying myself to sleep asking for a computer from my dad," he recalled and three months later his father bought a second-hand computer. The device wasn't capable of playing games, but Farquhar spent around a year trying to get it to do so."Maybe that's where my interaction with computers comes from," he said, describing how he would "vainly" go through manuals to try and figure out how to play games on it. Meeting Mike Cannon-Brookes In the episode, we get to see the high school Farquhar went to, James Ruse Agricultural High School, and learn about him meeting fellow Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes on the first day of uni at the University of New South Wales.The two were from different backgrounds. While Farquhar was a public school kid, Cannon-Brookes went to a boarding school and his father was the head of a law firm. When Farquhar described how Atlassian started, he referred to an email Mike sent that said "let's not get a real job" where they would have to wear a suit. Instead, if they could earn the same as what people were making at places like PwC or IBM, then "we'll have won.""It wasn't originally started because we wanted to change the world - that came later," Farquhar said. "It was started really because we didn't want to get a real job and we thought we could do something interesting."Toward the end of the episode, we see the inside of Atlassian's first office. Farquhar admitted that in the early years, they were "winging it". "We had no idea what we were doing," he said.He described how "everything we did was wrong" like the company's business model and the way it sold its products – with one venture capitalist saying they didn't think the pairs ideas were capable of success. But, when Atlassian kept selling more of its software products and exceeding the venture capitalist's expectations, they stopped going back to see him for advice. "In [the] business world you have to be different and you have to be right," Farquhar said. "Lucky we were different and lucky we were right."Atlassian listed on the US NASDAQ in 2015 and is one of the biggest tech firms in Australia. The company's success made both Cannon-Brookes and Farquhar billionaires, with the duo topping the Australian Financial Review’s Young Rich List for 2019. That year, they had a combined wealth of $26.714 billion.Butm despite ranking on rich lists, Farquhar believes it is a "weird" measure of success compared to other metrics – like how many jobs are created by entrepreneurs or how you can benefit others.During the show, Farquhar also described what he believes is the best way to create change: vision."For me, change starts with a vision for a different world," he said.You can catch the full episode on the ABC at 8pm on Wednesday July 1.* * *READ MORE: * Atlassian is building the world's tallest hybrid timber building in Sydney as its new headquarters. Here's what it will look like.
- Business Insider
Mike Cannon-Brookes has endorsed a plan to create 1.8 million jobs and turn Australia into a 'renewable energy superpower'
* Think tank Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) has launched its 'Million Jobs Plan' mapping a vision for an acceleration of the renewable energy sector. * It plans to create 1.8 million jobs via the acceleration of new energy projects, creation of new zero-energy social housing and retrofitting of existing stock. * The framework for creating 1.8 million jobs was backed by corporate heavyweights Mike Atlassian co-founder Cannon-Brookes, First State Super CEO Deanne Stewart, and long-serving corporate director Kevin McCann, as well as former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. * Visit Business Insider Australia's homepage for more stories.* * *Three Australian corporate heavyweights have thrown their influence behind an ambitious plan to create almost two million new jobs and propel the renewable energy sector forward.Atlassian co-founder and vocal green energy champion Mike Cannon-Brookes backed think tank Beyond Zero Emissions' (BZE) five-year project at its launch this week."Let's focus on our assets, let's focus on the resources we have as a country, let's look at the natural resources we have," he said. "We can build a renewable energy superpower with a very low cost of energy generation.""We can use this as an opportunity to electrify so much of our economy in lots of different ways and we can use it to build a better strategically-positioned economy.""It's the way we need to start thinking about our future."Cannon-Brookes was flanked by Deanne Stewart, chief executive of $103 billion First State Super, as well as former Macquarie Group chair and corporate stalwart Kevin McCann.It comes after the federal government announced its technology investment roadmap, which Cannon-Brookes called an "interesting option" but "a strategy without a destination".This plan, he said, provides a proper direction in which Australia can lead."At the moment there's a lot of risk out there without a really clear path and policies," Stewart said. "We'd much prefer to be leading bravely on this matter than being a laggard."The three's endorsement adds significant weight to the 'Million Jobs Plan' which will create "secure, well-paying" employment via the acceleration of new energy projects. Those include the building of 90 gigawatts worth of solar and wind projects, an expansion of the electricity transmission network, the establishment of a battery manufacturing sector and