Five things you need to know this week

Friday 17th February 2012

It’s Friday, which means another weekly wrap up of all the news and views affecting Aussie business owners.

It’s been a big week here an MYOB, as our very first AccountRight Masterclass gears up to take the best tips and tricks from our latest release around the country! Make sure you check out this very special post from our chief trainer, Darcy, as he shares his top five great tips that will make a big difference to the way you use AccountRight.

Before you run off to enjoy another weekend, make sure you check out latest from the news sites…

Study shows decline in business loan demand

In the latest release from the NAB business survey, demand for new loans and extensions of credit among business owners declined in December. This follows on from the thoughts of MYOB CEO, Tim Reed, asking for more attention to be paid to business loans, as Australia’s engine room of small business owners usually fare the worst in terms of choice and interest rate cuts.

The Aussie Accounting sector wants you!

Almost a third of Australian accounting firms are looking to expand their workforce in 2012, with 82% confident in their firm’s ability to grow this year. Robert Half director, Andrew Brushfield said the results showed now was a good time for businesses to hire, and those proactive about hiring will be better placed for success. Thinking of hiring? Check out these great tips from James Evangelidis on how to attract and recruit Gen Y staff.

Greens push for a better work life balance

This week, the Greens introduced the Fair Work Amendment (Better Work/Life Balance) Bill 2012, aimed at giving people more control over their time and working arrangements, depending on an employer’s legitimate operational needs. The bill also gives Fair Work Australia the ability to hear and determine any disputes if an employer refuses a request.

Apple releases details of OSX Mountain Lion

Apple fans rejoice, a a preview of the tech company’s new operating system was released to it’s developer network. Rumored to be available in the US summer (Australian winter), first reports reveal that iChat is out in favour of iMessage and Twitter, and it’s a subtle step towards mirroring the experience many fans know and love from the iPad and iPhone.

Pinterest gets ready to shine

As we reported a few weeks ago, a surprise survey revealed that Pinterest generates more traffic to retailer sites than Linked In, Google+ and YouTube combined. And that has made the world stand up and take notice – as one blogger reported – if you haven’t blogged about Pinterest this week, you’re not a very good blogger! Check out The Pulse regular Paul Hassing’s thoughts about using Pinterest, and one really good reason why Pinterest could be the best thing you do for your website this year.

Have a fantastic weekend!