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Susan Muldowney

Susan Muldowney is a Melbourne-based writer and editor and a former deputy editor of INTHEBLACK. When she's not working she spends her time plotting her next holiday.

Professor Veena Sahajwalla has a strategy for tipping recyclable material straight back into the economy. Photo: Anthony Geernaert.

How inventor Veena Sahajwalla is revolutionising recycling science

Veena Sahajwalla has launched the world's first e-waste microfactory and plans to export the model throughout Australia, and the globe.

Globally, most businesses have taken a major hit financially due to various governments’ responses to COVID-19, and many will not survive the COVID-19 lockdown phase.

Are higher taxes the best way to shore up the economy?

Three experts discuss if higher taxes are the best way forward, covering productivity, jobs and business growth, government policy and more.

Amid the hardship of the past six months, glimmers of optimism have emerged, and the next version of normal is slowly taking shape.

7 predictions for the new normal post-pandemic

What will our world look like a year from now? Experts and futurists agree that we can expect big changes, and that they will be for the better.

As people turned to digital payment to fight the spread of COVID-19, the march toward cashless societies suddenly picked up pace.

Cashless payments spike in fight against COVID-19

One of the side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is an uptick in cashless attractions. Does this mean the death of actual dollars and cents?

Too many organisations are not taking the time to make sure their employees are developing soft skills, and too few organisations reward soft skills.

Can you learn soft skills?

With remote working and automation on the rise, soft skills, such as effective communication, flexibility, adaptability and conflict resolution, are even more important. Can these skills be learnt?

The experience from similar schemes interstate has shown no evidence of significant adverse impacts to employers or employees in the covered industries or to the economy generally.

Taking it with you: should long service leave be portable?

The Victorian Government in Australia recently passed an act to make long service leave benefits portable for people in contract cleaning, security and community service. We ask three experts: should the entitlement be portable?

Buildings are one of the biggest energy consumers, so if you don’t need to heat and cool your office as much, there are huge benefits for the planet – and for your budget.

Game of Thermostat: The battle to find the optimal office temperature

Too hot for some and too cold for others - is there an optimal office temperature to maximise comfort and minimise energy bills? The answers might surprise you.

While it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of setting new goals, always remember the big picture. The goals you set need to be realistic and in line with your organisation, while keeping in mind team morale and employee motivation.

How to set realistic goals and objectives

Still feeling guilty about not meeting the unrealistic targets you set for yourself in 2019? Is it worth setting more achievable goals this year?

Paul Luczak CPA’s decision to launch The Gild Group stems from his two passions – music and numbers. Photo: Jarrod Barnes.

Musical numbers: inside The Gild Group's dual passions

The Gild Group specialises in a number of sectors, including the creative, sporting and hospitality industries, and founder Paul Luczak CPA says clients value having an accountant who really understands their business.

Containers are loaded off a ship and onto trucks at a container terminal in Hong Kong.

Top business issues for 2020

Three experts weigh in on what 2020 could look like amid the continuing US-China trade tension, market volatility and predictions of the global economy growing at its slowest pace since the GFC.

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