Major Australian banks, ANZ, Commonwealth Bank (CBA), National Australia Bank Limited (NAB), and Westpac, announce their support behind Australian Payments Plus’ (AP+) development and establishment of an open, standards-based national identity infrastructure called ConnectID, to protect customer privacy and drive productivity in the Digital Economy.

Lynn Kraus, CEO AP+ said “This is a major milestone for the Australian industry’s adoption of digital identity, aiming to securely and simply deliver a seamless online identity verification experience to solve real world issues. This includes proving your identity online for age verification, setting up mobile phone plans, employee onboarding, travel bookings, loan applications and can even extend through to insurance pay outs.

For customers this means they will be able to verify their identity online simply and safely using ConnectID, an Australian digital identity network. ConnectID makes it easy to verify who you are online, using the organisations you already trust. It also allows you to share only the information that is required, at the time it is needed, giving customers complete control over how their personal information is used and peace of mind knowing their data is being kept safe at every step.

A strong digital identity ecosystem as envisaged for ConnectID, not only provides more control and security for customers, but recent global reports have estimated the economic benefit and value for countries like Australia, equates to around 3% GDP by 2030^[1].

The newly formed Australian Payments Plus (AP+), brings together digital identity initiatives of BPAY and eftpos in a combined best-in-class proposition demonstrating the benefits behind the recent consolidation of Australia’s three domestic payment organisations, BPAY Group, eftpos and NPP Australia into the one entity.

Ms Kraus said: “Customer trials are expected in late 2022 followed by a market launch next year. ConnectID is already accredited under the Australian Government’s Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF).”

“We are excited that AP+ can deliver innovation, security, and convenience to the daily lives of Australian consumers and businesses through the creation of a national digital identity ecosystem with ConnectID,” Ms Kraus said.

“In Australia there is a real need to facilitate identity verification methods to reduce costs and enhance compliance outcomes for businesses, help reduce the hassle as well as instances of fraud and identity theft for Australians, while improving the ‘digital trust’ between customers and vendors.”

Andrew Black, Managing Director ConnectID AP+ said: “Australians trust the security and reliability of their banks and payments providers, for that reason developing a robust, standards-based digital identity ecosystem that can be used by major banks and trusted Australian organisations is a natural extension for AP+.”

“ConnectID is committed to help Australian banks, businesses and local retailers protect the sovereignty and security of Australian payments and identity data,” Mr Black added.

Delivering more control and better privacy protection for consumers to share and receive verified personal identity information online, the participation of some of Australia’s largest banks in ConnectID would provide the scale and trust needed to drive widespread consumer and business adoption.

CBA’s General Manager, Open Data, Katherine Sleeth said: “We are pleased to help our customers have more control of their data and privacy, enabling them to share their personal information with approved merchants, backed by the security of the CommBank app. The quick online process will save customers time and help keep them safe online.”

NAB Chief Digital, Data and Analytics Officer, Angela Mentis, said the bank was proud to play an integral role in bringing digital identity to the Australian market, with customer empowerment top of mind for the bank throughout the process.

“NAB’s priority in helping bring digital identity to life has been to empower customers with choice – to verify their identity how and when they want, whilst ensuring privacy and personal data is protected,” Ms Mentis said.

“We think that digital identity will be the most crucial enabler of safe and secure interactions in our future economy, and are certain that customers can have trust in this solution.”

The ConnectID team is collaboratively working with governments, businesses, online merchants, banks and other identity providers with a view to building identity into our national payments infrastructure, as well as other commercial applications for all Australians and Australian businesses.

ConnectID is taking an inclusive, economy-wide approach, working with organisations from sectors such as banking, telecom, online retail, government, insurance, utilities, transportation, real estate, not-for-profit and the start-up and fintech community.

Australian Payments Plus’ ConnectID facilitates an ‘exchange’ between identity providers, organisations that securely hold identity data on behalf of their customers, and merchants or government departments that need to verify who they are dealing with or receive identity information that they can trust. AP+ is uniquely placed to offer this service, particularly for interactions requiring a payment.

While ConnectID securely facilitates the identity verification or data exchange, it does not see or store the identity data. Identity service providers store consumer identities and take responsibility for providing this secure information only under the consent of the customer.

As interoperability is key to the ConnectID solution, it is designed to complement identity and credential-related services provided by government and work within the Federal Government’s Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF) financial industry privacy and security frameworks, as well as emerging international standards in distributed digital identity credentials.

Queensland company directors should be on high alert as the state’s corporate insolvencies begin to return to pre-pandemic levels and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) ramps up compliance-based debt recovery as it focuses on protecting the revenue for the federal government.

