ASUS has announced the launch of its latest Intel-powered laptop, the ASUS Zenbook S 14 in Australia & New Zealand to complete their 2024 AI PC lineup. The new laptop offers, ‘New Zen’ with Superior AI, powered by the Intel^® Core^™ Ultra 7 processor (Series 2), building upon ASUS’ mission of offering AI-powered models for all, across students, professionals, and creatives. 

The Zenbook S 14 is a part of ASUS’ latest wave of AI products and continues its pursuit to make premium technology available to every Australian. The company is continuing to drive the AI revolution in the PC industry forward by bringing the industry’s most comprehensive AI PC lineup to market. With this latest range of AI PCs, ASUS continues to focus on bringing top-tier performance, technologies and features to allow Australians to create, work and learn smarter than before.

Bradley Howe, Head of Consumer, Systems Business Group, ASUS Australia, said: “We’re excited to collaborate with Intel on the launch of the new ASUS Zenbook S 14. This device offers quick access to AI experiences and is our thinnest, lightest and most powerful PC yet. We wanted to create a device for those looking to combine performance with aesthetics that will last throughout the day also making this our longest-lasting PC with up to 27 hours of battery life.”

Dino Strkljevic, Regional Director – AI PC, CCG Category Sales, APJ & India, Intel, said: “Intel, together with ASUS, are redefining the consumer and commercial computing experience. With Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2), the new ASUS Zenbook S 14 will offer unparalleled speed, enhanced graphics, long battery life, substantial security features, and unmatched AI capabilities. These devices will provide a new benchmark for user experience, especially for productivity and creativity.”

Fusion of Tech & Design

Providing both function and aesthetic, the Zenbook S 14 comes in Zumia Grey and its design is built with high-tech Ceramic, Ceraluminum™. Ceraluminum™ uses the same high-tech luxury material and offers the best of both worlds: the lightness and hardness of ceramic along with the malleability of metal–at just 1.1cm thin and 1.2 kg light–making it ASUS’ slimmest 14” AI PC. This industry‑first innovation, using the ceramisation process, through plasma electrolytic oxidation, joins these two materials with incredible strength, offering unmatched scratch resistance and longevity. 

Our C part employs the Unibody integrated moulding process, which is meticulously crafted with precise CNC machining. The finely carved heat dissipation perforations deliver a fusion of technological artistry as the users open their laptops. 

Drawing inspiration from natural structure, ASUS designers reimagined the device’s air vents, with the new 3D-lattice ventilation grille design. This innovative design ensures a seamless flow of air and better heat dissipation.

The latest ASUS Enlarged touchpad is engineered to enable an unrivalled input experience that’s in harmony with how you move, feel and scroll. With a 20% noise reduction on the touchpad than previous ASUS generations, the ASUS 2024 new touchpad will adopt the technology of silence; providing users with a quiet environment when everyone uses the laptop and delivering a comfortable, quiet, and responsive clicking experience.

More Powerful Featuring AI 

Despite its ultra-slim form factor, the Zenbook S 14 delivers powerful performance with its Intel^® Core^™ Ultra 7 processor (Series 2), achieving 47 NPU TOPS and offering the newest Intel AI experiences. It’s also an Intel® Evo™ laptop with instant wake-up, a fast WiFi connection, and high battery efficiency to help keep you productive throughout your day. We shorten the distances between RAMs and CPU, providing various benefits such as high-bandwidth RAM: up to 8,533 MHz memory frequency (lower latency speed), reduced device footprint allows lower battery consumption, and a reduction of the motherboard core area, with more space for the dual fan and vapour chamber thermal module. 

With a dedicated Copilot Key for more AI Exploration users can have easy access to the Copilot with no connectivity required which helps to save power. AI Experiences such as Co-Create to generate pictures and live captions are a touch away to help make AI access easy for the everyday Australian.  

