SMEs in rush to float before end of 2010, How Guy King pulled off one of the biggest tech deals of the year, Zuckerberg to give half of fortune away

home | contact us | advertise Dear SmartCompany reader, Today on SmartCompany we look at what is behind the rush of small and mid-cap companies trying to float before the end of 2010, examine Apple’s official lists of top apps, and look at Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to give at least half of his fortune away. And in Entrepreneur Watch, James Thomson examines the wider warning from The Reject Shop’s shock profit downgrade. For all this and more, head to our home page. News Small and mid-cap companies rush to float on the ASX before end of the year Australian-made iPhone app named on Apple’s official list of top apps The Reject Shop blames profit warning on interest rates, but experts warn more pain to come Baker’s Delight wants 100 Gen Y franchisees by 2011 despite franchisee recruitment struggles Mark Zuckerberg joins Warren Buffett and Bill Gates in pledging to give away big chuck of wealth Conroy confirms developers won’t have to pay to connect homes to NBN Australia’s big retailers should stop whinging about the net and start competing: Carosa Singapore Exchange chief defends ASX merger, AFP investigates WikiLeaks: Economy Roundup Australia’s innovation rate bounces back Wikileaks has sparked the first internet war: Bernard Keane THE LIGHTER SIDE: Exactly who is running the country? How I How I pulled off one of the biggest tech sales of the year Guy King co-founded Stateless Systems in the hope of creating some interesting web apps for everyday users, but has ended up making millions in the process. BY PATRICK STAFFORD. Exit Strategies Leveraging the valuation To achieve the highest price on sale, you first need to understand what you can do to influence the outcome. BY TOM MCKASKILL. Aunty B Should I turn the clock back? I am disappointing people! You are going to come through this. You ARE! So get on with it. Trends iPhone App of the Week: Australia Post Mobile iiNet looking for Australia’s top geek Fake credit card ring busted by police Online sales Chris Thomas An A/B split test case study: How to double your conversion rate Sometimes it's a lot easier (and cheaper) to improve website conversion rates than it is to spend more in AdWords (or SEO) to achieve exactly the same result. Selling strategies Trent Leyshan 'Tis the season to celebrate! When the bell sounds for your final knock-off for the year, just take a moment to reflect on your achievements. What mistakes did you make and what did you learn? The Futurist Colin Benjamin Go where the money is… Smart companies will adjust their business and marketing plans, segmenting their customers into those who have a lot versus those who want a lot more. Female Entrepreneur Naomi Simson Look after your suppliers Clearly no business can operate without its supply community. Our fabulous suppliers who deliver on our brand promise everyday are critical to our success. Entrepreneur Watch James Thomson Rate shocks roll on A profit warning from The Reject Shop is a sign that the consumer spending slump it hitting every level of the sector. Best wishes, Amanda Gome Founder / Publisher SmartCompany.com.au I think one of the most important things I’ve heard, and know, is that you shouldn’t be selling unless someone is willing to buy. If the business isn’t interesting enough for people to be actively approaching us then it would be a much larger slog. So I think the key thing there is to keep growing the business and focusing on that until you have someone knocking on your door. Guy King, Stateless Systems Click here for more. FOLLOW US OUR PARTNERS UPCOMING EVENTS

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