Opinion | SmartCompany

Small businesses aren’t banks: Why Australia’s 60-day payment cycle needs a reset

Mark Lawry — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 05:24:53 +0000

ASIC data reveals insolvencies among Australian businesses have surged, with small businesses bearing the brunt of rising cashflow pressures.

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Funding women founders: We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect change

Rachel Yang — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:56:00 +0000

Supporting women founders matters, but achieving gender equity in venture capital will require systemic reforms, writes Rachel Yang.

The post Funding women founders: We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect change appeared first on SmartCompany.

Peter Strong: The trust tax debate ignores the risks small business families take

Peter Strong — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 05:23:02 +0000

The debate over family trusts should consider the shared financial risk and contribution of small business families, not just tax outcomes, says the former CEO of COSBOA.

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AI “brain fry” could become the next big WHS challenge

Prabha Nandagopal — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:21:49 +0000

As AI adoption accelerates, experts are warning of a new workplace risk dubbed "AI brain fry", with research linking intensive AI use to mental fatigue, more errors and higher staff turnover.

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Inside the billion-dollar succession battle at Linfox that’s tearing the Fox family apart

Stephen Mayne — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 23:15:36 +0000

A public succession battle within the Fox family has thrust Linfox into the spotlight, highlighting the challenges of passing control of one of Australia's largest privately-owned businesses to the next generation.

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The federal government must not be allowed to discriminate against suppliers without union agreements

Mrinaal Datt — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 23:55:09 +0000

Labor’s latest workplace relations bill could tilt government procurement in favour of unionised businesses at the expense of SMEs.

The post The federal government must not be allowed to discriminate against suppliers without union agreements appeared first on SmartCompany.

How Anthropic turned ‘anti-marketing’ into one of tech’s most powerful growth strategies

Mrinaal Datt — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 01:10:32 +0000

Anthropic may look like it avoids marketing, but that perception is part of the strategy, writes Airtasker CEO Tim Fung.

The post How Anthropic turned ‘anti-marketing’ into one of tech’s most powerful growth strategies appeared first on SmartCompany.

I quit Canva, moved overseas and made my startup product impossible to avoid

Mrinaal Datt — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 01:28:42 +0000

After leaving an engineering role at Canva, one founder moved to Seoul and committed to learning Korean using only the AI language app he was building.

The post I quit Canva, moved overseas and made my startup product impossible to avoid appeared first on SmartCompany.

You can’t impose CGT on a business nobody wants to buy

Mrinaal Datt — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 22:54:08 +0000

Jessica Hatzis says it is time for founders to close the news tab and focus on the thing that really matters: building and scaling their businesses.

The post You can’t impose CGT on a business nobody wants to buy appeared first on SmartCompany.

Viral videos of graduates booing AI show the risks of replacing junior staff

Mrinaal Datt — Wed, 27 May 2026 22:29:01 +0000

Australian businesses racing to automate junior work are eliminating the very people best placed to help them survive the AI transition.

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