Innovation

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Payments efficiency drive on show at Sibos

Payments efficiency drive on show at Sibos

21 December 2023

Delivering low-cost, real-time international payments to match today’s customer experience in the domestic space was a key part of discussions for NAB executives reflecting on the marquee financial services conference.

Payments efficiency drive on show at Sibos

Insight

Powering up

Powering up

16 March 2023

Solving the problems of our transportation system and accelerating decarbonisation may sound like Herculean labors to most of us, but for energy titan Trevor St Baker AO they are the things of the daily to-do list. We sat down with the Brisbane-based businessman to reflect on his 60 years in the power industry and get the inside scoop on ushering in a world of flying cars.

Powering up

Article

Insights, Trends & Case Studies

The rewards of thinking differently

The rewards of thinking differently

28 September 2022

The brains behind Airtasker and v2food share a meal – and their thoughts on how changing your perspective can lead to success.

The rewards of thinking differently

Article

Flavorite sons just keep on growing

Flavorite sons just keep on growing

8 February 2022

Twenty-nine years ago, when their first ever tomato crop was destroyed by rain and hail, Warren Nichol and Mark Millis were convinced there must be a better way.

Flavorite sons just keep on growing
6 factors that will define 2022 for business

6 factors that will define 2022 for business

11 November 2021

From tackling risk to growing your employee value proposition, 2022 is going to throw your business plenty of opportunities. Here’s our expert take on what they’ll look like and how to respond.

6 factors that will define 2022 for business

Article

Is medical education keeping pace with change?

Is medical education keeping pace with change?

15 October 2021

From complex needs to disruptive technology, young doctors are facing fast-changing demands. We look at how educators can ensure they’re equipped for the challenges they’ll face.

Is medical education keeping pace with change?

Article

Eyes in the skies

Eyes in the skies

16 August 2019

More than mere high-tech toys, drones are being put to work by businesses around the world in a multitude of ways.

Eyes in the skies
Innovation Lessons from Israel

Innovation Lessons from Israel

19 July 2019

A new whitepaper from NAB examines how the Australian SME sector, and the country more broadly, can continue to prosper, and what we can do to support SMEs. Get the full picture.

Innovation Lessons from Israel
Kohab launches social network for homebuyers

Kohab launches social network for homebuyers

7 December 2018

In early 2018, two entrepreneurs launched a website that aimed to address the housing affordability crisis by facilitating co-ownership. A few months later, they had an even better idea.

Kohab launches social network for homebuyers
The business of health in the digital age

The business of health in the digital age

5 December 2018

Healthcare providers want to operate efficiently while providing the best possible care for their patients. Here’s how digitisation – My Health Record specifically – can help with both.

The business of health in the digital age
Is eHealth the key to a healthier practice?

Is eHealth the key to a healthier practice?

19 June 2018

An ‘e’ prefix tends to indicate a technological leap forward, and that’s certainly the case for ‘eHealth’. It’s helping patients manage their own health and changing their relationship with healthcare providers. So, where does that leave your bottom line? NAB’s Cameron Fuller examines the impact of technology and contemplates potentially profitable new business models.

Is eHealth the key to a healthier practice?
Are we an entrepreneurial nation?

Are we an entrepreneurial nation?

30 May 2018

Australia is a high performer in academic research – yet when it comes to commercialising that research, we rank last in the industrialised world. It’s time for change, says the Chairman of NAB.

Are we an entrepreneurial nation?
Face it: the future is here

Face it: the future is here

10 May 2018

Biometric authentication is being rolled out across various industries – and the possibilities feel endless.

Face it: the future is here
Alipay has landed

Alipay has landed

7 May 2018

With 1.2 million visitors injecting $10 billion into the Australian economy each year, and almost one third of our international students now coming from China, Chinese custom is big business. Alibaba Australia’s MD explains Alipay.

Alipay has landed
Healing power of sweet design

Healing power of sweet design

4 May 2018

Daylight, a sense of space, a natural outlook… architecture professor Julie Willis on how Australia is taking up the ethos of beautiful hospital design.

Healing power of sweet design
Pathways to Building Australia’s Entrepreneurs

Pathways to Building Australia’s Entrepreneurs

20 April 2018

Our small and medium businesses are critical to Australia’s prosperity, so it is important that we put in place the right settings that enable our entrepreneurs to have the greatest chance of success.

Pathways to Building Australia’s Entrepreneurs
Sustainable business changes the face of remote communities

Sustainable business changes the face of remote communities

6 March 2018

The award-winning Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation has created jobs in some of Australia’s most isolated communities. CEO Alastair King explains how ALPA is creating the jobs that are key to building successful communities in remote locations.