New figures released by the Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) have revealed June 2022 saw the highest number (108) of Queensland companies entering insolvencies, external administration and controller appointments since March 20201.

The construction industry led the recent cases (27 per cent) followed by accommodation and food services (19 per cent).2

RSM Brisbane Managing Partner Steve Healey said these figures, combined with a recent surge in ATO-issued Director Penalty Notices (DPN), could mean potential financial ruin for directors of small and large Queensland businesses alike.

“With the number of insolvencies on the rise, and the ATO making it more difficult for directors to avoid personal liability through a company payment arrangement, the stakes for personal financial ruin are even higher for all directors,” Mr Healey said.

“In recent years we’ve seen the ATO apply the brakes on practical compliance and DPNs and instead focus on supporting businesses through its administration of initiatives like JobKeeper and the cash flow boost.

“As recent ATO activity has shown however, this phase of the pandemic cycle has well and truly come to an end, and the ATO is again aggressively pursuing companies for non-compliance related to PAYG withholding tax, superannuation contributions and GST.

“The Federal Government is now dealing with trillions of dollars of debt3 and an increasing interest rate environment, in the face of soaring inflation.

“As debt subsequently becomes more expensive and we enter what’s expected to be a rough economic patch, it comes as no surprise the ATO will be protecting the revenue.”

With multiple tax performance programs within the ATO – Top 100 Justified Trust, Top 100 Taxpayers, Top 500 Private Group, Top 1000 Combined Assurance and Next 5000 Private Group – Mr Healey said the personal liability of directors within these programs is amplified, with payment arrangements for certain tax debts being increasingly difficult to be granted.

“We’re now seeing the ATO using very sophisticated software with artificial intelligence and analytics to identify who it’s going to be targeting, but it’s only a matter of time before they come knocking on the doors of the businesses who fall within the tax performance programs,” Mr Healey said.

“With the recent collapses of multiple building and construction companies, it’s highly likely there will be a much closer look into property developers and builders who occupy these programs, with an increase in DPNs being issued subsequently increasing the number of companies we will see enter administration.

“At the end of the day, the ATO’s purpose is to protect the revenue of the nation, and whilst it has an underlying approach to compliance that taxpayers are generally obliging by the law – often referred to as light touch compliance – publicly listed, privately owned and wealthy private groups need to be very mindful of upholding these requirements.”

Another recent report by the ATO has revealed Queensland has the third largest shadow economy tip-offs registered with more than 9,200 recorded in the 2021-22 financial year, behind New South Wales and Victoria.

Building and construction, road freight transport and consulting services were among the industries that recorded the largest incidences of tip-offs.

Transforming home, office and workplace organisation, Brother International Australia has today announced the launch of its new P-touch desktop label printers. Designed with busy workers and multiple environments in mind, the new labelling range will support users with organisation, personalisation and identification. 

Designed to meet the needs of a broad range of users, the PT-D Series is made up of three models – PT-D410, PT-D460BT, and PT-D610BT label printers – for basic to advanced use.

Providing ease of use, legibility, fast typing and simple desktop handling, all versions feature a built-in QWERTY keyboard and a large graphical display with a built-in print preview. Users of the PT-D610BT will also enjoy a full colour display.

Customers also have the option to use the devices either as standalone label printers or with their PC or Mac. Users of PT-D460BT & PT-D610BT can also print ready-made templates from their smartphones with Brother’s iPrint&Label App, thanks to Bluetooth connectivity.

Producing labels that stand the test of time, all models within the PT-D Series are compatible with TZe tapes up to 18mm (24mm for the PT-D610BT). Made to last, chemical, temperature and water resistance makes these labels perfect for use around the home or in the office.

Providing great functionality and the ability to customise labels for purpose, each device is pre-loaded with over 15 built-in fonts, 120+ decorative frames and 700+ symbols. Barcode and cable labelling functionality also empowers users to take their organisation to the next level.

All of this functionality can be achieved quickly, with print speed up to 30mm/s (20mm/s for PT-D410).
 
 On the range, David Molloy, Mobile Print & Labelling Specialist at Brother International Australia, said: “When we speak to customers, we hear that organisation is a challenge for them. This has only been amplified as more and more people are working flexibly.

“Our new range has been created with this in mind. We wanted to create one solution whether it’s for cable management at home, storage boxes in a warehouse, or organising files in the office. Having three printers with a diverse range of functionality also allows organisations to select the product that best fits their needs, with the flexibility to ‘trade up’ in future, without changing systems.

