The State’s peak body for business has “faith” it can convince popular Premier Mark McGowan of the need to introduce meaningful tax reform, despite his refusal to budge on the issue.
Danielle Le Messurier & Kate Purnell
Maintaining WA’s economic strength will be a challenge this year, experts predict, after a report revealed the State and NSW are the only economies performing above trend and accelerating.
Meilin Chew
When it comes to automation, it can be difficult to differentiate between myth and fact.
Auto Control Systems
About 40,000 are Australians stuck overseas. But workforce shortages are driving a push to get more foreigners into the country.
Jade Gailberger
WA employers say they will strongly encourage staff to get a COVID-19 vaccine in line with the Federal Government’s approach, rather than forcing staff to get the jab.
Meilin Chew & Kate Purnell
Rachel Diaz is among a rising trend of young beauty-preneurs specialising in niche beauty services in the State, with her business flourishing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Krystal Sanders
Skills shortages in WA are likely to remain the biggest challenge for the State’s labour market for some time, according to economists.
Consumers are increasingly embracing a buy local mentality to the benefit of WA operators, who say there has been a resurgence of people wanting to purchase in their own backyard.
Fresh analysis of business turnover in WA’s lockdown regions has revealed the resilience of traders, with those hardest hit bouncing back to close in on, or beat, usual trading levels.
Commonwealth Bank has admitted duping business customers whacked with interest rates of up to 34 per cent on overdraft accounts.
Neale Prior
Economists say WA’s post-COVID recovery is not without challenges, despite ambitious infrastructure projects, housing construction grants and a strong mining sector.
Perth restaurants and bars are steadily recovering from last week’s hard lockdown but venue owners warn ongoing disruptions to trade would be unsustainable.
Kate Purnell
Luke D’Ambrogio left his long-term job at an advertising agency six months ago to start his own patisserie, joining a growing trend of locals willing to take the plunge and redirect their careers.
Perth’s five-day lockdown has taken a toll on consumer confidence, with a new report showing spending took a near 40 per cent dive.
A former Rottnest cafe owner has been given the go-ahead to mount a new legal campaign alleging a conspiracy involving State agencies.
The impact of the State’s post-lockdown restrictions is being unevenly spread among Perth businesses, with some owners debating the viability of trading at all, while others face minimal disruption.
Restaurant and bar owners are calling on cooped-up customers to come out tonight as they re-open their doors after the five-day snap lockdown.
Kate Purnell and Charlotte Elton
Retail sales lost steam in December, with spending across the country falling 4.1 per cent and 2 per cent in Western Australia, following a strong lift the previous month.
Danielle Le Messurier
The number of subscribers to the recently listed WA internet services provider has surged past 10,000, as the company prepares to expand its fixed-wireless network.
At least a quarter of the State’s small businesses reported being impacted by delayed payments exceeding 30 days, according to a new report.
Perth’s five-day lockdown has led to financial pain for business owners, with some reporting six-figure losses as they continue to meet the cost of staff wages and expenses.
Clive Palmer says the WA Premier failed to learn lessons from other States’ issues with hotel quarantine for returned travellers.
Daniel Newell
The head of the retail conglomerate has called on the WA Government to advise businesses what the lingering restrictions will involve, warning traders “cannot turn on and off like a light switch”.
Meilin Chew, Sean Smith
More than half of Australia’s tourism businesses will go bust after the JobKeeper program ends unless they are thrown a financial lifeline, industry bosses warn.
David Mills
© West Australian Newspapers Limited 2020