The Zenbook S 14 also features the ASUS-exclusive StoryCube and MuseTree apps, enabling smarter and more streamlined creative workflows. StoryCube is a smart, convenient, and powerful digital asset-management tool with AI assistance for scene categorisation and clip generation, allowing users to manage and export their file libraries effortlessly. MuseTree transforms inspiration into imagery swiftly, enabling users to generate more creativity through simple graphical interactions while intelligently storing and managing their ideas

Level Up Your Laptop: Unlock the Power Within!

Although Zenbook S 14 is unbelievably compact, it packs in all the connections you need. The two ultrafast Thunderbolt™ 4 USB-C® ports support fast charging, 4K external displays, and up to 40 Gbps7 data transfers. USB-C® Easy Charge support also means that your Zenbook S 14 can be used with a wide range of standard 5-20V USB-C® chargers. You can enjoy ultrafast charging with any PD (Power Delivery) certified charger, including the 65-watt fast-charge adapter supplied with Zenbook S 14, or juice up your device on the go with airline chargers, portable chargers or power banks!

There’s no need to panic if power outlets are in short supply: Zenbook S 14’s long-lasting up to 27 hours² battery can keep you productive for longer. And when it’s time to charge, there’s no need to stop — with fast charging you can quickly top it up. Experience enhanced laptop performance and reliability through our exclusive battery technology. It extends your battery’s life, increasing charging cycles from 1000 to 1200 in rigorous testing. This ensures your laptop serves you for an extended period, delivering long-lasting benefits. 

The stunning 3K OLED display on Zenbook S 14 keeps every incredible moment detailed and ultra-vivid. ASUS OLED display laptops come with a best-in-class colour gamut. They reproduce colours with superb real-life accuracy for professional-grade visuals, making it perfect for professional and creative work, or anyone who simply wants to enjoy the very best colour fidelity. An OLED display, due to the nature of the special organic light-emitting compounds it uses, reduces harmful blue light by up to 70% compared to LCDs, making it gentle on your eyes. 

Pantone certification simplifies colour management for image creators, ensuring consistent colour performance from concept to final product. With Dolby Vision, creators achieve greater colour depth, contrast, and a rich colour gamut, unlocking HDR’s full potential for captivating visuals in movies, series, and games.

Enjoy your favourite entertainment with breathtakingly realistic sounds that move around you. Zenbook S 14 has a Dolby Atmos® stereo sound system that’s also Harman Kardon certified, with 4 Smart Amplifiers.

¹Copilot + PC experiences are coming. Requires free updates available starting late November 2024. Timing varies by device and region. See aka.ms/copilotpcs
² Local 1080P Video Playback 

Availability & Pricing

In a huge win for regional Australia, Vodafone is boosting its mobile network to more than one million square kilometres, bringing new competition, choice and its award[1]winning mobile plans to the bush for the first time.

The expansion of its mobile network is expected to be switched on in early 2025 after the ACCC today cleared Vodafone’s ground-breaking regional network sharing deal with Optus to increase its network coverage to 98.4 per cent of the Australian population.

When the network is switched on, Vodafone will more than double the size of its mobile network – from around 400,000 square kilometres to around 1,000,000 square kilometres – across Australia, bringing its mobile services to popular holiday destinations and regional hotspots it has never been before.

“This is a huge win for customers and regional Australia, with our award-winning mobile services soon to be available in thousands of holiday destinations and regional communities across the country,” said Kieren Cooney, Vodafone Group Executive, Consumer.

“This will be a game-changer for the millions of Australians in our cities and regions who want great value and mobile coverage when travelling to all the places we love to visit.

“With this network expansion we will break the mobile duopoly that has limited customer choice in regional Australia for too long. We’ve listened to our customers and are excited to say Vodafone’s coming to town.”

The new national Vodafone network means tourists and regional communities will have more choice when it comes to seeking great value mobile deals, with thousands of places set to be served by the Vodafone network.

Places like Cloncurry and Thursday Island in Queensland; Lachlan in Tasmania and Wattle Flat in New South Wales will have 4G and later, 5G connectivity on the Vodafone network for this first time. Destinations including Cobar and Lightning Ridge in New South Wales; Coober Pedy, and Tumby Bay in South Australia; and Coral Bay and Cape Range National Park in Western Australia will go from 3G to 4G.