Brother PT-D410 Compact Label Printer

 
Available: September 2022
RRP:  $94
Retailers: Exclusively available from Officeworks
Key features:

• Use it as a portable, standalone device, or connect it to your PC via USB cable for more advanced features
• Easy-to-read graphic display
• Use P-touch Editor to create, edit and print your labels and easily connect to existing databases
• Prints 3.5, 6, 9, 12 and 18mm labels
• 15 convenient built-in fonts, 120 frames and 700 symbols for complete customisation
• Cable labelling functionality
• QWERTY and numeric keyboard
• Print labels from your PC or Mac
• Easy to print and apply

Website: visit here

 
 
 
Brother PT-D460BT Versatile Label Printer

Available: September 2022
RRP:  $159
Retailers: Available via B2B channels and Amazon
Key features:

• Use as a standalone label printer or connect to your smart device via Bluetooth for more advanced features
• Use P-touch Editor to create, edit and print your labels and easily connect to existing databases
• Easy-to-read graphic display
• Prints 3.5, 6, 9, 12 and 18mm labels
• 16 convenient built-in fonts, 140 frames and 800 symbols for complete customisation
• Store up to 70 label templates for quick reprinting
• Cable labelling functionality
• QWERTY and numeric keyboard
• Print labels from your PC or Mac
• Prints barcodes

Website: visit here  

 

Brother PT-D610BT Versatile Label Printer

Available: September 2022
RRP: $189
Retailers: Available via B2B channels and Officeworks
Key features:

• Use as a standalone label printer or connect to your smart device via Bluetooth for more advanced features
• Use P-touch Editor to create, edit and print your labels and easily connect to existing databases
• Full colour, high-resolution display with backlight
• Prints 3.5, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24mm labels
• 17 convenient built-in fonts, 160 frames and 900 symbols for complete customisation
• Store up to 99 label templates and use the automatic tape cutter for quick reprinting
• Cable labelling functionality
• QWERTY and numeric keyboard
• Print labels from your PC or Mac
• Prints barcodes

Website:visit here

Australian businesses have ambitious plans for international expansion, as new data from global fintech Airwallex reveals more than two thirds of small-to-medium Aussie businesses (69 per cent) plan to be operating outside Australia by 2027.

Airwallex’s inaugural Australian Business Growth Index found a third of SMEs surveyed (34 per cent) currently have operations overseas, but this is projected to more than double in the next five years.

The independent research, which surveyed more than 200 Australian small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), found that businesses already operating in international markets are experiencing commercial success. Of these businesses, two in five surveyed (42 per cent) reported being profitable and more than half are breaking even (52 per cent).

“Aussie businesses are bolstering their position to weather the current economic challenges,” said Sam Kothari, Head of Growth for ANZ at Airwallex. “International expansion is now being used as a strategy to remain resilient and viable by tapping into new markets and widening the pool of potential customers.”

Moving overseas has unlocked new customer segments for SMEs and broadened their overall market share, with 80 per cent saying the volume of new customers they’ve gained from moving into new markets has been “significant”. 

The research also found that despite sustained economic hardship, including rising inflation and disrupted global supply chains, 96 per cent of SMEs who are already operating overseas, and 99 per cent of those planning to do so in the next twelve months, recorded growth last year. 

“Australians are innovators, and there is growing global demand for the products and services they provide,” added Sam. “We have seen this firsthand; Airwallex is the chosen partner to many Australian businesses looking to alleviate the global roadblocks associated with setting up shop in international markets, including opening accounts overseas, high FX fees and managing employee expenses. We see ourselves playing a central role in opening the door for Australian businesses to access borderless opportunities all around the world.” 

For SMEs trading overseas, the region where they have seen the biggest growth in sales and revenue was Southeast Asia. Almost two in five respondents (39 per cent) said this market had been their biggest generator of revenue outside of Australia in the past year, closely followed by the U.S. (29 per cent).

These markets were echoed in terms of where the most beneficial prospects lie, with a quarter (26 per cent) of SMEs operating or planning to operate overseas identifying Southeast Asia as the most lucrative in the year ahead. 

The U.S. followed closely behind Southeast Asia, with 25 per cent of businesses with an international footprint or ambition naming the States out as the next most attractive market in the near future, surpassing China (18 per cent) and EMEA/UK (15 per cent).

Sustainability sells – the reusable water bottle business sweeping the world up

memobottle is one Australian-founded business which is enjoying commercial success in overseas markets, with 50 per cent of its revenue now being generated from international expansion, mainly in the Southeast Asia region. 

In the past twelve months, the reusable water bottle movement has on-boarded distributors in Indonesia and Singapore, and exhibited at trade shows in the U.S. and Europe. 

memobottle Director and co-founder Jonathan Byrt cites the business’ focus on international markets as crucial to its success during the pandemic period. 

