Proponents of the far-right are rejoicing as voters the world over give them a hearty lick of approval. Just like giant salted-caramel lollypops, this formerly unappealing flavour of political creed is now officially everyone’s favourite taste sensation. By the simple act of plunging into a pool of populism, adding a few heartfelt sprinkles of common man and a dusting of ‘wasn’t life great in 1...

What do a former elite rower, a car that runs on water and an award-winning IT transformation have in common? Plenty, as it turns out. Dmitri Colebatch has a history of high achievement. In a former life he represented Australia as an elite rower for nine years, notably winning silver in the Men’s Pair at the 1998 World University Championships in Croatia. These days, his focus is...

“You can’t manage what you don’t control, and you can’t control what you don’t measure.” So said American author and software engineer Tom DeMarco, and at the risk of mangling our metaphors, we’ll add, “if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”. Anyone who’s ever developed a business strategy for their organisation will likely be nodding in agreement a...

Anyone trying to run a business, especially an IT business, will know how tough it is to compete with the big guns when it comes to attracting – and keeping – quality staff. There’s a perception in the industry that big business offers better job security, pay and career advancement opportunities – and with good reason – it was once true. But several years ...

Transformations can make or break a business. Anyone who’s been responsible for rolling out a major IT overhaul or implementing a cost reduction program will have battle scars to prove it — but with good planning and sound strategy it doesn’t have to be a painful exercise. As you’d expect there are lots of elements that need to come together to get a tran...

The organisers of a conference for entrepreneurial women called Run The World, held in Melbourne on 19 September, had one goal: to inspire and be inspired. They delivered, but not for the reasons you might think. Samara Magazine sent me along to see what it was all about and I discovered a growing community of enterprising women who had seemingly not heard of the glass ceiling. An 8am start ...

The ten best podcasts of the moment for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Unless you are a) an infant, b) an alien, or c) an infant alien, you will no doubt be so obsessed with listening to podcasts that you barely have time to eat before new episodes of Hamish & Andy, The Moth and *insert preference here* demand your attention. Yeah, we hear you. With literally thousands of ne...

Why take the tram when there's so much to see on foot? Ah Melbourne. Bulging with activity, breathless with action and beguiling with gorgeous art and architecture. If you need reminding why Melbourne has been voted the World’s Most Liveable City for four years running, maybe it’s time you stepped off the tram and took a good long constitutional. I did so recently, and here’s what I discovered. ...

                            Here we are, three weeks into January already and I’m wondering how the festive season flew by so quickly. For most of us, fabulous summer holidays at the beach are but a distant memory. Perhaps, like me, you’ve stubbornly resisted the urge to wash the san...

Back in twelfth century Italy, an entrepreneurial friar named Allessandro della Spina launched a revolutionary new product to help people see a little better. Although rudimentary by today’s standards, his ‘eyeglasses’ were a game-changer. Suddenly, smashed thumbs from errant blacksmithing irons and pricked pinkies from misjudged sewing needles became solely the domain of the clumsy. People wit...