Vodafone’s millions of retail customers will benefit from access to the additional regional 4G coverage when it is expected to be switched on in early 2025. The national network will also deliver 5G services to Vodafone’s regional customers where available, as the cutting-edge mobile technology continues to be rolled out across Australia.

On Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 of September at the White Bay Power Station in Rozelle, Sydney, Sony will host the first-ever Scene Tradeshow focusing on its digital imaging products and technology.

The one-of-a-kind event will feature a lineup of guest speakers, product showcases and a touch-and-try environment, offering an immersive experience for all attendees. The Scene Tradeshow is an expo-style event open to the public, suitable for all general camera hobbyists and enthusiasts, students, working professionals, or even business owners in the photography, filmmaking or content creation space.

The event is an ideal place to learn more about Sony digital imaging cameras and lenses and to be inspired by the immense photographic and film making talent across Australia and New Zealand.

The Scene Tradeshow event is an extension of Scene, Sony’s online event hosting platform that connects creators, photographers, filmmakers and digital imaging enthusiasts via opportunities to expand creative imagination, join photo walks, learn about capturing sequences for films and upgrade skills with advanced workshops.

The Scene Tradeshow will be made up of a number of interactive zones for visitors to explore including a Photography Zone, Cinema Zone, Play Zone, an image gallery for Sony’s Alpha Awards photography competition, a pop-up cinema screening the finalist films from Sony’s Catchlight Film Festival short film competition, plus workshop and masterclasses stages.

The Scene Tradeshow will also have the most complete line up of Sony digital imaging equipment to get hands on with.

The Photography Zone will feature popular models such as the ZV-E1, Alpha 7C II, Alpha 7R V and the Alpha 1. Through interactive demonstrations and visual installations, attendees will experience the impressive performance of Sony’s cameras and lenses. Additionally, there will be an area for attendees to experiment with the high-resolution features of the Alpha 7R V, such as the pixel-shift multi-shoot mode, to get the perfect, high-quality shot. There will also be an all-purpose “arena of action” which will host a series of high-intensity moments, allowing attendees to experience the speed of cameras such as the Alpha 9 III. An immersive light installation will offer the opportunity to physically experience different light temperatures and observe their effects on the mood and emotion of a scene, from matchlight to dawn and pure sunlight.

The Cinema Zone will simulate a film set with lighting and Sony high-end cinema cameras, giving attendees the opportunity to see firsthand what goes into creating a cinematic scene with a live relay showcasing the filming process. There will also be a small-scale cinema which will screen Catchlight Film Festival movies and a BRAVIA TV demo space staged as a modern and fresh living room spotlighting Sony’s 2024 flagship TV, the BRAVIA 9.

At the Play Zone, attendees can drop off their own camera for a complimentary sensor clean at the express service station. Then, at the same station, a series of Vlogging cameras and accessories will be available for attendees to loan and Vlog their Scene Tradeshow experience. 

During the Tradeshow, attendees will also have the opportunity to take a break in a dedicated Lounge Zone to recharge. This area will be a great place for networking and conversation or simply for enjoying the latest Sony PlayStation games.

In terms of hands-on technology there will be over 100 unique Sony products for attendees to experience, including the entire Sony Alpha full-frame camera lineup, the entire Sony Cinema Line camera lineup (consisting of the VENICE 2, BURANO, FR7, FX6, FX3 and FX30), all G Master lenses, all newly released and select Sony and G-branded lenses and all newly released Sony camera accessories including microphones, on-camera flashes and camera grips. Sony BRAVIA TV displays will also be on hand to complete the lens to living room concept.

Located in the centre of the Scene Tradeshow will be the Sony Hub, where attendees can get more information about anything related to Scene Tradeshow including upcoming talks, directions, or any general enquiries.

For anyone who has an interest in any Sony product on show, they can speak with the sales team and make a purchase at special Tradeshow pricing or purchase a memento with limited-edition Scene Tradeshow merchandise.

The Sony Scene Tradeshow will be held onSaturday 28 September 2024 and Sunday 29 September 2024 from 9am to 5pm at the White Bay Power Station, Robert Street, Rozelle, NSW 2039.

