ICA reports Small Business Policy and Program failure…

ICA Overview:

Professor Ken O’Neill is one of the world’s pre-eminent authorities on small and medium policies. In a keynote address to the International Small Business Congress, Professor O’Neill has declared that government policies and programmes for SMEs globally over the last 25 years have produced no results and are a complete waste of money. He called for urgent review and reform. Below is an edited profile of Professor O’Neill and an edited version of his speech.

This talk will suggest that much of what we variously (and imprecisely) describe as enterprise entrepreneurship and small business policy probably doesn’t work—with great waste of money as a result.

We say it doesn’t work because overall rates of entrepreneurship or business growth are not rising or, where they are, it is difficult to attribute them to specific policy interventions of the sort which are universally applied… read on

Hazel Hawke’s Vital Role in Bob Hawke’s Success…

I was really pleased to see this article in TheAge this morning. Not only does it give another side to the “love story”, it also shows Hazel to be a prime example of an entrepreneurial mother, even when in a relationship. She did amazing things with the opportunities she had, and that’s all one can DO. Hats off to Hazel…

…It did not take long for Hazel to develop a following of her own – which in subsequent elections became a major reason voters supported Hawke. Hazel’s speech to the National Press Gallery in January 1984 established her as an unassuming, disarmingly honest, sincere and intelligent human being – an ordinary woman, one we could all identify with and admire for the way she handled herself.

There was a strong feeling among women that if Hazel stayed with Bob, he couldn’t be as bad as reports suggested.

In an interview on Sunday following the telemovie, Hawke struggled to remember what Hazel’s interests were as the prime minister’s wife. He came up with ”education”, but he could not remember any details.

Children, their welfare and the arts were Hazel’s priorities. Among other organisations, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Austcare, the Australian Youth Orchestra, the NSW Heritage Council, World Wide Fund for Nature and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation had Hazel’s support. This meant she worked for them; she was not just a figurehead… keep reading

Self_Employed exceeds 2 million!

There’s a growing movement afoot…are you a part of it?

The latest from the Independent Contractors of Australia

* The latest labour force survey released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (June 2008) shows a steady increase in the number of self-employed people. The number of self-employed people in the community is over 19% of the workforce. That¹s 2.03 million people (2008) up from 1.9 million (2004).

It¹s also clear that as people mature they gravitate toward self-employment. 50% of the self-employed are aged 35-54. 28% are older than 55. This could predictably result in larger numbers of self-employed as the workforce ages. For ICA’s full commentary on the latest ABS figures click here

* Three further ATO links to help prepare for the end of the financial year (on tax deductions, business seminars and rental properties) can be found on their news page

Conspiracy of the Rich…The 8 New Rules of Money by Robert Kiyosaki

Not only is this a very clever may to market one’s wares and be extremely engaging, the chapters are also a most worthwhile read.

I strongly recommend you register yourself at http://conspiracyoftherich.com to not only avail of the process, but also the free chapters. And you never know, you might just want to throw in your two bobs worth too…

The Right Book. The Right Time. The Right Price.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of the #1 bestselling personal finance book of all time, Rich Dad Poor Dad is taking a new approach with his next book. He’s releasing the book, Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money, online — for free. And he’s inviting readers to participate in the writing process.

Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money, is an interactive project in which Kiyosaki not only offers his written ‘draft’ chapters online, but invites feedback, commentary and questions from readers across the globe via website forums and blogs. Reader feedback is then incorporated into the book as it is written and released, chapter by chapter, on the Internet. This bold and unique approach will enable the millions of people around the world who have put the Rich Dad principles to work in their lives — as well as those who are challenged by today’s harrowing economic times — to engage directly with Kiyosaki and literally help him shape his new book as it is being written.

“We are living in tumultuous, unsettling and frightening economic times,” said Rick Wolff, Vice President and Executive Editor for Hachette Book Group, publisher of Rich Dad Poor Dad and the 26 books in the Rich Dad series, “and Robert believes that people today, perhaps more than ever before, are hungry for information and financial education. The fact that he is committed to writing and distributing a new book to the world for free is amazing to us, and indicative of his genuine concern for the challenging economic times in which we live. Today, more than ever, the world needs a voice they can trust and someone they can rely on to deliver the cold, hard facts about what is really happening in the world.”

“This is the right book, at the right time, at the right price,” says Kiyosaki, in reference to the free and universal access to this book. “This is not the time for traditional answers. The time for this book is now — and the Web will let us do that.”

In Robert’s Words
“When I am interviewed for this book, I am often asked the question, “How did I get the idea to do this book?”

Since I was asked so often, I thought I would share it with you. This book began in September 2008. I got the idea for the book as I was in the hospital recovering from open-heart surgery repairing a problem I have had since birth, two leaking valves. Fortunately, my arteries are clear so the operation was limited to just the heart.”

About the Book
Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money shares Kiyosaki’s view of global economics and explore why people are now finding themselves challenged by these turbulent times. Kiyosaki not only provides people with solutions to their financial problems, but explains what created today’s economic chaos — and how it can be eased. Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money reveals that what appears to be the worst of times is actually an opportunity in the making, and a chance for people to invest in their financial education.

Read an excerpt from the book:

Back to the Future
Faced with such an overwhelmingly bad economy, President Bush pushed through a landmark bailout plan aimed at saving the economy, saying, “This legislation will safeguard and stabilize America’s financial system and put in place permanent reforms so these problems will never happen again.”

Many people breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, “Finally, the government is going to save us!” The problem is those are not the words of President George W. Bush. Those are the words of his father, George H.W. Bush. In 1989, the first President Bush asked for $66 billion to save the Savings and Loan (S&L) Industry. The $66 billion did not solve the problem. The S&L industry disappeared from sight. On top of that, the estimated $66 billion rescue package eventually cost taxpayers over $150 billion – over twice the amount originally estimated. Where did all that money go?

Like Father Like Son
Twenty years later in September 2008, President W. Bush asked for $700 billion making a similar promise, “We’ll make sure, as time goes on, this doesn’t happen again. In the mean time, we got to solve the problem. And that’s why people sent me to Washington, D.C.”

Just as with the first President Bush, the estimated bailout cost was severely undervalued. By November 2008, the total bailout pledge through various Treasury programs was up to $7 trillion and today is expected to go higher. Where is all this money coming from, where is it going… and to whom?

Find out…http://conspiracyoftherich.com

Fair Treatment under contracts

If you’re in business, then you need to read each of these articles…

ICA brings you the news and updates that others miss. If you¹re an independent contractor or a business engaging independent contractors, these news items are important.

* Have you ever been concerned that your contract is biased or unbalanced? Independent Contractors of Australia is working to do something about this. Click here: http://www.contractworld.com.au/reloaded/ica-news.php

* Tax breaks for independent contractors. Check this government
announcement:
http://www.contractworld.com.au/pages/PDFs/Tax_Break_Fact_Emerson.pdf.

* It¹s about time business paid on time. The Small Business Minister sends a warning to big business. Pay up! http://www.contractworld.com.au/pages/PDFs/Emersonsmalldebts.pdf.

* Think about it! How do political trends in the UK impact in independent workers? http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=10608

Regards

The Team at Independent Contractors of Australia

Unfair dismissal code for small business

Independent contractors who may employ others on some occasions need to be aware of the Rudd Government’s just-released unfair dismissal code which comes into effect in 2010.

For a link to a copy of the Code, please go to:

http://www.contractworld.com.au/reloaded/ica-news.php

and follow the link in the News box near the middle of the page.

Regards
The Team at Independent Contractors of Australia

Pin It on Pinterest