Sustainable business changes the face of remote communities
Chatbots: plugging the gaps in healthcare and banking

Chatbots: plugging the gaps in healthcare and banking

21 February 2018

Chatbots are ready to answer questions 24 hours a day – a big plus when you’re talking health or finances. Dana Bradford, senior research scientist at CSIRO, and NAB’s head of innovation Jonathan Davey discuss how conversations with machines could make life easier.

Chatbots: plugging the gaps in healthcare and banking
Helping to finance the hospitals of the future

Helping to finance the hospitals of the future

31 January 2018

As the cost of healthcare continues to rise, state and federal government budgets are facing a growing challenge of balancing the competing needs of health-care expenditure with other areas of spending such as schools and roads.

Helping to finance the hospitals of the future
The race is on: why Australia can lead in health innovation

The race is on: why Australia can lead in health innovation

25 January 2018

The race is on to cut costs and save lives. As a nation, we have an impressive history of healthcare innovation – but what of the future? And what’s our place in the race to find new, cost-effective ways to diagnose, treat and prevent illness?

The race is on: why Australia can lead in health innovation
2017 Year in Review: Corporate Finance

2017 Year in Review: Corporate Finance

16 January 2018

2017 was marked by a return to stability following the volatility of recent times and the rise of innovative new products, especially in the green and social sectors.

2017 Year in Review: Corporate Finance
Australia’s rising tide of craft beer

Australia’s rising tide of craft beer

11 December 2017

The craft beer industry has exploded in Australia. Four brewers explain what’s driving demand, where the sector is headed and what others entering the industry might consider.

Australia’s rising tide of craft beer
It’s back to business in securitisation

It’s back to business in securitisation

20 November 2017

Securitisation has been one of the compelling stories in the Australian market in 2017. Issuers are keen, investors are willing and there’s abundant appetite for new and exciting assets and structures.

It’s back to business in securitisation
NAB Labs Innovation Index 2017

NAB Labs Innovation Index 2017

20 September 2017

Australia’s next phase of growth must be defined by ideas, creativity and execution. Our future lies in our ability to foster a culture of innovation. But how do we measure innovation across all sizes and types of business?

NAB Labs Innovation Index 2017
More than chemicals: Titan Ag connects with farmers

More than chemicals: Titan Ag connects with farmers

4 September 2017

After 10 years in business, Titan Ag is now a formidable strength in holistic agricultural chemical supply, respected for competitive products, relationship building – and now for being grain producers themselves.

More than chemicals: Titan Ag connects with farmers
From crisis to culinary success: the story of Meredith Dairy

From crisis to culinary success: the story of Meredith Dairy

20 August 2017

When the Australian Government removed price reserve guarantees on wool in 1991, the resulting price collapse meant long-standing beef, lamb and wool producers Julie and Sandy Cameron had to either innovate or accept that their business would perish.

From crisis to culinary success: the story of Meredith Dairy
Going bush with the sharing economy

Going bush with the sharing economy

20 August 2017

A sharing platform for agricultural equipment could see Aussie farmers spending less on machinery and earning a sideline income hiring out gear which would otherwise sit idle in the shed. Agri View reports.

Going bush with the sharing economy
From MasterChef to meal-kit king: How HelloFresh is shaking up food delivery

From MasterChef to meal-kit king: How HelloFresh is shaking up food delivery

5 July 2017

HelloFresh doesn’t just deliver food, its very ethos is about bringing people together to cook and eat. So when the global franchise was looking to set up in Australia, management needed a particular set of skills to run the ship. Tom Rutledge, business graduate and former MasterChef contestant, was just the man for the job.

From MasterChef to meal-kit king: How HelloFresh is shaking up food delivery
Seven books to unlock your creativity

Seven books to unlock your creativity

26 June 2017

In a changing world, success increasingly comes to those who can devise the most creative solutions to pressing problems. Here we profile seven books to help you reset your thinking, up your flow and tap into your inner creative.

Seven books to unlock your creativity
How to boost your chances of succeeding in China

How to boost your chances of succeeding in China

26 June 2017

A new partnership between Monash University’s Food Innovation Centre and China’s largest food processing organisation, COFCO, is aimed at helping Australians better understand the Chinese retail environment.

How to boost your chances of succeeding in China
Turning small tasks into big money

Turning small tasks into big money

19 June 2017

The gruelling task that moving house can be was the inspiration for the online marketplace startup that’s now grown to be a household name and is attracting big investment. Business View spoke to the co-founders of Airtasker, Tim Fung and Jonathan Lui, about their journey.

Turning small tasks into big money
Insights from Mohanbir Sawhney at the World Business Forum

Insights from Mohanbir Sawhney at the World Business Forum

31 May 2017

“It’s not called failing any more, it’s called learning”: Mohanbir Sawhney, Professor at the Kellogg School of Management, details the concept of agile innovation and shares three ways in which businesses can transform to become agile innovators themselves.