For tickets and more details click here

As Australians feel the need for internet speed, Vodafone is giving away NBN Speed Upgrades at no extra cost for customers who bundle their postpaid mobile and nbn® service.  

The Speed Upgrade means eligible customers will automatically be bumped up to the speeds of the next highest nbn® speed tier (eg. from 25Mbps to 50Mbps, or nbn® Home Fast to nbn® Home Superfast) at no extra cost! Eligibility is subject to technology and line speed capability at the customer’s address. 

With video streaming and streamed gaming on the rise in Australia – particularly in higher resolution formats such as on 4K and 8K-enabled TVs – so too is demand for data and higher speeds. The Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research estimates the average monthly data downloads from Australian households will rise from 199 gigabytes in 2018 to 767 gigabytes in 2028. 

A Vodafone spokesperson said: “We know fast, reliable internet is essential for Australians who are increasingly dependent on online connection for work, socialising and entertainment.  

“Our new Speed Upgrade offer has been designed to put speed and value in the hands of our customers. We’re committed to delivering the network performance our customers need to stay connected, productive, and entertained.” 

To receive the Speed Upgrade, eligible customers’ postpaid mobile plan and nbn® plan must be on the same account and have the same billing name and billing address. This offer is also available to business customers with an active ABN/ACN. The offer applies to customers who from 27 August 2024 add a new nbn® service to their existing Postpaid Mobile service, change their nbn® plan when combined with an existing Postpaid Mobile service, or add a Postpaid Mobile service to an existing nbn® service which was connected or changed plan from 27 August 2024. 

For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com.au 

Square has unveiled Square Kiosk, a fully integrated software, hardware, and payments solution that enables self-serve ordering for hospitality businesses. At a time where hospitality businesses are facing staffing challenges, Square Kiosk bolsters productivity by reducing queues and untethering staff from the counter, freeing them to focus on other tasks. This is the latest technology from Square as it continues to invest in its hardware and software offerings for Australian hospo businesses.

Available today as part of an early access program, Square Kiosk works seamlessly with Square Point of Sale software and Square’s broader ecosystem of customer engagement, and business insights technology. It’s simple for venues to set up, saves precious counter space, and can be placed anywhere – from the wall to flat on the counter to mounted on a VESA compatible stand or swing-arm. Square Kiosk tracks sales data and instantly syncs menu updates, ensuring that customers have real-time visibility into what’s currently available.  

For guests, using Square Kiosk is a sleek and simple experience that lets them bypass queues and easily customise their orders. According to research from Square, the majority of diners are supportive of restaurants and cafes using self-ordering technology to help during busy hours, and Square Kiosk’s intuitive UI and built-in payments lets diners quickly and easily order their food. Guests are able to select exactly what they want, with customisation options being sent directly to the kitchen, and restaurants can grow their sales by offering upgrades and add-ons on every order without any awkward exchanges.

Pasta Prego, the Melbourne-based takeaway pasta bar, is one of the first businesses in Australia to use Square Kiosk and says it has already improved its service.

“As a business we are always trying to evolve and improve our customer experience,” says Lorenzo Fantarella and Isaac Varano, co-founders of Pasta Prego. “Even though we have only recently implemented Square Kiosk, we’ve noticed a significant increase in consumer spend per transaction. Square Kiosk allows consumers to peruse our extensive menu with no time pressure, enabling them to select from our broad offering range. We have also noticed a reduction in wait times, helping the team to focus on delivering our product to customers. As with all Square products, implementation has been seamless as the Kiosk is linked to our POS.”

“It’s a challenging time to be in Australian hospo right now, but speaking to people in the industry, we see how resourceful they are and how they’re looking for ways to operate more efficiently, without impacting service quality,” said Jean Magalhães, Hospo Product Lead for Square in Australia. “Technology – like Square Kiosk – can be a powerful ally in helping the industry in  challenging times like this.”

Square will be demoing the new Square Kiosk, and other restaurant-specific products, at this year’s Fine Food Australia at The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) between September 2nd and 5th, 2024. 

