Merry Christmas to all!

This is our final post for 2017, so I’d just like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas  and a happy and prosperous 2018. Thank you for your support, and for maintaining our position as always coming first or second when searching “news for small business” on the net.

We will return refreshed and determined to bring you all the small business news, commentary, tips and advice we hope you find useful and informative. If there’s anything missing from our offering, or you have any feedback on how we present our content, please add a comment on this article – we will consider all suggestions.

The summer issue of our quarterly magazine also hits the shelves on 3 January, we are proud of the fact that we are the only small-business focused publication still in print, and relish the fact that the magazine gives us an opportunity to run more in-depth, long form profiles, case studies and articles from experts in their field on the many and varied aspects of starting and running a business.

Our summer issue delves into innovation and small-business technology. Sophisticated cyber-security defences, cutting-edge digital marketing tools such as bots and geofencing, and artificial intelligence are all well and good, however, are they affordable and achievable for the time-poor, budget-conscious small-business owner? The answer is a resounding “yes”, and in this issue of Inside Small Business we look at why, and how you can leverage technology to save you time and money.

And we have some great stories of small businesses who have changed the way they go about things to stay on top in their field. Melissa Gibson and Warren Sanders recently bought out a 95-year-old gentlemen’s accessories store and the teaks they have made have allowed the venerable manufacturing enterprise to remain relevant and profitable in a crowded market. While Kate Engler and partner Simon Thorne have pooled their expertise as PR guru and surfer respectively to revolutionise one of Australia’s fastest-growing sports, snowboarding.

To round off we focus on the end-game. Passionate as small-business owners are about what they’re doing, going your own way is not an end in itself – you still have to eat! So, we investigate some strategies for ensuring you make the most of the money you earn along the way and can look forward to your eventual retirement.

We have various subscription offers in the Shop tab on our homepage that enable you to purchase the magazine, either hard copy or digitally, at a considerable saving on the published cover price.

The first quarter of 2018 is a big one for ISB with the second iteration of our Top 50 Small Business Leaders report, and the associated launch events around the country, happening in March. Keep an eye out on the website in the New Year as the report, featuring inspiring start-up stories, will once again be is free to download.

Thanks once again and have a great holiday. We will be publishing out first stories of 2018 on 3 January.

Tim Ladhams, Editor, Inside Small Business