Insights from Mohanbir Sawhney at the World Business Forum
Coming Up :  Daniel Goleman – Emotional Intelligence

Coming Up : Daniel Goleman – Emotional Intelligence

30 May 2017

Hear powerful insights and fresh perspectives from some of the world’s leading business success stories. Use Chrome if you are having trouble viewing video. * As this will is a live broadcast, commentary cannot be made here. Follow @#WOBISydney on twitter.

Coming Up :  Daniel Goleman – Emotional Intelligence
SproutX boosts agtech innovation with start-up support

SproutX boosts agtech innovation with start-up support

19 May 2017

Australia has the talent and the willing investors, so what’s holding our agtech sector back? SproutX General Manager Sam Trethewey discusses a new accelerator program and national co-working space network that could put us on a par with the world’s great innovators.

SproutX boosts agtech innovation with start-up support
Fast moving Fastucas

Fast moving Fastucas

5 May 2017

Hard work and hustle have helped Melbourne cousins Ross and David Fastuca secure a string of corporate customers and win multi-million dollar backing for Travelport Locomote, their travel platform.

Fast moving Fastucas
Reinventing the 200-year-old ballet shoe

Reinventing the 200-year-old ballet shoe

3 April 2017

The ballet shoe has remained relatively unchanged for centuries – since it went from having a heel to being a flat. Enter former ballet dancer Tim Heathcote who is taking on the establishment to revolutionise its design once more.

Reinventing the 200-year-old ballet shoe
Eye in the sky

Eye in the sky

10 February 2017

How can satellites help to combat rising global pesticide usage?

Eye in the sky
Rich Gilmore is breaking new ground in natural value

Rich Gilmore is breaking new ground in natural value

10 February 2017

Rich Gilmore left school hoping to become a wealthy stockbroker, before a trip to an African mangrove forest opened his eyes to saving the environment. “It was a life changing experience for me to see scientists and volunteers out in the field solving other people’s problems…”

Rich Gilmore is breaking new ground in natural value
Striking a balance

Striking a balance

10 February 2017

How farmers, environmentalists and investors are working together to save the Murray-Darling Basin.

Striking a balance
Super dirt

Super dirt

10 February 2017

Why is sustainable soil management so vital to our survival?

Super dirt
Daring to break with the past

Daring to break with the past

16 January 2017

In 2015, Ian Pratt led major changes to his family company, South Haven Group. He discusses its new branding, the decision to establish an independent board – and the all-importance of culture.

Daring to break with the past
SAS reaps rewards of staff focus

SAS reaps rewards of staff focus

12 January 2017

Does focusing on staff satisfaction and building a reputation as a great place to work translate into bottom line benefits for companies? Analytics company SAS believes the answer is yes.

SAS reaps rewards of staff focus
2016 Year in Review: Capital Financing

2016 Year in Review: Capital Financing

10 January 2017

Steve Lambert, EGM Capital Financing, explains, innovation and volatility again dominated 2016. Markets were challenged by social, political and economic events which brought about new opportunities for our customers. We delivered insights and solutions to help them face into the increasing environment of disruption and regulation.

2016 Year in Review: Capital Financing
Big data takes the guesswork out of farming

Big data takes the guesswork out of farming

10 January 2017

Big data could help level the playing field for small- to medium-sized farmers. The Australian Farm Institute’s Mick Keogh and Precision Agriculture’s Andrew Whitlock discuss the opportunities and how to make the most of them.

Big data takes the guesswork out of farming
7 tips to survive and thrive as a start-up

7 tips to survive and thrive as a start-up

22 November 2016

After four years at the helm of a firm in turbo-growth phase, Podpac co-founder Toby Strong shares seven ways start-ups can manage rapid growth and live to tell the tale.

7 tips to survive and thrive as a start-up
The ultimate textile

The ultimate textile

10 November 2016

Sixth-generation farmer Charles Downie has managed Glenelg Estate through a period of drought and active stock reduction, to a flourishing flock producing some of the world’s finest fleece.

The ultimate textile
The nuts and bolts of becoming a global supplier

The nuts and bolts of becoming a global supplier

25 October 2016

From one product line on Australian shelves many years ago, Stahmann Farms now has an abundant 40 nut products in some of the world’s biggest supermarkets chains as well as delivering branded products into its own online store in China.

The nuts and bolts of becoming a global supplier
CEO Seat: Western Health’s Associate Professor Alex Cockram

CEO Seat: Western Health’s Associate Professor Alex Cockram

11 October 2016

An early love of horses almost led Western Health CEO Alex Cockram to become a veterinarian but her great interest in people’s lives, motivations and their resilience inspired her into psychiatry. It’s what’s still inspiring her today.