Once it becomes publicly available, until December 31st, 2024, Australian hospo operators will be able to try the Square Kiosk software for free on unlimited devices. After that period, Square Kiosk software will be charged at AU$45 per month, per device.

The software is used exclusively with Square Kiosk hardware which is available for $149. iPads and floor stand hardware are sold separately.  

Successfully rebranding a small business can feel daunting at first, but when armed with the right tools and expert tips, it can be a seamless and exciting process. 

Decide your look: 

After taking over the business over a decade ago, Rob brainstormed with Localsearch on what to rebrand to from the existing AI Supercheap Tyres name. Eventually, he settled on a nickname he earned from a group of locals, finding the right balance of personality and nostalgia.

“When people call up, and they remember the name from our ads, I feel like I’ve known them for life,” Rob said.

Sarah rebranded her business after owning it for two years, renaming it from Flowers by van Til to Mittagong Flower Merchant. She wanted it to feel like her own, rather than one she inherited.

“I’m really proud of the progress our business has made, but I felt it was the time to be bold and reinvent ourselves a bit in order to grow further. The rebrand changed the business’ name, but it still carries the character of the business – the last thing I want to do is no longer be recognisable to our growing base of local customers.”

Play the long game: 

Rubber Rob said “it definitely shouldn’t be an overnight change, you don’t want your loyal customers to walk in and not know who you are. My advice would be to trust your gut, because it is worth doing, just not too quickly”.

Adam Boote, Director of Growth at Localsearch, said there is a sweet spot for each rebrand. “Typically it’s about 18 months, like we did for Rob, depending on how dramatic the rebrand is. Unless something has happened, you should try to weave gentle changes in over time so that it feels almost seamless – something we monitor very closely across any small business’ organic search results, customer feedback, and other SEO measures.”

Keep your advertising consistent: 

Adam said “there is no reason to pull back your advertising and marketing – if anything, it’s more important than ever to make those channels work for you and your business. A simple radio ad or boosted post can be enough to keep your customers in the know of who you are with ‘same team, new name’ key messaging.”

In Rubber Rob’s case, “we wanted to reposition ourselves as an all-round mechanical store, so we just moved a few words. That’s what’s really strong with Localsearch, you can customise the customers you reach,” Rob said. 

Sarah manages her own channels like Facebook and Instagram and in your rebranding strategy on social media, strongly encourages fellow SMB owners to take advantage.

Leading proptech Enviz is revolutionising the residential design and construction industry through its partnership with Hall & Hart, a well-known design and construction firm specialising in knockdown rebuilds in Sydney. This collaboration brings a groundbreaking approach to home design, providing clients with an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience that greatly enhances visualisation and decision-making.

Traditionally, residential design has relied heavily on 2D plans and 3D renderings, which often fall short of providing clients with a true sense of their future home. Recognising this gap, Hall & Hart have integrated Enviz’s VR technology into their offering, giving customers a fully immersive and interactive design experience from the initial sketches to the final model. This approach has significantly improved the efficiency and accuracy of the design process. 

“Not everyone can visualise from a 2D drawing, and even from a 3D drawing, our customers often struggle to really see what the end product will look like,” said Craig Sutton, General Manager of Hall & Hart. “Our goal is to help homeowners visualise their future home as best they can, as early as they can. This minimises the risk of disappointment or dissatisfaction and costly rework later in the process.”

Addressing these challenges, Enviz’s platform provides property professionals with the tools to better visualise, experience, and showcase their unbuilt properties. By allowing homeowners to walk through their home designs in a fully immersive VR environment, Enviz brings a new level of detail and realism, enabling them to explore their homes in real-time, make informed decisions, and avoid costly changes down the line.

“Customers can walk around their house in their own time, show friends and family, get their feedback, and consolidate their thinking. This level of detail just isn’t possible with traditional plans,” Craig detailed. “For us, VR is a real workhorse in getting the design resolved and issues worked out before we move too far into the process.”

Hall & Hart provide clients with a comprehensive walkthrough guide. Clients are encouraged to walk around the block and check the placement of elements like gas meters and water tanks. Inside, they can evaluate window sizes and other details.

