SmartCompany

Giftbee raises $1 million to help Australians use their unwanted gift cards

Giftbee aims to reshape how businesses, brands and consumers give and receive gifts by providing more sustainable, flexible, simpler and value-focused gift solutions.

Voting now open for Australia's Favourite Family Business

This year's finalists were selected from hundreds of entries and include a diverse mix of businesses -- from florists and brewers to zookeepers and kitchen makers.

Tea Industries and YouTube stars How Ridiculous partner to take iced tea to the US

To celebrate the Tea Industries launch, the How Ridiculous team dropped a car and a boat from a crane into thousands of exercise balls to test if they bounced.

Coles, Natio and more ordered to stop selling beauty products with banned ingredient

The NSW Environmental Protection Authority issued compliance notices to the brands over the past 12 months as part of a broader crackdown on businesses that are skirting the state's plastic bans.

Electric truck startup completes 480-kilometre freight journey on a single charge

On the heels of the journey, New Energy Transport has also revealed it has secured a site to develop a hub for up to 50 electric trucks.

Retailers plan to ditch cigarettes as illegal sales boom

Supermarkets are considering ditching tobacco from their shelves, as the illegal trade makes stocking cigarettes almost unviable.

Mental health startup Tala Thrive reveals $500,000 pre-seed raise as it moves back to Melbourne

Stemming from the founder’s own experience and frustrations, Tala Thrive connects clients with therapists and coaches who share – or deeply understand – their cultural background, language, and lived experiences.

Why Australia’s small businesses are suddenly being told “no” by banks

Across Australia, banks are tightening their grip on small business lending as credit appetite shrinks and risk models shift.

From household goods to fuel: Here's what is driving up inflation

Trimmed mean inflation, the Reserve Bank's preferred measure for determining whether to cut interest rates, also rose this quarter.

Mental health startup Tala Thrive reveals $500,000 pre-seed raise as it moves back to Melbourne

Stemming from the founder’s own experience and frustrations, Tala Thrive connects clients with therapists and coaches who share – or deeply understand – their cultural background, language, and lived experiences.

Gallagher quietly adds ethical kill clause to Commonwealth Procurement Rules

Agencies will soon need to weigh the ethics of firms bidding for federal work, as Canberra tightens procurement rules worth $70 billion a year.

Uluu raises $16 million Series A to replace plastics with seaweed-based alternatives

Perth sustainable materials startup Uluu has raised $16 million to help develop a facility capable of turning seaweed into a natural plastic alternative at commercial scale.

How business owners can turn rent into a tax-free dividend

For owner-operators, buying your commercial premises through a PropCo/OpCo setup turns rent into a wealth-building engine. Here's how.

Explainer: Junior pay rates face the axe in FWC case

A new case before the FWC will determine the fate of junior pay rates, potentially exposing employers to new wage costs for workers aged 18 and over.

Soul Origin opens first Melbourne drive-thru as part of national expansion strategy

Soul Origin co-founder Hao Quach said the brand aims to open 20-25 stores a year, with a "significant proportion of these to be in drive-thru formats".

Tea Industries and YouTube stars How Ridiculous partner to take iced tea to the US

To celebrate the Tea Industries launch, the How Ridiculous team dropped a car and a boat from a crane into thousands of exercise balls to test if they bounced.

“Emotional buying isn’t impulse buying”: Understanding the new era of women’s spending power

Jessica Hatzis unpacks how culture and commerce move together, and why brands that don’t understand women’s emotional codes risk being left behind.

Why Australia’s small businesses are suddenly being told “no” by banks

Across Australia, banks are tightening their grip on small business lending as credit appetite shrinks and risk models shift.

ACCC sues Microsoft for allegedly deceiving Aussies with AI price hike

The ACCC has taken Microsoft to court for allegedly misleading customers into believing they must either pay extra fees when its AI assistant Copilot is integrated into their package or cancel altogether.

OpenAI partners with small business lobby as it pursues Aussie expansion

OpenAI and Australia's dedicated small business lobby are "actively collaborating" on local research, as the American technology company builds its local operations.

Explainer: Junior pay rates face the axe in FWC case

A new case before the FWC will determine the fate of junior pay rates, potentially exposing employers to new wage costs for workers aged 18 and over.

How one bad AI prompt could send you bankrupt

AI may feel like just another business tool, but unlike Excel or Xero, it can make things up. Here's what you need to to know.

LinkedIn has quietly killed the “trending” SSI Score and replaced it with AI

If you've been worrying about your SSI Score on LinkedIn lately, fret not -- it has already been replaced by a new AI tool.

Superfast plane startup Hypersonix raises $46 million, with federal government tipping in

Hypersonix is building reusable hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft that can fly at five times the speed of sound and leave no carbon trail.

Small fish, big impact: Sydney design studio rethinks the plastic soy sauce container

Heliograf is launching a plastic-free alternative to the classic soy sauce 'fish', calling it a win-win for consumers and sushi businesses.

Just copy what works (and stop trying to be original)

Industry expert Jason Andrew says you get no points for trying to build a difficult business.

Gallagher quietly adds ethical kill clause to Commonwealth Procurement Rules

Agencies will soon need to weigh the ethics of firms bidding for federal work, as Canberra tightens procurement rules worth $70 billion a year.

ChatGPT not yet a 'Google killer' for e-commerce brands

Research shows traditional tools like paid search, affiliate marketing, and email campaigns still outperform AI for conversion rate and revenue per session.

The biggest pitfall in your AI strategy? Ignoring your people

The companies seeing business-changing results are not just buying the latest AI tools; they are empowering their teams to work smarter, think bigger, and deliver more value.

Soul Origin opens first Melbourne drive-thru as part of national expansion strategy

Soul Origin co-founder Hao Quach said the brand aims to open 20-25 stores a year, with a "significant proportion of these to be in drive-thru formats".