CEO Seat: Western Health’s Associate Professor Alex Cockram
Big data heats up the health sector

Big data heats up the health sector

26 September 2016

A commitment to big data is helping the NSW Ministry of Health not only save costs but save lives, from identifying patterns early to ultimately reducing the number of people who end up in the emergency department.

Big data heats up the health sector
Why the Movember moustache remains in fashion

Why the Movember moustache remains in fashion

14 September 2016

Treating the Movember fundraising initiative like a start-up has helped its founders to grow it from a challenge among friends into a global event that has so far raised more than $650 million to help fight prostate cancer.

Why the Movember moustache remains in fashion
Central Queensland – gearing up for serious growth

Central Queensland – gearing up for serious growth

16 August 2016

Issues such as water access, a more efficient supply chain, and the protection of the family farm are at the heart of a new regional initiative aimed at driving a new wave of growth for Central Queensland.

Central Queensland – gearing up for serious growth
Making a difference

Making a difference

12 August 2016

Boundaries are blurring between profit-making enterprises and philanthropic organisations. We profile two businesses that have prioritised giving back to the community – Kookai’s Katalyst Foundation and Thankyou.

Making a difference
Partnerships with consumers – good practice, good business, good policy

Partnerships with consumers – good practice, good business, good policy

9 August 2016

This report looks into the growing trends of digitisation and how that is driving deeper partnerships with consumers. It is based on insights from industry experts, clients, NAB Health’s analysts, plus key strategy executives representing practitioners, pharmacists, and corporate health.

Partnerships with consumers – good practice, good business, good policy
Planning for success in a general practice

Planning for success in a general practice

1 August 2016

Every business needs a plan, including a general practice. Dr Neville Steer and accountant Sue Prestney discuss the benefits of keeping a business plan short and simple.

Planning for success in a general practice
Healthy benefits from new domain names

Healthy benefits from new domain names

22 July 2016

A host of new domain name extensions are providing health practitioners with new branding and search marketing opportunities, as well as creating a level of trust and credibility for the overall sector.

Healthy benefits from new domain names
Amaysim takes on Australia

Amaysim takes on Australia

8 July 2016

Amaysim’s low-overheads model was initially tested in several European markets, teaching it valuable lessons that enabled it to successfully set up shop in Australia’s highly competitive telco market.

Amaysim takes on Australia
24 hours with Jeremy Meltzer

24 hours with Jeremy Meltzer

17 June 2016

Jeremy Meltzer is the founder of i=Change, which gives participating online retailers an easy way to donate money from every sale. He came up with the idea of giving $1 from every sale to a development project while in New York promoting Yellingbo Gold.

24 hours with Jeremy Meltzer
New strategies for keeping seniors out of hospital

New strategies for keeping seniors out of hospital

8 June 2016

Continued growth in the ageing population is expected to generate business for healthcare providers. Strategic Professor Susan Gordon, South Australian Chair of Restorative Care at Flinders University, explains the benefits of differentiating your services to meet older people’s evolving needs.

New strategies for keeping seniors out of hospital
A bountiful harvest

A bountiful harvest

7 June 2016

The international trend towards more nutritious, protein-rich eating is reaping healthy rewards for Australia’s largest nut and health food company, Select Harvests.

A bountiful harvest
How to thrive in  a changing world

How to thrive in a changing world

20 May 2016

Business View magazine asks three of the speakers at the Sydney World Business Forum 2016 for their views on the biggest challenges facing the business world today.

How to thrive in  a changing world
Case study: Suzanne & Rob Acteson

Case study: Suzanne & Rob Acteson

16 May 2016

Suzanne left her high-profile position as head of the Buchanan Group Australia/New Zealand in February 2014 to take the online Habitots business she’d started in 2013 to the next level – launching a bricks and mortar version of the brand.

Case study: Suzanne & Rob Acteson
Road from practitioner to designer

Road from practitioner to designer

8 April 2016

Queensland podiatrist and physiotherapist Caroline McCulloch launched FRANKiE4 after spotting a gap in the women’s shoe market for styles that are both comfortable and fashionable.

Road from practitioner to designer
Tale of two icons

Tale of two icons

4 April 2016

Gilmore speaks to Private Word about setting up the restaurant, his goals for its future and some of the secrets of his success.

Tale of two icons
The future of fashion – 3D print your shoes at home

The future of fashion – 3D print your shoes at home

30 March 2016

Jodie Fox is revolutionising the footwear industry, but she has a bigger vision for the fashion sector. Custom manufacturing is the way to keep up with evolving customer demands – and one day consumers will be able to 3D print their shoes at home.

The future of fashion – 3D print your shoes at home
Working on sunshine

Working on sunshine

16 March 2016

Coomera Anglican College in Queensland expects energy savings of 30 per cent or over $70,000 a year from the Energy in Education Program for Schools.