“We had one client who actually sat in his bathtub within the VR model to determine the view from the window,” said Craig. “He realised he wanted the window changed so he’d get a better view out of the bathtub. This level of customisation and attention to detail is only possible through using Enviz’s VR technology.”

Craig highlights a recent project on Sydney’s Northern Beaches where the positive impact of VR technology saved budgets and heartache. “After walking through the VR model, the client decided to remove a separate living area that was cramping the open-plan section. This early change, made possible by the VR experience, saved us from making costly adjustments later in the build.”

“This change could have taken three to five months to identify without VR, leading to significant time and cost implications for both us and the client,” Craig noted. “Time is money, and being able to make updates quickly and identify challenges early has been a game-changer for our business and our clients.”

Enviz’s platform is completely mobile, allowing property developers, sales agents, and buyers to engage on-site or off-site, in-person or remotely, in real-time. This flexibility is further enhanced by the platform’s compatibility with VR headsets, mobile devices, and web browsers, making it accessible anywhere, anytime.

“As the demand for personalised and high-quality home design grows, the integration of AR and VR technology is becoming essential. Our partnership with Hall & Hart demonstrates how innovative tools can significantly enhance both the client experience and the design process,” said Michael Shaw, CEO of Enviz. “We are excited to lead this transformation in the industry and set a new standard for residential design and construction.”

Craig echoed these sentiments. “Every build faces similar challenges. The improvements we’ve seen with VR technology are substantial and would benefit the entire industry. Clients increasingly expect customisation and a high-quality experience. As awareness of these services grows, it will become almost a requirement for builders to offer VR technology to meet customer expectations.”

For more information about Enviz and their innovative VR solutions, please visit www.enviz.co.

CyberPower has launched a unique range of rack solutions in Australia that come with a range of unique smart features including efficient diamond shaped cooling holes. These complement their existing products, including rack UPS and PDU to significantly enhance the functionality and reliability of IT infrastructure and efficiently meet the specific needs of data centres and IT servers.

CyberPower Systems Oceania GM ANZ Robert Hartvigsen explained, “CyberPower offers a variety of mainstream rack solutions, including rack enclosures and wall mount racks. Rack enclosures feature removable side panels for installation flexibility, perforated front and rear panels for enhanced ventilation and various optional accessories for added functionality. Wall mount racks provide perforated front panels, easy installation and a range of optional accessories. These racks help make IT infrastructure, data centres and IT servers more effective and more efficient which saves time and money.”

CyberPower has specifically designed its new models to be lighter, smaller, space-saving racks in order to best organise, secure and protect IT equipment.

Hartvigsen added, “We can safely say this as the main material used to manufacture CyberPower Racks is Steel Plate Cold-rolled Commercial or SPCC, that is particularly well known for its lightweight and high strength properties and which significantly helps to organise, secure and protect IT equipment effectively.”

There are three types of CyberPower Racks – Rack Enclosures, Open Frame Racks and Wall Mount.

The Rack Enclosure has been designed with adjustable mounting depth enabling users to better meet their space requirements in demanding IT environments and in turn satisfy different installation needs. They also have Device Ventilation Capability to prevent overheating and their perforated door and ventilated top can further optimise ventilation ensuring high air flow efficiency. There’s a caster kit to enhance mobility and the front door, rear door and side panels are all equipped with keyed-alike locks, providing users with peace of mind that the equipment is well-protected.

 The Open Frame also has Adjustable Mounting Depth and boasts easy to use cable managers which can bundle, separate or route cables to make sure cables are easy to access and identify, allowing users to keep the rack systems tidy and prevent cables from getting tangled. These racks also feature leveling feet to enhance stability so the rack enclosure can be fixed firmly on the ground when casters are installed and the Caster Kit for mobility and Device Ventilation Capability.

The Wall Mount racks also have Adjustable Mounting Depth, Device Ventilation Capability and Easy Cable Access along with a 90° swing-out rear door for convenient access to the rear of the racks and thus easy equipment and cable management.