“Having a global presence during this tumultuous 24 months has allowed us to switch marketing and revenue focus between regions. Being in multiple markets unlocked opportunities for the business which have allowed us to grow and expand. Our operations in China and the U.S. kept our revenue steady while Australia and Europe battled with sustained lockdowns and geopolitical events,” said Jonathan.  

“The majority of sales from a recent product launch (65 per cent) came from customers in the States. If we had all our eggs in one basket, this wouldn’t have been possible.”

In orbit around the world – Orbitkey has their eyes on international expansion

Melbourne-founded Orbitkey has established a strong presence in the U.S. in recent years, which has become its dominant market above Australia, representing almost a third of its total sales (31 per cent). The business now has its sights on Asia, where it has a small but growing presence. For Orbitkey’s co-founder and Managing Director Rex Kuo, Orbitkey was always destined to scale beyond its home market.

“As a product design company that prides itself on user-centred design and innovation, our products are designed for a global audience – not just Australians. We see great value and potential in the Asian market, where demand is growing exponentially from existing customers –- all of the signals are clear that expansion in this market looks lucrative,” said Rex.

“It’s not just demand that makes Southeast Asia such an attractive business proposition. Cheaper and more competitive payment gateways are becoming more easily accessible than ever before, eliminating a large proportion of high transaction and currency conversion fees that were associated previously whilst doing B2C commerce in the region.” 

“We’re investing the revenue that was previously swallowed up by high transaction costs to maximise the opportunities for our growth in Southeast Asia, including locating a third-party logistics (3PL) in Hong Kong which has made shipping to countries in Asia cheaper than ever before.” 

“All of these components are coming together to make Southeast Asia one of the most dynamic business environments in the world. 9 per cent of our total sales come from the region as present but this will surpass into double digits in no time.”

New ASUS OLED laptop lineup pushes the boundaries with groundbreaking designs, extreme performance, and premium durability

KEY LAUNCHES

• ASUS’ comprehensive OLED lineup is now becoming available in Australia, combining distinctive designs, latest-gen performance and stunning displays
• Zenbook 17 Fold OLED | Pricing and local availability coming soon
• Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition | $2,499 | Available now
• Zenbook 14 OLED | From $1,899 | OLED model available soon; non-OLED, non-touch IPS version available now
• Zenbook Pro 16X OLED | Pricing and local availability to come soon
• Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED | $3,799 | Available from beginning of September

ASUS has today announced its latest lifestyle lineup which is soon available in Australia, making it the most comprehensive lineup of OLED devices available in the market.

With the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition, Zenbook 14X OLED, Zenbook Pro 16X OLED, Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED, ASUS’ lineup harnesses incredible OLED technology with the goal to make it more widely available for people across a range of budgets.

“OLED technology has previously been quite limited in laptops, however ASUS is continuously committed to pushing the boundaries of the PC industry by bringing innovative technology to more people with multiple use cases, from enterprise level work to consumers and creators,” said Bradley Howe, Head of Consumer at ASUS Australia.

“As part of this commitment, the world’s first foldable laptop, the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, and the Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition, a laptop capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, are just two examples of our vision to offer brilliant solutions to people everywhere.”

ASUS’ move to OLED technology has been at the forefront of its plans given findings that the technology is facing increasing demand, with the market expected to grow to USD 85.4 billion by 2030, from 38.4 billion in 2021. 

Aside from demand, “ASUS recognises the benefits this technology can bring to the user, which we believe is an essential part of providing the best user experience, whether you’re casually watching a movie, editing art or photography, or doing your everyday office work etc.” said Bradley Howe, head of Consumer at ASUS Australia.

ASUS’ OLED displays offer a host of benefits including 100% DCI-P3 best in class colour gamut, offering precise colour work, creativity and more vivid visual entertainment. It also offers 120Hz /0.2 ms ultimate motion clarity, clearer images at any brightness, deeper true blacks and offers 70% less harmful blue light.

Zenbook 17 Fold OLED (UX9702AA) | Pricing and local availability coming soon

ASUS has worked closely with Intel and BOE Technology Group to unleash Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, the world’s first 17.3-inch foldable OLED laptop. The boundary-pushing design offers two sizes of OLED display in one device: a large 4:3 17.3-inch 2.5K touchscreen that folds in the middle to create two seamless 3:2 12.5-inch 1920 x 1280 displays. Combined with the full-size ASUS ErgoSense Bluetooth^® keyboard and touchpad, the folding design provides the versatility of multiple modes — PC, Laptop, Tablet, On-Screen Keyboard, Book and Extend. 

