Ronelle Richards
SmartCompany
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Contact Ronelle
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
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Past articles by Ronelle:
How Anthony Wright created $2 million ‘lawyer on call’ business Lexvoco in just 14 months
Name: Anthony Wright Company: Lexvoco Based: Melbourne Just 18 months ago Anthony Wright was working as a lawyer and drawing up a business plan at his kitchen table. After 15 years working as a lawyer for other people, Wright saw a gap in the market for businesses that need lawyers but cannot afford to pay → Read More
App aims to get Australian workers up and moving
The Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne has released an app that encourages regular movement in a bid to get office workers up and moving. The team behind the Rise & Recharge app hopes the app will highlight the dangers of sitting for long periods of time, suggesting regular movement can help to → Read More
How Sydney entrepreneur Han Lam traded in his stockbroking suit for a mop and bucket
Sydney entrepreneur Han Lam wears many hats. He is the co-founder of cleaning company The Marigold Group, juice business The Juice Stop and student concierge group Goldridge Group. Lam is a self-proclaimed “wheeler and dealer”, having co-founded a number of businesses – both successfully and unsuccessfully – over the past five years. Lam and business partner Jason → Read More
Why Uber forced this Gold Coast business to change its name
A delivery business on the Gold Coast has been forced to change its name after receiving legal threats from ridesharing giant Uber. Manne Padowitz, general manager of delivery startup Muber told Business News Australia he was forced to change the name of his company after Uber contacted him about the similarities between the businesses. Read → Read More
Aldi accused of being "racist towards the Scottish" but advertising watchdog rules whisky ad is okay
The advertising watchdog has rejected a claim that an a radio advertisement for Aldi whisky is racist, dismissing a listener’s complaint that the commercial unfairly targeted people from Scotland. The radio advertisement opens with the sound of bagpipes playing before a man with a strong Scottish accent introduces himself as the head distiller of Aldi’s → Read More
Wesfarmers beats out Woolworths to become Australia's largest company
Wesfarmers is now become Australia’s biggest company, according to a report released yesterday. The report, from business research firm IBISWorld, ranks companies by revenue. The data shows how strong performances from both Coles and Bunnings helped Wesfarmers take out the top spot this year, up from third place in 2015. Wesfarmers toppled BHP Billiton in this year’s list → Read More
Why wearing orange shoes might be the key to networking success
It might sound strange but one digital innovator and author believes his biggest advantage when it comes to networking successfully is wearing orange shoes. Dave Kerpen, co-founder and chief executive of Likeable Local, has revealed he owns 29 pairs of orange sneakers and these bright shoes are the conversation starter that boosted his then start-up → Read More
Why entrepreneurs and business owners are doing Vedic Meditation twice a day
If the word meditation still conjures up an image in your mind of a person sitting cross-legged humming, then you’re living in the past. Meditation today, particularly the Vedic or Transcendental branch of meditation, is becoming increasingly popular amongst business owners and entrepreneurs as a way to relieve stress and enhance focus. Read more: How meditation → Read More
Email inventor Ray Tomlinson dies
Ray Tomlinson, the man credited with invented email, has died aged 74 after suffering an apparent heart attack on Saturday. Tomlinson is credited with sending the first email back in 1971, combining programs to allow messages to be sent to users on other computers. Tomlinson is also the person behind the ‘@’ symbol being used → Read More
Number of people starting apprenticeships and traineeships down by almost 20%
The number of people starting apprenticeships and traineeships is falling, with 8600 fewer people commencing an apprenticeship or traineeship in September 2015 compared to the same time in 2014 according to national data released last week. This amounts to a 19.3% decline in the number of people commencing training and is coupled with a 13.7% decrease → Read More
How Daniel Barnett saw a problem for SMEs and turned it into $2.5 million business WORK[etc]
Name: Daniel Barnett Company: WORKBased: Sydney Daniel Barnett says the idea for his business management platform WORKcame to him while he was running a different small business. After finishing university, Barnett was leading a web design business that quickly grew to 14 staff. He was travelling regularly and needed ways to operate his → Read More
Meet the restaurant owner who shames no-shows on Twitter
No-shows are a common problem for restaurants but one business owner has decided to take a stand by naming and shaming diners on Twitter. Erez Gordon, owner of Bishop Sessa in Surry Hills, Sydney, has been using the hashtag #noshowshame on Twitter when diners book a table, fail to show and don’t answer their phones → Read More
International tourists are flocking to Tasmania
Tasmanian SMEs are reaping the benefits of increased international tourism to the state, with the latest report from Tourism Research Australia showing a fifth more international tourists visited Tasmania in 2015 compared to the year before. Across all Australian states and territories, Tasmania recorded the largest increase in international visitors in the year to December 2015 → Read More
Northern Australia SMEs to share in $13.6 million tourism initiative
SMEs that operate in the tourism sector in the Northern Territory will soon have access to specialised advisers and facilitators as part of a $13.6 million federal government initiative. The initiative is part of the government’s response to its white paper on developing northern Australia, called “Our North, Our Future” and will combine the government’s → Read More
Why US food chain Jersey Mike's Subs is setting up on Australian shores
Another US fast food giant has landed Down Under, with the first Jersey Mike’s Subs store opening on Queensland’s Gold Coast today. The move is part of a growing trend of American food chains making the switch to Australia. Read more: Australia is getting a new fast food giant – five things you need to know → Read More
The "CEO scam" that's cost businesses $2.8 billion in two years
An email scam that involves cyber criminals impersonating chief executives is estimated to have cost businesses across the globe more than $2.8 billion in the past two years, according to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. Fairfax reports the FBI has seen a marked increase in what it calls “business email crime” or “CEO fraud”, → Read More
Aldi closes online liquor store, says it will focus on SA and WA expansion plans
Discount supermarket chain Aldi will be closing its Australian online liquor outlet in three weeks’ time. Aldi has written to customers informing them it is closing the online store in order to focus on its expansion into South Australia and Western Australia, according to Business Insider. The first four South Australian Aldi stores are now open, with a further → Read More
Flight Centre throws Dick Smith employees a lifeline with fast-tracked job offers
More than 2000 Dick Smith employees will be out of work in the next eight weeks, but there is some good news: workers are being offered the opportunity to switch to the travel industry. Flight Centre has contacted Dick Smith receivers Ferrier Hodgson to offer staff an expedited application process that will see them fast → Read More
Five things you need to know about Woolworths' new chief executive Brad Banducci
Woolworths has appointed Brad Banducci as chief executive and managing director after posting a $972.7 million loss in its half-year results. Banducci will be taking over from retiring chief executive Grant O’Brien, and was deemed the strongest internal applicant by the Woolworths’ board. Here are five things you need to know about the new Woolies chief executive. 1. Banducci → Read More
Facebook launches full screen ads for business
Advertising on Facebook is set to become more seamless for SMEs with the launch of full-screen mobile advertisements. The new feature, dubbed Canvas, displays a fast-loading full screen advertising “experience” that allows Facebook users to browse through products before heading to the retailers website to make a purchase. See more: The most popular brands on → Read More