Working on sunshine
Encouraging entrepreneurship in migrant women

Encouraging entrepreneurship in migrant women

8 March 2016

Political refugee Luz Restrepo’s struggles settling in Australia led to her setting up the social enterprise SisterWorks that’s helping vulnerable women with an asylum seeker, refugee and migrant background.

Encouraging entrepreneurship in migrant women
Beattie Wines on business innovation

Beattie Wines on business innovation

3 March 2016

VIDEO: Georgia Beattie, founder of Beatttie Wines, discusses how she plans to remain innovative over the next five years and who she is partnering with to do so.

Beattie Wines on business innovation
High tech solution fattens Australian cows

High tech solution fattens Australian cows

23 February 2016

An advanced software system developed in Alice Springs called Precision Pastoral Management System (PPMS) is helping cattle farmers manage their land better by identifying areas in their production cycle that need to be improved. It could add an estimated $70,000 to the bottom line for the average rangeland cattle property.

High tech solution fattens Australian cows
Number crunch: Business innovation

Number crunch: Business innovation

23 February 2016

Innovation is a key driver of business success. It’s typically defined by a firm’s knowledge of the market and customers, constant process reviews, learning from failures and passion and drive.

Number crunch: Business innovation
From tiny things big things grow

From tiny things big things grow

22 February 2016

When sisters Nikki Jurcutz and Rachael Waia co-founded the Tiny Hearts Paediatric First Aid course, they became the youngest women to own a registered training organisation in Australia.

From tiny things big things grow
Agricultural industry receives bn boost

Agricultural industry receives $4bn boost

18 February 2016

The recent Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper committed $4 billion to the sector but is that enough to support potential growth? Simon Talbot, CEO of the National Farmers’ Federation, discusses the gains, the gaps and why the industry needs to revisit its image.

Agricultural industry receives bn boost
Single origin wheat is proving an export hit

Single origin wheat is proving an export hit

20 January 2016

Run by four families, Flinders Ranges Premium Grain in South Australia has an expanding grain and flour export business that sells itself on the location and soil it’s grown in, in the same way wine does.

Single origin wheat is proving an export hit
2015 Year in Review: Capital Financing

2015 Year in Review: Capital Financing

7 January 2016

EGM Capital Financing, Steve Lambert, discusses two common themes that were present over the past 12 months - Innovation and volatility. It seems that 2015 saw more firsts in the market while at the same time it seeemed markets were closing just as quickly as they opened.

2015 Year in Review: Capital Financing
In the flow

In the flow

30 December 2015

Father and son entrepreneurs Stuart and Cedar Anderson of Flow Hive™ fame overshot their original crowdfunding target of $97,000 by about $16.8 million. How did it happen and where do you go from there?

In the flow
The oyster is his world

The oyster is his world

23 December 2015

The Ralstons have been farming oysters for five generations. Now, with brothers John and Ben Ralston at the helm they are using innovative techniques to attract new customers.

The oyster is his world
10 Themes for 2016

10 Themes for 2016

22 December 2015

The NAB Group Economics team identify 10 global and domestic themes which will have bearing on the economic and financial market outlook for 2016.

10 Themes for 2016
Bringing a European business model to Australia

Bringing a European business model to Australia

3 December 2015

With seven facilities in Melbourne and plans to expand interstate in 2016, Kieser Training has successfully adapted a European business model to the local market. Tony Smith, Managing Director of Kieser Training, shares his top tips for bringing a European business to Australia.

Bringing a European business model to Australia
The added bonus of energy-efficiency

The added bonus of energy-efficiency

13 November 2015

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is working with NAB to make energy-efficient equipment more affordable. NAB’s Robert White discusses the benefits of investing in new technology.

The added bonus of energy-efficiency
Getting kangaroo on the menu

Getting kangaroo on the menu

10 November 2015

Healthy, delicious, sustainable – and as Australian as you can get. Kangaroo meat’s praises are being sung by chefs, and farmers would love to see increased harvesting of the animals. But local consumers remain slow to put it on their regular shopping list.

Getting kangaroo on the menu
Eyes through the sky

Eyes through the sky

13 October 2015

Professor Yogesan Kanagasingam, Research Director of the CSIRO’s Australian e-Health Research Centre, is using the NBN Satellite to conduct remote eye screening in remote indigenous communities. He’s expanded the reach of the Remote-I platform to China.

Eyes through the sky
Digital transformation for governments

Digital transformation for governments

12 October 2015

According to a recent report from Deloitte Access Economics, Digital Government Transformation, governments have already adopted a range of digital innovations and are gradually moving services online. However, they’re lagging behind both the private sector and their own customers.

