Are mergers becoming irrelevant? Do two relevant businesses now equal one miserable marriage?

For every Fuji Xerox there’s a Sony Ericsson so below are my thoughts on the pros and pitfalls of merging your business.

Wedding bells are ringing. Business marriages seem to be in season. First there were the Microsoft-Nokia nuptials last year and now the blessed union of WhatsApp and Facebook. Even one-time retail rivals Myer and David Jones are flirting with the idea of engaging in consummation rather than competition.

First the good news. Routines and habits are a useful and essential part of running a successful business, and indeed a successful life. Routines bring order to chaos. When you are so busy that you don’t know what day it is, so tired that you’re chugging down double short blacks like they’re ice-cold lemonade on a hot day, and so stressed that you’re having five minute conversations with people and then walking away with no idea what it was that they said, it is of some comfort to at least be able to sit at the same desk, drink from the same coffee mug and go to the same place to buy lunch. When you impose structure upon your work day you feel more organised and in control.

There is a very long held assumption that economics is a bunch of very serious people talking about very serious, and dare I say boring, things. But I’m here to prove that just isn’t true!

In an age where daily life is lived at breakneck speed, are we losing the ability to enjoy downtime to our own detriment?

 In the ever-growing world of smartphones and smartphone users, one thing has become fairly clear: We all love our own phone, but we hate yours. A self indulgent view of life amongst mobile & social technologies.

Mobile life has become the norm, but it doesn’t mean we all have equal ideas about it.

There is no doubt that strategies around mobile banking are in the top five priorities for any financial institution. Even with this focus, many bankers have a difficult time making the paradigm shift that is required to build a great mobile banking application.

Australia’s finance sector is on track for several more years of solid growth...

Why Financial organisations that work together do better

Ever come to the end of the week, looked at your in-tray and thought 'gee, I could really use an extra day this week'? Well, according to the global CEO survey, workers in knowledge organisations spend up to 25% of every day looking for information. Twenty-five per cent.

So there's your extra day, right there!

Stephen Koukoulas is one of Australia’s most respected economists. His background covers the spectrum of economic insight - from his role as Chief Economist of Citibank to Senior Economic Advisor to the Australian Prime Minister.

In his latest article Stephen argues against the widely held belief that first homebuyers are being priced out of the market, showing us (and Bridie at The Guardian) that with a little frugality and some more realistic expectations, your first home isn’t just a dream.

2014 is upon us, a year that is already showing signs of being a devastatingly successful year for the transformation towards digital nativity… so what do I see the year bringing to the world of culture, behaviour and technology.

Giving a speech can be a joy or a disaster. It can make you feel ten feet tall, or that you want to disappear into the ground. It can be a humiliating, embarrassing ordeal, or an exciting, empowering and uplifting triumph in which you persuade, entertain, motivate and even move the audience.

Bitcoin has been in the news a lot lately.

Involved in everything from space travel with Virgin Galactic, NFC with Nio Card and even Snoop Dogg‘s next record.

I recently took the bold step of deleting Facebook... and the experience was incredibly revealing.

Now I guess I should be clear up front. I haven't dropped out of the Facebook world entirely – doing so would spell almost certain death socially and commercially. However, a few weeks ago I did take the dramatic step of deleting the Facebook App off my smartphone and only checking my feed when on my laptop.

As is normal at this time if the year, economists are pretty much compelled to outline their main themes for the economy and markets in the year ahead.

I am not different so here we go.

As the silly season gets under way, many of us will be looking to 2014 & the next 12 months of awards nights, conferences and events.

Often, during the planning process, the question comes up 'do we need an MC?'

Scott is a visionary and banking innovator who, as Movenbank's Chief Mobile Officer is poised to disrupt the banking services industry with a mobile-centric offering unlike any other. In this fascinating piece Scott explores what our physical money actually means and how we can expect this to change in the not so distant future.

Some say that it makes the world go round, others call it the root of all evil. But what exactly is money? Why do we need it? And where did it come from?

The tourism industry has recently gone through tough times but there are some encouraging signs emerging that 2014 will be a better one for the industry.

If you work in the travel industry you sell something of immense value. Holidays are some of people's most treasured experiences. They provide us with time to unwind, time to have adventures, and time to spend with family and friends. If you ask people to list their 10 best experiences, many of them would be whilst they have been on holiday.

There's another benefit of travelling. It changes our perspective.

It is harder to make a dollar in retail today than ever before. Recent years have seen the retail sector buffeted by a series of fierce and disruptive headwinds.

Indicative of this fact, consider the raft of retail brands such as Payless Shoes and Borders that have had little alternative than to file for bankruptcy as the going has gotten tough.

While a combination of factors have contributed to the woes of retailers, it is perhaps the ever-growing threat of technology and online competition that has had the greatest impact.

It is harder make a buck in retail today than ever before. Recent years have seen the retail sector buffeted by a series of fierce and disruptive headwinds.