Hartvigsen said, “These unique and robust CyberPower racks have more smart features than almost any other type of rack. They have improved diamond shaped cooling holes which are far superior to the usual round holes and are a very high quality product compared to many other tier one racks. They even come in flat pack options for building onsite where space is an issue, have toolless mounting slots, included cable rings for cable management, Rack U numbering, integrated grounding points and clever, space-saving enclosures. This makes them ideal for corporates, education facilities, government departments, data centres, server rooms and back offices. In short, CyberPower Racks are the cost effective, reliable, peace of mind option that is there to protect, extend the life of and organise your most valuable equipment.”

For more information on CyberPower Racks go to:
https://www.cyberpower.com/au/en/product/series/rack_enclosures

https://www.cyberpower.com/au/en/product/series/open_frame_racks

https://www.cyberpower.com/au/en/product/series/wall_mount

Australia’s top-performing tradies and female small business leaders have been honoured at the 2024 Australian Trades Small Business Champion Awards and the 2024 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards, held in Sydney on Friday 23 August and Saturday 24 August, respectively.

Touted the ‘Logies of small business’, the glittering gala events saw approximately 1000 small businesspeople from myriad retail, services and manufacturing industries converge at The Star on each Awards Night.

Triple Olympic gold medallist, Stephani Rice, was among the VIP guests in attendance and provided inspirational addresses on the power of resilience in professional sport as in small business.

Both major recognition awards programmes attracted entrants from all Australian states and territories and were comprehensively judged over multiple rounds by an independent panel of dozens of small business experts.

The stringent judging criteria spanned various aspects of small business operations including short and long-term growth strategies, profitability, eco-friendliness, innovation, marketing initiatives, customer service quality and charitable and community support – to name but some of the judging criteria.

WINNERS: 2024 Australian TRADES Small Business Champion Awards:

Swapping their high-vis for red carpet glamour, more than 50 of the nation’s most dynamic, innovative, and best-servicing tradies were crowned at the second-annual Australian Trades Small Business Champion Awards, hosted by Nine News’ Peter Overton.

The Trades Awards paid tribute to the vital role of small businesses in the trade sector as the backbone of the nation’s construction industry, and a significant contributor to Australia’s overall social and economic prosperity.

The Awards also spotlighted trades-based small business owners’ invaluable contributions to their local communities and to their fields of specialty – including their encouragement of future generations of Aussie tradies.

The award for 2024 Young Small Business Champion Trades Entrepreneur went to Anthony Antoun of Mr and Ms Group – a family-owned, design, construction and landscaping business based at Birrong in New South Wales.

Jet Plus Plumbing, owned and operated by Victoria’s Luke Kennedy, took the title of Australian Small Business Champion Trade Leader; while NSW-based Andrew Vanny Plumbing won the 2024 Champion Tradie title.

Australia’s best Large Builder went to Ruby Homes of Box Hill in NSW; and prestigious accolades were also presented to small business operators across automotive industries, architecture, engineering, gardening, roofing, electrical businesses, pest control, painting, tiling, fencing, flooring, cleaning, manufacturing and more.

“Especially relevant this year as we continue to grapple with a housing shortage, urgent need for more skilled tradespeople and other undoubtedly stressful and unprecedented challenges in trades industries, this programme was deliberately designed to celebrate the millions of hardworking small business tradies who positively contribute to the country in so many ways,” said Steve Loe, Awards Founder and Managing Director of Precedent Productions, which coordinates the Australian Trades Small Business Champion Awards.

For a full list of 2024 Australian Trades Small Business Champion Awards winners, visit championawards.com.au/trades.

WINNERS: 2024 Australian WOMEN’S Small Business Champion Awards:

The biggest celebration of women in small business saw more than 60 prestigious accolades presented at the third-annual Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards, hosted by Nine journalist and TODAY show presenter, Jayne Azzopardi.

The evening’s most highly-anticipated award – 2024 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion ICON – was won by Vicki Clare-Geluk of Plie Groove’n’Shuffle dance school at Cromer, NSW.