Digital transformation for governments
Turbocharging yields, slashing water consumption

Turbocharging yields, slashing water consumption

11 September 2015

KAITEKI Fresh has launched a hydroponic facility in Victoria that produces up to eight times as much high quality, high nutrient spinach, rocket and kale using less water than conventional farming and no pesticides.

Turbocharging yields, slashing water consumption
Horn sounds for sustainability at Newcastle brewery

Horn sounds for sustainability at Newcastle brewery

7 September 2015

With demand for flavoursome craft beer with personality continuing to boom in Australia, a new brewpub with one of the country’s top brewers at the helm was guaranteed to win plenty of fans. But FogHorn Brewhouse is also gaining attention for its approach to environmental sustainability.

Horn sounds for sustainability at Newcastle brewery
Innovating signs from Newcastle

Innovating signs from Newcastle

21 August 2015

You might not know the name, but if you’ve driven a car or travelled in a bus, ferry or train lately, you’ll have seen the work of Hi-Vis Group, an innovative Newcastle-based company at the forefront of the Australian signage industry.

Innovating signs from Newcastle
A cut above the rest

A cut above the rest

14 August 2015

When the booming online entertainment business threatened the future of film and television production company Cutting Edge, it invested in digital channels to diversify the business and boost the bottom line. The strategy paid off with expected growth of 20 percent in 2016.

A cut above the rest
Sugar power

Sugar power

12 August 2015

Australia’s second-largest sugar producer also powers almost a third of Mackay. Quinton Hildebrand, Chief Executive Officer of Mackay Sugar, explains how a ‘nothing is wasted’ approach to the business is creating multiple income streams.

Sugar power
24 hours with Pete Forras, co-founder and owner of XTM

24 hours with Pete Forras, co-founder and owner of XTM

29 July 2015

After representing Australia as a professional skier, Pete Forras wanted to start a business based on his love of snow sports. Forras shares a day in the life of running XTM Australia from his beach house in Torquay.

24 hours with Pete Forras, co-founder and owner of XTM
Pioneers in the piggery

Pioneers in the piggery

28 July 2015

The Brosnans used innovative technology to create a 1,300-sow piggery that’s efficient, humane and powered by electricity generated from pig manure and other waste products. We look at how they’re leading the way with their sustainable, whole-of-farm approach.

Pioneers in the piggery
Five ways Fastway Couriers over deliver

Five ways Fastway Couriers over deliver

28 July 2015

Richard Thame, CEO of Fastway Couriers, explains how he tackled a competitive market to carve out new business opportunities and his plans to make Fastway the courier company people think of when it comes to e-commerce and parcel delivery.

Five ways Fastway Couriers over deliver
Pastures so green this farmer sold his ploughs

Pastures so green this farmer sold his ploughs

27 July 2015

Jillamatong’s pastures are lush and weed free yet Martin Royds spends next to nothing on biocide sprays – and has even sold his ploughs. He discusses the role of holistic management in creating a drought-resistant environment for raising healthy cattle

Pastures so green this farmer sold his ploughs
The delicious taste of happiness

The delicious taste of happiness

17 July 2015

Twelve months after launching Doughheads, Newcastle-baker Anna Farthing is selling up to 4000 doughnuts a week. Her decadent doughnuts have hit the sweet spot with the business now employing 14 staff and averaging growth of 20 percent a month.

The delicious taste of happiness
Going organic harvests business boom for young farmer

Going organic harvests business boom for young farmer

16 July 2015

Nathan Free, 26, a fourth generation Victorian farmer, named the 2014 AUSVeg Young Grower of the Year, runs Wattle Organic Farms. Launched six years ago by a group of like-minded organic growers, the business is growing at 200 percent year-on-year.

Going organic harvests business boom for young farmer
Health in Focus: Health Insights

Health in Focus: Health Insights

15 July 2015

NAB Health shares insights into the changing landscape of the health sector in Australia, providing findings from customers and key sector strategy executives for Practitioners and Specialists, Pharmacy and Corporate Health.

Health in Focus: Health Insights
Australia’s most interesting oil baron

Australia’s most interesting oil baron

13 July 2015

D.D. Saxena, the founder and Managing Director of Riverina Oils & BioEnergy (ROBE), has built a $150 million state-of-the-art, fully integrated oilseed crushing and refining plant in Wagga Wagga that’s crushing and refining over 165,000 tonnes of oilseeds a year.

Australia’s most interesting oil baron
Designing hospitals for optimal health

Designing hospitals for optimal health

9 July 2015

Recognition that the environment in which patients are treated makes a big difference to how successful the outcomes are is driving hospital design, according to Conrad Gargett’s Managing Director Bruce Wolfe, a firm believer in what’s known as ‘Salutogenic Design’.

