Ultimate guide to the Christmas and New Year public holidays; Your holiday reading list; Skype down for millions; Banks to fight Storm legal action

home | contact us | advertise Dear SmartCompany reader, Skype may be a great tool for saving money, but what happens when it fails? A massive outage last night has kept millions of users and businesses waiting for a solution, highlighting the perils of cloud computing. Also today, we look at the decision of the Fair Work tribunal to start eliminating old awards, and provide the entrepreneurs’ ultimate guide to the Christmas and New Year public holiday chaos. We’ve also got 10 of the top books, articles and videos you should check out to keep you motivated over the Christmas break. This is our last edition for 2010, but we’ll be back in your inbox on Tuesday, January 4. Whatever you’re celebrating this holiday season, we hope you have a wonderful time. We thank you for all of your support during 2010 and we look forward to having another great year in 2011. For all this and more, head to our home page. News The definitive guide to Christmas and New Year 2010 public holidays and trading restrictions Skype crashes for millions of users worldwide, highlights perils of cloud computing Noni B latest chain to slash profit forecast as new figures show most retailers trading under 2009 levels Banks to fight Storm legal action Australian Industry Group welcomes Fair Work ruling on modern awards How the RBA stole Christmas: Bartholomeusz Insolvencies rife in construction, retail and services sectors Power Balance slammed by ACCC, household savings rate down in December: Economy Roundup Top Story Your holiday reading list It's time to settle down, relax and recharge – and what better way to do that than by reading some of the best business material produced in 2010? BY JAMES THOMSON. Top Story The New Year’s resolutions of successful entrepreneurs Now is the time entrepreneurs need to be thinking about developing a strategy for the year ahead. Here are some helpful resolutions you could adopt. BY PATRICK STAFFORD. Aunty B The guy keeps stuffing around. Do I walk away from the deal? They are not a turkey so stuffing is out of the question. Six months is not that long in the scheme of things. Trends Google looking for more group buying deals Hulu abandons plans for IPO Zuckerberg meets Baidu chief in China IT Systems David Markus How do I know my IT management costs? Look to productivity as an indicator of IT success and create a roadmap for getting the right resources in place. The Digital Bottom Line Brendan Lewis Personal social media policy A lot of people in organisations are currently discussing their business's social media policies, but don't have a personal one. Big mistake. Gen-Y Millionaire Kirsty Dunphey What's better? Old or new? As a newbie in any industry let it sink in that you're going to make mistakes. It's how you resolve those mistakes that really matters. Boss Lady Amanda Gome What a year! For entrepreneurs, now is the time to relax, unwind and evaluate how you want your 2011 to look. Have a great Christmas and New Year, Amanda Gome Founder / Publisher SmartCompany.com.au Take the opportunity to have a break. Leave the laptop at home, head off for a time, and recharge the batteries. Before you barrel back into the office and get buried in tasks and your inbox; spend a couple of days doing some clear thinking about the six months ahead. It's a great opportunity to do some 'blue-sky' planning now that you've had a few days out and the phone isn't ringing off the hook like usual. Andrew Thomas, Thomas Duryea Consulting Click here for more. FOLLOW US OUR PARTNERS UPCOMING EVENTS

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Groupon opens Australian site, James and Amanda talk 2011, Aunty B on killing accountants, Lou Couttes: what really matters

home | contact us | advertise Dear SmartCompany reader, Forget work this afternoon. It is time to sit back in your chair and get a bit reflective. Read Julia Bickerstaff’s blog on why successful entrepreneurs might feel dissatisfied and today’s Boss Lady about how to manage stress. Then it’s onto an incredibly moving piece by entrepreneur Lou Coutts. And we finish with a round up by editor James Thomson and myself on the outlook for 2011. For your daily dose of news, read Patrick Stafford’s piece on why the newly arrived Groupon is using a completely different domain name and why small miners are upset over the new transition report into the resources tax. And don't forget Aunty B, who gives us all some helpful advice on killing accountants. For all this and more, head to our home page. News Groupon opens Australian site under StarDeals brand, but rivals say launch too late to catch up Green Loans program scrapped, $30m compensation promised to assessors Review of 2010 and outlook for 2011 Business urged to review security policies after survey reveals gaps in bank privacy procedures Small miners disappointed with lack of exploration incentives in MRRT transition report Telstra extends NBN shareholder vote, Foster’s Ian Johnston to step down: Economy Roundup Business leaders in need of a break Asia's growing Euro angst: Maley Top Story The yearly wrap up SmartCompany publisher and founder, Amanda Gome, talks about the year that was and what's ahead for entrepreneurs. BY JAMES THOMSON. Lunch with an Entrepreneur Life is short, seize the day – one entrepreneur’s story A life-threatening illness saw Lou Coutts reevaluate his view of the future. He shares a valuable lesson every entrepreneur can benefit from. Aunty B I want to kill my scaredy-cat accountant! He is an accountant. You are an entrepreneur. Two more unlikely creatures could not coexist on the planet. Trends Intel to be probed by European regulator Researcher jumps from Google to Facebook Google extends free Gmail calling through 2011 Profitable Growth Julia Bickerstaff The most important question you should ask yourself this week From both a business and personal point of view, CEOs I work with find that using questions to frame their reflection of the year helps them to do so in a logical and productive way. Internet Secrets Craig Reardon Your online Christmas wish list Try as you might, unless you truly understand how social networking works, you don't have a hope in Hades of using it to benefit your business. Property Investor Michael Yardney How important is timing the property markets? I've often heard it said that timing is everything when investing, but I'll let you in on a little secret - that's not really the case. Boss Lady Amanda Gome A lesson in perspective Suffering from burnout? Alter your perspective and come back to work in 2011 renewed and reenergised. Coming Up We reveal the New Year’s resolutions of our top entrepreneurs. Best wishes, Amanda Gome Founder / Publisher SmartCompany.com.au As a business grows the role of the founder changes, it's imperceptible at first but becomes quite significant over a few years. The trouble comes when, as the founder moves from creating the business to managing it, the managing aspect doesn't play to their strengths. So next week, while you are enjoying the sun, the barbecue and a few beers, take a moment to ask yourself, "Have I had the opportunity to do my best work every day this year?" And if you haven't, well you owe it to yourself to put this right as soon as you get back to work. Julia Bickerstaff, The Business Bakery Click here for more. FOLLOW US OUR PARTNERS UPCOMING EVENTS

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