The epitome of a savvy trailblazer who turned her business from a one-woman-show to an award-winning performing arts and sports school that now operates across multiple campuses with more than 30 staff and 1000 students, Plie Groove’n’Shuffle has achieved considerable growth under Vicki’s leadership.

Extremely active within Sydney’s Northern Beaches community, delivering a variety of volunteer-based initiatives designed to foster good mental health, self-esteem and coping strategies for young people, Plie’s unique programmes and nurturing environment under Vicki’s headship also cater to athletes with additional needs.

With a diverse background as a Director, Author and Marketing Strategist, Kristine Young of Bella Venezia Italian restaurant at Mooloolaba in Queensland, won 2024 Australian Small Business Champion Influential Woman.

The award for 2024 Young Small Business Champion Woman Entrepreneur was presented to Rise Up Occupational Therapy Services’ Director and Senior Occupational Therapist, Cassandra Cagorski, for her inspiring achievements in Allied Health services as well as exemplary leadership of her small business team.

Indi Livas, Founder of the Monday Food Co, was named 2024 Small Business Champion Woman Entrepreneur. With a variety of socially conscious and eco-friendly elements to her business which benefited significantly from Indi’s appearance on the television show, Shark Tank, Indi grew up on a farm in New South Wales and is a qualified yoga teacher. She has a background in naturopathy and raw food production that led her to creating the Monday Food Co, which she aspires to grow into Australia’s leading gut friendly health food company.

In a beauty trifecta for Queensland, aesthetics and beauty business coaching company JadeStart took top gong for Professional Services, the Cosmetic Specialist category was won by Bobbie Charles Skin & Cosmetic Clinic, and Queensland’s Lust Minerals won the Beauty Product category.

However, among the year’s most competitive categories with more than two dozen finalists, the Beauty Services award was presented to NSW-based business, Isabella Loneragan Skin. With a focus on holistic health and bespoke facial treatments, as well as educational courses for fellow industry professionals and a product range called Ragan Skin, the Founder of the business, Isabella Loneragan, was also applauded for her influence on the industry via effective media engagement strategies.

Spanning capital cities as well as rural, regional and suburban towns, the array of more than 60 winning women-led small businesses this year also included Business Coaching category winner The Alternative Board, Quakers Hill East Combined OSHC Inc for Most Inclusive Employer, Environmental Business Tiny Tins and Wollondilly Women in Business for its success in aiding its members’ businesses to grow and connect with community.

According to Australian Government data, female small business owners currently represent more than one-third of all small businesses; and recently released research from Commonwealth Bank suggests more and more Australian women are choosing to start a small business or side hustle, with women opening up 43.2 per cent of all new business transaction accounts during the 2023 financial year.

For a full list of 2024 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards winners, visit championawards.com.au/womens.

The taxable payments annual report (TPAR) is due soon for certain:

• businesses that pay contractors for certain services, including building and construction, cleaning, courier and road freight, information technology (IT), or security, investigation or surveillance
• government entities that pay grants to people or organisations with an Australian Business Number (ABN).

The ATO is reminding businesses who are required to lodge a TPAR to do so by 28 August 2024. This is an annual requirement and penalties may apply if they don’t lodge.

ATO Assistant Commissioner Tony Goding commented:

The taxable payments reporting system (TPRS) ensures contractors providing certain services report all their income. This helps keep a level playing field by making sure all businesses pay their fair share of tax.

TPAR data strengthens our ability to detect and deal with dishonest operators trying to gain an unfair advantage over the majority who do the right thing. It also protects billions of dollars in missing taxes each year, money that funds essential community services, like health, education and natural disaster management.

In the 2023–24 financial year, we provided visibility of more than $451 billion in gross TPAR payments from almost 177,000 businesses to almost 1.3 million contractors. In doing so, we have helped contractors complete their income tax returns through the pre-fill and transaction services report.

From 2019 to 2023, we issued approximately $9 million in penalties to over 5,200 businesses not lodging their TPAR.

Lodging online is quick and easy. If businesses are unsure if they need to lodge a TPAR, they can visit www.ato.gov.au/TPAR