growth of wind turbine production.The bulk of jobs, however, would be created in the building sector, with 935,000 Australians needed to retrofit 2.5 million low-income homes, build 150,000 net-zero carbon social housing dwellings and install solar and batteries at schools and public pools.Additional projects span transport, manufacturing and environmental regeneration, as Australia aims to rejigs its energy needs as much as its production and manage the damage already done to its land.https://twitter.com/mcannonbrookes/status/1277541610297778176As Australia heads into its first recession in three decades, BZE CEO Eytan Lenko said renewable energy investment could help lead the economic recovery."It shows how we can rebuild our nation through investment in practical projects, modernise our industry, reskill our workforce and deliver a bright and secure future for all Australians," he said in a recorded message.BZE lists some 20 economists, academics, and business people among its advisers including former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.Such an ambitious plan doesn't come cheap requiring hundreds of billions of dollars of investment, but BZE suspects there's sufficient appetite for low-carbon initiatives. It expects super funds, banks and corporates will all line up next to government funding to make it happen.While this week's announcement suggests parts of the business sector are ready, waiting for an Australian government to step up is a more complicated affair.* * *READ MORE: * Atlassian boss Mike Cannon-Brookes is funding the world’s largest solar farm here to sell energy to Asia via a cable – and even he admits it sounds ‘batshit insane’ * Atlassian is building the world's tallest hybrid timber building in Sydney as its new headquarters. Here's what it will look like.
- Business Insider
Amazon is building a robotic fulfilment centre in Sydney, 'doubling' the company's footprint in Australia
* Amazon is building a robotics fulfilment centre in Sydney, which sees it double its footprint in Australia. * This will be the fifth Amazon fulfilment centre in Australia, which the company claims will create 1,500 jobs across robotics, IT and HR. * The building will span across 200,000 square metres. * Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.* * *Amazon is building its first Australian 'robotic' fulfilment centre in Sydney, the company's latest effort to expand locally.Construction has begun at Goodman's Oakdale West Industrial Estate in Western Sydney and is slated to finish by late 2021. The company claims the centre will create more than 1,500 jobs, including an extra 700 jobs in construction.More than 11 million items will be stocked at the new centre. Robots will speed up the order processing time by moving shelves to employees. They will cut down the time it takes stow items away or pick them up for new orders. The robots are also designed to save space, allowing 50% more items to be stowed per square metre. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in a statement the jobs come "at a time when we need them most.""Amazon’s decision to locate its first robotic centre in the Southern Hemisphere right here in Western Sydney is another great example about what the future holds," she said.This will be a mammoth building, with the floor area to be around 200,000 square metres across four levels – roughly the same land size of Taronga Zoo.Amazon Australia director of operations Craig Fuller said in a statement, "The Amazon Robotics fulfilment centre will more than double our operational footprint in Australia, enhance efficiency and safety for our associates while ultimately providing customers with wider selection and faster delivery."This investment will also benefit the 10,000 plus small & medium sized businesses who utilise Fulfilment By Amazon to seamlessly service customers across the country." There are more than 50 Amazon robotic fulfilment centres around the world Amazon has more than 175 fulfilment centres around the world and more than 50 robotics fulfilment centres.The company expanded its automation efforts in the United States in 2019, rolling out machines to box up customer orders in a number of existing fulfilment centres. The jobs picture was less rosy there – Reuters reported that the robots were set to replace up to 1,300 jobs across 55 fulfilment centers.The automation effort has been a long-term project, which accelerated back in 2012 when Amazon acquired robotics firm Kiva for $775 million.In Australia, the company already has three fulfilment centres, including one in Dandenong, Melbourne, in Moorebank, Sydney and in Perth's Airport precinct. More recently, Amazon announced the development of a fourth fulfilment centre in Lytton, Brisbane which should start operating before Christmas 2020."The project will contribute to local workforce development and provide skilled employment in areas like robotics, logistics and supply chain," Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said in a statement. "It will also help build our local e-commerce sector, giving small and medium-sized businesses access to Amazon’s packing, shipping, customer service and returns capabilities, along with easier access to millions of customers customers across Australia and the world." CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated this was Amazon’s fourth facility in Australia. It will be the fifth.
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