For immersive entertainment, the PANTONE^® Validated, foldable OLED touchscreen — which is also TÜV Rheinland-certified for eye care and has a 100% DCI-P3 gamut — is accompanied by Dolby Vision^® HDR for ultra-vivid picture quality along with Dolby Atmos^®1 immersive audio and a powerful quad-speaker Harman Kardon-certified sound system.

For next-generation smart capabilities, an HD IR camera works together with Windows Hello and the new Intel Visual Sensing Controller chip to enable several new AI-powered features, including user-presence detection; an integrated colour sensor for automatic adjustment of screen brightness and colour temperature; and a 5 MP webcam with ASUS 3D Noise Reduction technology for clearer video calls. 

To ensure effortless performance and connectivity, the laptop delivers the latest 12th Generation Intel Core i7 U-Series processors, Intel Iris^® X^e graphics and two USB-C^® Thunderbolt™ 4 ports, which support fast charging of the 75 Wh battery and connections to external displays. 

Co-engineered with Intel, the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED design meets the requirements of an Intel Evo™ laptop through Intel’s hardware specifications and key experience targets for responsiveness, instant wake, battery life, fast charge and intelligent collaboration. 

Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition  (UX5401ZAS)  | $2,499 | Available now

The exclusive Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition is a prestigious special-edition laptop built to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ASUS P6300 laptop’s 600-day space mission and to represent the ASUS ‘In Search of Incredible’ brand spirit.

Featuring unique space-themed design details and finished in a special Zero-G Titanium colour, Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition celebrates a key milestone in the history of ASUS laptops and encourages users to start their voyage of discovery and explore beyond the limits.

Exclusive to the Space Edition is its futuristic ZenVision, a 3.5-inch OLED companion display mounted externally on the lid that can show customisable messages and animations.

Built to withstand the rigours of space travel, the Space Edition complies with the ultra-tough US Space Systems Command Standard SMC-S-016A testing protocols, so it is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures (-24 to 61° C) when operational and vibration (20 – 2000 Hz).

This out-of-this-world laptop is built to deliver stellar performance, powered by up to 12th Generation Intel Core i7 H-Series processors, Intel Iris X^e graphics, 32 GB RAM, a PCIe^® 4.0 x4 SSD and Intel WiFi 6E. The expansive 16:10 2.8K 90 Hz OLED HDR PANTONE Validated touchscreen delivers ultra-realistic DisplayHDR™ True Black 500-certified visuals, with a 100% DCI-P3 gamut and TÜV Rheinland-certified eye care. 

Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3402ZA) | From $1,899 | OLED model available soon; non-OLED, non-touch IPS version available now

The all-new Zenbook 14X OLED is a powerful, sleek and lightweight 14-inch laptop that sets a new benchmark for portable perfection. This latest generation introduces a modern look and feel to the Zenbook series, with a bold new lid design and two elegant new colour options: Aqua Celadon and Ponder Blue.

The laptop blends the best visuals and audio to deliver immersive experiences: an expansive 16:10 2.8K 90 Hz OLED NanoEdge 550-nit PANTONE Validated display with a 100% DCI-P3 gamut, Dolby Atmos¹ and a Harman Kardon-certified sound system with a smart amplifier for powerful spatial sound. Visuals are further enhanced by DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification for deep blacks and TÜV Rheinland certification for eye care. 

Despite its compact size — a mere 16.9 mm thin and 1.39 kg light — the all-aluminium chassis houses the latest 12th Generation Intel Core processors with Intel Iris X^e graphics, up to 16 GB of RAM, ultrafast PCIe 4.0 SSDs, a long-lasting 75 Wh battery and the latest Intel WiFi 6E, delivering excellent performance and connectivity. It also features a full set of I/O ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports. 

Co-engineered with Intel, the Zenbook 14X OLED design will meet the requirements of an Intel Evo laptop through Intel’s hardware specifications and key experience targets for responsiveness, instant wake, battery life, fast charge and intelligent collaboration. 

Zenbook Pro 16X OLED (UX7602ZM) | $4,999 | Available September – October

The Zenbook Pro 16X OLED (UX7602) is a no-compromise creator laptop with a wealth of innovative design features, and a brand-new all-metal design featuring the innovative Active Aerodynamic System Ultra (AAS Ultra) for maximum performance.

Powered by 12th Generation Intel® Core™ processors and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 GPU Zenbook Pro 16X OLED delivers extreme mobile performance and is full of innovations to help maximise productivity on the go. The AAS Ultra mechanism automatically raises and tilts the keyboard to ensure a comfortable typing angle, and also enhances overall system cooling by allowing more hot air to dissipate.

