Paul Graham continues to be one of my favourite business writers – I estimate that I’ve been reading his essays for a decade now. In many ways, even without having met him, pg (and Hacker News, which he built and originally named Startup News) is a key influence in my enthusiasm for tech startups, capital...

I’ve selected a handful of heuristics in my life that I credit with making me happy(ier). Here’s one of the big ones: Never Run for Public Transport. I developed this decision-making framework in my final year of university. (That was a happy year for a lot of reasons, but I don’t want to digress). Brisbane...

Source: Sydney Morning Herald. Most business advisors and business coaches recommend drawing up a business plan, but many SME owners opt to go without. “A business plan would have slowed us down,” Eve John says. “It just seemed a little bit too rigid.” Jacob Aldridge is an international Shirlaws business coach, and has one simple...

Source: Business News Daily What makes a good business presentation? Here are 36 “killer” tips. In among a lot of recommendations for the latest technology, keep an eye on number 19 where I point out “Too many presenters rely on technology to gloss over their flaws in memory or expertise” Read all 36 tips here.

Source: American Express Open Forum Your small business has been thriving, and the pipeline is always filled with upcoming work. For the first time since leaping into the world of small-business ownership, you finally have a sense of job security. But don’t get comfortable too soon. Jacob Aldridge, a licensed Shirlaws business coach, says this...

One of my duties as a partner at Shirlaws business coaching Australia is the production of our fortnightly ‘business links’ newsletter, which will be reproduced (but delayed!) here. To receive the freshest information and join 3,000+ Australian entrepreneurs, you should subscribe here. From 2008 – 2010, on behalf of my team at Shirlaws Queensland I produced a...