Designing hospitals for optimal health
Salty succulents deliver booming bounty

Salty succulents deliver booming bounty

8 July 2015

Andrew French is a Gippsland farmer who’s exceeded his own expectations by turning what could have been a disastrous event into a booming business with the help of some indigenous plant species that grew and thrived in the salty estuaries of his Snowy River property.

Salty succulents deliver booming bounty
Fifty years of pancakes and still going strong

Fifty years of pancakes and still going strong

1 July 2015

It’s half a century since the founders of The Pancake Parlour first wowed Aussie diners with fresh, delicious pancakes but age has not wearied the Melbourne dining institution whose charm and innovative strategies continue to drive its success.

Fifty years of pancakes and still going strong
Cotton farmers export orange juice to Asia

Cotton farmers export orange juice to Asia

18 June 2015

When the Estens family started growing oranges they had been cotton farmers for over 30 years. Dick Estens discusses why they decided to diversify, how they’re building a sustainable citrus industry and their success in exporting orange juice to Asia.

Cotton farmers export orange juice to Asia
Protecting our bees – and a  billion industry

Protecting our bees – and a $4 billion industry

16 June 2015

Bees that pollinate crops (worth an estimated $4 billion) are under threat from a devastating pest, the Varroa mites. Beekeeper Lindsay Bourke, a finalist in the 2014 Plant Biosecurity Farmer of the Year Awards, explains how biosecurity – and the bees themselves – can build up our defences.

Protecting our bees – and a  billion industry
Strictly love and business

Strictly love and business

12 June 2015

Husband-and-wife partners in film, theatre and entertainment production company Bazmark Inq, Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin reveal the secrets to their successful partnership spanning the arts, business and family life.

Strictly love and business
Managing carbon boosts farm productivity

Managing carbon boosts farm productivity

4 June 2015

Mark Wootton and Eve Kantor have spent almost 20 years building up their carbon neutral sheep and cattle farm. Wootton explains how planting almost a million trees helped to double the carrying capacity of their 6700 hectares and boost their profitability.

Managing carbon boosts farm productivity
Continuous improvement is key to business success

Continuous improvement is key to business success

2 June 2015

Continuous improvement is fundamental to business success. Training and management consultant Derek Stockley explains how leading by example and creating the right culture can engage and motivate your employees as well as generate new ideas.

Continuous improvement is key to business success
A big business in small goods

A big business in small goods

1 June 2015

If you eat meat and live in Australia you’ve most likely eaten the award-winning fare created by Bertocchi Smallgoods, the nation’s largest continental smallgoods manufacturer.

A big business in small goods
Insights from Sarah Lewis from the World Business Forum (Sydney)

Insights from Sarah Lewis from the World Business Forum (Sydney)

28 May 2015

Harvard Professor Sarah Lewis, delivers a truly insightful session on the importance of mastery in order to successfully achieve goals and knowing how to proceed or when to quit on an idea. Read the insights from her presentation at the World Business Forum.

Insights from Sarah Lewis from the World Business Forum (Sydney)
The future of drones on the farm

The future of drones on the farm

8 May 2015

Farmers are using drones to collect information on everything from germination patterns to hail damage. Peter Birch, who operates a drone for farmers around Australia, discusses their value and the role they’re likely to play in the future.

The future of drones on the farm
A closed-loop approach to managing energy and waste

A closed-loop approach to managing energy and waste

22 April 2015

It started out as a way of cutting the cost of fuel. Today, Ecofuels Australia’s biodiesel operation is just one aspect of a ‘closed-loop’ system that includes rearing livestock and generating power. General Manager Peter O’Donnell discusses his commitment to sustainable practices that make economic sense.

A closed-loop approach to managing energy and waste
Narrower rows could reduce the need for herbicides

Narrower rows could reduce the need for herbicides

19 March 2015

Weed control activities are costing Aussie farmers around $1.5 billion a year and herbicide resistance is on the rise. Whilst wide rows make it easier for machinery to pass through stubble they increase the need for herbicide. A return to narrower rows could be part of a balanced solution.

Narrower rows could reduce the need for herbicides
Green credentials driving coffee farmer’s overseas success

Green credentials driving coffee farmer’s overseas success

16 March 2015

After struggling to find a buyer for his first crop of coffee, Ian MacLaughlin has gone on to become Australia’s largest exporter of Arabica coffee. He explains how sustainable practices helped him to create a competitive edge and underpin his continuing success.

Green credentials driving coffee farmer’s overseas success
Game changer for agribusiness banking

Game changer for agribusiness banking

28 January 2015

A recent survey of over 5,000 farming customers found that 74 per cent had made changes to their businesses as a result of natural resource sustainability in the past two to three years. NAB is stepping up its recognition of the benefits of sustainable business practices.