Other innovative and upgraded features include the all-new White-RGB intelligent lighting system that enables smart interactivity features, ASUS Dial, and an enlarged touchpad with haptic feedback for click-anywhere convenience. 

Zenbook Pro 16X also presents new ways to work with the updated ASUS Dial, an intuitive physical rotary controller that gives instant and precise fingertip control over parameters in leading creative apps. ASUS Dial also allows the user to control screen brightness and volume, or vertical scroll to smooth creative workflows. It works seamlessly with Adobe® Photoshop®, Premiere® Pro, Lightroom® Classic, After Effects® and Illustrator®. ASUS Dial is also fully customisable via ProArt Creator Hub, so its functions can be defined for use in any other apps.

Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402ZE) | $3,799 | Available from September

The all-new Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402), a powerful and compact dual-screen creator laptop that features a next-generation ScreenPad™ Plus with world-leading 14.5-inch 2.8K 120 Hz OLED NanoEdge touchscreen, combined with the brand-new Active Aerodynamic System Ultra (AAS Ultra) auto-tilting design that improves both cooling and ergonomics. It takes performance to max with an up to 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H processor, delivering extreme performance for every creative task, with fourteen cores for effortless multitasking and a Turbo Boost speed of up to 5.0 GHz.

The seriously powerful Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is an Intel^® Evo^™-certified powerhouse that lets creators turn up their creative powers to the max. The flagship up to 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H CPU and creator-grade NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti GPU are cooled for extreme performance — up to an 85-watt combined TDP — by ASUS IceCool Plus technology, aided by the innovative AAS Ultra mechanism, which vents the chassis efficiently and also tilts the next-generation ScreenPad^™ Plus secondary touchscreen to a comfortable angle for a seamless and immersive visual experience. 

For studio-class visuals, the world-leading 2.8K OLED HDR 16:10 main Dolby Vision® touchscreen has a smooth 120 Hz refresh rate, PANTONE® Validated colour accuracy, and a cinema-grade 100% DCI-P3 gamut, as well as TÜV Rheinland-certified eye care. Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED puts its rivals in the shade, making it the ultimate compact OLED laptop for the discerning creator. 

With anticipation of a more positive second half of 2022, Australian small business owners may benefit from reviewing their business risk profile along with their business insurance as they scale up as business confidence returns.

• In June 2022 the average number of people employed by Australian SMEs increased 28.9 per cent.
• Retail, hospitality and tourism are the best performing sectors in terms of increased employee numbers.
• SME business owners may need to review and update their business insurance policy if their circumstances change as their business recovers.

As SME business owners look forward to a positive second half of FY2022/23, they are encouraged to review their business insurance if their business circumstances change as business confidence returns.

Business risk management and business risk mitigation can provide a safety net to help protect your business in the event that things don’t go according to plan. Because try as you might, in business there will almost always be an element of risk.

“As a business changes, its risk profile may change with it,” says Jane Mason, Head of Product, Channels & Risk at business insurance comparison website BizCover. “It’s always good practice to factor in how your risk levels may have changed and review your business insurance accordingly, because business insurance is not a set-and-forget product.”

Four tips for managing business risk

Risk management helps SME business owners to identify, evaluate, and prioritise risks to their business, with the aim of minimising risks wherever possible. SME business owners can follow these four steps to manage their risk.

Risk identification

Risk identification assesses your strategic risk management plan, while also considering market assessments, industry forecasts and competitor analysis. Information gathered from these sources can be used to identify potential risks to your business.

Risk assessment

Risk assessment evaluates the types of risks that your business may be exposed to. It’s a set method aimed at assessing the likelihood of a risk occurring and its severity, should it occur. SMEs can run risk assessments for various purposes, including product labelling, community planning, and producing environmental impact statements, to name a few.

Risk monitoring and control

Risk monitoring and control helps SME owners to identify risks that could directly impact their business. Once identified, monitoring and control strategies can help avoid or minimise losses from unforeseen events by understanding their causes and planning how to manage them.

Risk transfer

Risk transfer is a process where, by payment or agreement, one party takes on the risk of loss from another party. Risk transfer is transferring risk – whether by insurance, negotiation with suppliers, or through other means such as contract provisions that provide compensation. Risk transfer can be direct or indirect and may occur before or after the loss event.

“An easy way for SME business owners to avoid being underinsured is to review their business insurance as their business risks change,” says Mason. “Simply renewing your existing policy at EOFY or at the annual renewal date may not provide the adequate cover for your business if your business circumstances have changed.”

*This information is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be relied upon as advice. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording.

Chartered Accountants ANZ (CA ANZ) said the Federal Government’s commitment to legislate tax deductions for small businesses is a big win for those already struggling to retain talent.

Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers announced the Government’s intention to legislate initiatives that allow businesses with a turnover of up to $50 million the capacity to deduct 120 per cent of expenditure on the training of staff up until 30 June 2024.

Small businesses will also be able to gain a bonus 20 per cent deduction, which will support the uptake of digital technologies until 30 June 2023.

“This is a big win for small business, and I thank the Federal Government for moving swiftly to legislate these tax deductions proposals as it is something, as a profession, we have been advocating for,” said CA ANZ Chief Executive Ainslie van Onselen.

“Small businesses are grappling with the capacity to retain their staff, and this move will give them certainty to invest in their people and to give their staff some clear pathways in their professional development,” Ms van Onselen said.

“This type of investment may differ between a staff member staying with a business or deciding to pursue another opportunity.

“This is a great boost for smaller businesses in the lead up to the Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra where I will be representing the accounting profession,” Ms van Onselen said.

“At the upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit, I’m looking forward to sharing solutions to address skilled migration, boost domestic skills and education, and increase the workforce participation of women, mature workers and underrepresented groups.”

Epson has announced its participation in the inaugural Australian Photographic Prize Awards (APP) and Conference, an initiative by Robyn Campbell and Karen Alsop, with over $35,000 worth of prizes across various competitions including the Epson Print Awards.

The Australian Photographic Prize (APP) was born in early 2022 and after months of work behind the scenes and with the support of sponsors including Epson, the APP is now open for entries.

The response has been extremely positive with hundreds of entries already received. Many of these entries have been for the Epson Print Awards, created specifically for professionals but open to amateurs and students also, including international entrants.

After gathering feedback from photographers around the world, the traditional concept of ‘print awards’ has been turned on its head by the APP in the form of the new Epson Print Awards.

In the last few years due to Covid lockdowns, there has been an increase in digital awards, whereby entrants typically enter online, receive a score (and possibly written feedback), but miss out on the excitement of having a print judged in-person by experienced judges.

APP co-founder, Robyn Campbell, said, “There is simply nothing more exciting when entering print competitions than seeing your photography being judged by the best in the industry. You hang off every word that is said. On top of this, if one of the judges decides to challenge for a higher score, it’s validation as a photographer you’ve created an impactful image.”

Also part of the APP is the APP Expo Playground, which will run Thursday 8  Saturday 10 September between 3:30 and 5:30 pm each day at City Edge in Narre Warren, Victoria. This interactive experience will offer attendees the opportunity to try their hand at printing their own work on Epson professional printers and experience a variety of hands-on shooting demonstrations at the Kayell Australia photo studio stand.

The culmination of the four-day event will be a celebration of photography, video and photographic artistry. The APP will bring together professionals, amateurs, experienced photographers and those just starting out.

Epson proudly supports Robyn, Karen and their team in this initiative and will continue to support grassroots and professional photography in Australia, as it has done for decades.

For more information on the inaugural Australian Photographic Prize Awards go to: https://australianphotographicprize.com.au

For more information on the Epson Print Awards go to: https://australianphotographicprize.com.au/epsonprintawards/

At Corporate Traveller, domestic business travel has now bounced back to near pre-COVID levels, with international travel not too far behind. The return of corporate travel, however, brings back the age-old problem of business productivity whilst travelling.

Tom oversees hundreds of Corporate Traveller employees around the world, across dozens of cities, and is required to travel regularly between multiple cities every month, with Toronto, Perth, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, London, and New York already visited.

Tom Walley, Global Managing Director at Corporate Traveller, Flight Centre Travel Group’s flagship corporate travel management provider for SMEs, shares his own tactics for maintaining business productivity whilst travelling – from planning and prioritisation skills to discipline and innovative technologies.

He says: “Being highly productive while travelling is particularly a challenge for business leaders who need to oversee and sign off on deliverables from their teams back home, join virtual meetings, approve budgets, and generally be available for their own managers or board, as well as urgent requests by their direct reports. Getting on impromptu calls, looking over important presentations and contracts are all part and parcel of the deliverables I need to meet while travelling.”

While remote-working technologies over the last two years have eased communication difficulties for people working remotely, working as productively when you are on the move remains a challenge for many business travellers, particularly team leaders who are responsible for managing employees remotely.

“The cost of slowing your usual productivity, however, is plenty of stress and late nights when you do return to HQ. Many travellers often return to a plethora of important deliverables and approvals as they play catch up on emails and deadlines. Some leaders also find that if their productively slows, so does the team’s.

