Smart Company: Top Story

Female participation on the entrepreneurial playing field has not just stagnated, it has gone backwards. AMANDA GOME dissects what is holding women back and outlines the pro-active steps that every woman in business can take to rise to the top.

Almost three quarters of business owners plan to raise their prices in the next three months, but increasing prices in a downturn is never easy. EMILY ROSS examines ideas you can use to raise prices and examines other pricing strategies to keep sales growing.

It’s not going to be a rosy year for any business model, but franchising’s crystal ball is especially foggy. JACQUI WALKER delves into the likely scenarios to get a better view.

When it comes to the state of the nation, SmartCompany has the unique sounding-board of the country’s engine room – small and medium business. To answer the above question, PATRICK STAFFORD asked a dozen entrepreneurs for their take on the economy.

Are your sales efforts aimed at the right sectors? As the Australian economy hurtles towards recession, veteran business watcher and IBISWorld founder PHIL RUTHVEN nominates the industries that will be hardest hit – and the sectors that should hold up.

The downturn is testing the nerve of company directors – their personal assets and reputations are on the line with every decision they make. Directors need to watch carefully for signs of trouble and managers must work harder to keep them happy. LEON GETTLER reports.

There have been some high-profile corporate failures over the past year, and the evidence suggests that the bloodbath isn’t over. JAMES THOMSON takes a look at 25 of the more prominent cases to draw salient lessons for every business.

The online retail sector has been dismissed as a distraction from the real game – even recently, by retail giant Gerry Harvey – but the figures, and the trend, tell a different story. PATRICK STAFFORD reports.

We’ve compiled a list of 12 companies that are dripping with ‘next-big-thing’ credentials. BRAD HOWARTH reports on Australia’s most promising internet entrepreneurs.

As shell-shocked as many investors feel right now, smart market watchers will be keeping a few facts in mind – prices look cheap, governments are pumping money into the system and the resulting build-up of cash will eventually find its way back into the markets. JAMES DUNN unearths the likeliest areas to first feel the recovery.

If you haven’t heard it already, the next 12 months are going to be tough for online businsses – especially if your revenue depends in anyway on advertising. But DENISE SHRIVELL reminds us that the platforms and strategies you settle on now will ensure your success when we see the inevitable upturn.

After almost a decade of strong growth, the online sector faces its first major recesson. The experts are bracing for a tough year, but some products and services will still thrive. AMANDA GOME outlines the top 20 trends that every business owner needs to come to grips with.

The threat of recession hangs heavy over the business landscape, but not every company is bracing for bad news. In a sector-by-sector breakdown, SmartCompany reveals the industries of likely refuge in the maelstrom ahead.

There are plenty of differing opinions about how far in we are, and how long we have to go, before the light appears at the end of this downturn tunnel. LOUIS COUTTS gauges the distance.

There are several key elements affecting the overall economy, and the stability or otherwise of each can be integral to your business’s viability for the year ahead. JAMES THOMSON surveys the likely scenarios.

The iPhone will help triple the size of Australia's mobile content sector in the next five years. JAMES THOMSON finds the growth hotspots and explains how business must adapt.

As the economy slows, redundancies are becoming a part of business life. But downsizing must be handled carefully. LEON GETTLER reveals how to conduct, and structure, the ideal redundancy.

In a special end-of-year discussion, SmartCompany editor James Thomson and publisher Amanda Gome take a look at the trends and opportunities that we will emerge in 2009, which promises to be a difficult but exciting year.

There is only one thing an entrepreneur loves more than closing a big deal or finding about a new tax break – discovering a hot new gadget. With this in mind – and with Christmas just around the corner – SmartCompany has compiled a list of 10 must-have gadgets. By PATRICK STAFFORD

The year is quickly winding up, and SmartCompany has reviewed some of the more momentous events of the past year. The result is an impressive list of gong-winners (and some real clangers) that have made 2008 a year to remember. By JAMES THOMSON