“Just because you’re travelling, your personal productivity and that of your team back at HQ should not slow down if you plan carefully and have the right technologies in place. There is also a way to avoid late nights working in your hotel room.”

Research has found that half (51 per cent) of business travellers admit catching up on office work is the most stressful aspect of travelling for work purposes,[1] while a quarter feel they must work overtime upon returning to the office to make up for lost time when travelling.[2]

9 ways to maintain business productivity whilst travelling.

1. Delegate before you travel. Set realistic expectations to avoid burn-out or missed deadlines and talk openly with your team or managers about what you will and won’t be able to do while travelling. If you have a very tight business trip planned, you will not be able to complete the same workload that you would in the office. Delegate tasks to in-office team members to help maintain productivity in the workplace. If you’re travelling with a team, ensure each person has a balanced workload they can effectively manage.
2. Set up your digital communication and synchronise your files. Tom ensures he has the best fit-for-purpose applications for communicating with his team while travelling, including mobile apps such as WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams. “Before travel, I recommend executives install messaging and virtual meeting apps used by their team on all devices – and synchronise documents and emails across them. You could store large files on Cloud drives such as Google Drive or Dropbox, which provide free capped storage. Just check beforehand if the available free space is adequate for all your files, whether you’ll need to upgrade, and if they support your devices and file types.”
3. Use your most productive time of day for desk work. Tom says, if possible, dedicate one or two time slots per day – when you know you will be most productive – to desk-based work such as presentation updates, approvals, team meetings and any issues management back at HQ.Tom says: “The most productive travellers go beyond this and develop a realistic schedule of meetings, desk work, travel time and leisure activities before their trip to prevent them from taking on impromptu and unnecessary activities on their trip.”
4. Pre-book everything. Tom recommends making advance bookings as much as possible. “Not only flights and transfers, but also transport to and from meetings, meals out, any required in-room hotel meals, any essential hotel dry cleaning, and any leisure activities.”
5. Be selective with your time. Don’t let your travel schedule unravel. Try to avoid meetings running past their scheduled times. Consider using rideshare rather than car hire, so you can work during the drive. Try to have a consistent sleep routine so you won’t need to nap in transit and try to use transit waiting times and flights for work.
6. Fly early. Book an early morning flight, and get a good night’s sleep beforehand, to ensure you have a full and productive day at your destination.
7. Use your hotel or mealtimes for meetings. Tom recommends taking shortcuts and multitasking where possible. If you are staying at a four- or five-star city hotel, you could hold informal meetings for two or three in the lobby café. You could also gauge whether your stakeholders are open to meeting over lunch or dinner.

“Meeting this way can relieve your stress on a jam-packed work trip and lighten the meeting atmosphere. Clients and suppliers will understand that when you are travelling for business, you are trying to squeeze in as many meetings as possible, and they are more likely to accept a meeting over a meal, coffee or at a hotel.”

8. Get the best Wi-Fi everywhere. Choose flights and accommodation with the fastest Wi-Fi. Comfortable internet browsing requires a broadband connection of at least 25Mpbs to support up to two devices. When travelling with colleagues, ensure you have 100-200Mpbs internet to support multiple devices.[3]
   If you are travelling to a rural or regional area, take a prepaid pocket modem or dongle from most telco retailers. When travelling internationally, you will need to weigh up the capabilities of your mobile phone plan, particularly its international roaming offering. For instance, some providers offer as little as $5 per day for international roaming through your existing phone plan.[4] For longer trips, you may benefit from purchasing a local SIM card.
9. Outsource your travel admin. Knowing what you should do yourself, and what you can rely on others for, is an essential part of remaining productive while travelling for work. Tom says: “An increasing number of businesses are partnering with travel management companies in this complex travel environment. You don’t want to think about flight delays, pandemic restrictions, and check-in requirements on a work trip.”

Corporate Traveller, for instance, allows businesses to book transportation and accommodation on a single consolidated platform, backed by a team of travel advisors, the ideal bended approach for SMEs. Business travel itineraries are hosted on the CT.GO app, which features an AI assistant named Sam to notify travellers on the go and carries out simple tasks such as flight check-ins. Tom adds: “Organising your next move while on the go can be unresourceful. Good travel management companies integrate easy booking technology with expert travel advisors to ensure a smooth trip.”

Maintain business productivity whilst travelling

[1] Statista, 2022 statista.com/statistics/777004/stressful-aspects-business-air-travel-worldwide/

[2] NexTravel, 2019 cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/5863384/Business%20Travel%20Productivity%20Report.pdf

[3] BroadbandNow, 2020, broadbandnow.com/guides/how-much-internet-speed-do-i-need

[4] Vodafone, vodafone.com.au/plans/international-roaming