Game changer for agribusiness banking
Secrets of a successful Wagyu farmer

Secrets of a successful Wagyu farmer

28 January 2015

David Blackmore’s melt-in-the-mouth Wagyu beef is recognised around the world thanks, he says, to a healthy farm and happy cattle. Today his biggest challenge is keeping up with demand from some of the world’s leading chefs and restaurateurs.

Secrets of a successful Wagyu farmer
A new funding model for local government

A new funding model for local government

7 November 2014

Changes to the financial sector’s Basel III rules are making it expensive for councils to borrow from banks. NAB’s James Waddell explains how the Local Government Funding Vehicle (LGFV) will create efficiencies, reduce borrowing costs and open up new avenues for local council finance.

A new funding model for local government
Precision farmer David Cox discusses the role of technology

Precision farmer David Cox discusses the role of technology

7 October 2014

From satellite navigation to controlled traffic zonal tillage, David Cox is at the cutting-edge of precision farming. He explains how he uses technology to reduce costs and increase efficiency on his North Queensland sugarcane farm and how he’s now helping other farmers do the same.

Precision farmer David Cox discusses the role of technology
A burner combustion business of Olympic proportions

A burner combustion business of Olympic proportions

3 October 2014

Adelaide-based FCT Flames has ignited all but one of this century’s summer and winter Olympic Games cauldrons since Sydney in 2000. Con Manias reflects on the time he spotted this unique opportunity for his business as well as managing an unpredictable cash flow.

A burner combustion business of Olympic proportions
AFR Special Report: Social Impact Investing

AFR Special Report: Social Impact Investing

30 September 2014

Following a recent NAB-hosted roundtable event on Social Impact Investing, The Australian Financial Review today released editorial covering the topic from two journalists who were in attendance, James Dunn and Jonathan Shapiro.

AFR Special Report: Social Impact Investing
Produce the way nature intended

Produce the way nature intended

19 September 2014

Not all fruit and vegetables can be supermodels – the wonky carrots and curly capsicums farmers often have to throw away are just as tasty and nutritious. As CEO of Spade & Barrow, Katy Barfield is committed to reducing waste and paying farmers a fair price for their whole crop.

Produce the way nature intended
Breeding Merinos for easy management and greater profit

Breeding Merinos for easy management and greater profit

1 September 2014

Keen to encourage young people to enter the sheep, meat and wool industry, Don and Pam Mudford changed the way they did business to better suit the next generation. Don opens up about his family’s commitment to breeding hardier sheep and the challenge of encouraging young people into farming.

Breeding Merinos for easy management and greater profit
The power of creativity

The power of creativity

25 August 2014

Creative thinking has all sorts of benefits, not just for marketing and promotion, but also for solving business problems and innovating. Advertising executive Carolyn Miller shares tips on how small businesses can benefit from creative persuasion.

The power of creativity
Making the most of mobile technology

Making the most of mobile technology

14 August 2014

Technology changes quickly, so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and out of touch. But, as Chief Executive Officer of Tech Coach HQ, Megan Iemma explains, the secret to feeling in control and making the most of technology is taking it one ‘byte’ at a time.

Making the most of mobile technology
The future of clinical trials in Australia

The future of clinical trials in Australia

7 August 2014

Clinical trials provide access to new treatments, contribute to Australia’s economy and support our public sector institutions. Dr Brendan Shaw, Medicines Australia Chief Executive, discusses the challenges and opportunities that are shaping our innovative medicines industry.

The future of clinical trials in Australia
Easy ways to innovate for success

Easy ways to innovate for success

5 August 2014

Innovation is often confused with invention, but it’s fundamental to business growth and maintaining a competitive edge. Chris Gebhardt, Director of William Buck, discusses the importance of building an innovative culture and suggests simple ways for generating new ideas.

Easy ways to innovate for success
Aussie Exporters and their Eastern Odyssey

Aussie Exporters and their Eastern Odyssey

14 July 2014

Australian businesses are increasingly exporting to Asia. Business View talks to Thermal Electric Elements (TEE), a manufacturer of custom-made heating units and elements, about their journey east and the impact it’s had on their business so far.

Aussie Exporters and their Eastern Odyssey
Aussie Importers and their Eastern Odyssey

Aussie Importers and their Eastern Odyssey

2 July 2014

Australians are increasingly importing from Asia. Business View talks to designer, Christina Re about her journey east, the impact it’s had on her Aussie-based business, and how she believes Asia provides scope for growth and the opportunity to create beautiful products.

Aussie Importers and their Eastern Odyssey
How Facebook can help build your business

How Facebook can help build your business

1 July 2014

Facebook can be good for business, but many business owners aren’t sure how to use it effectively. Steve Hibberd, co-founder of Tiger Pistol, discusses ways to make the most of Facebook by getting your message to the right people, as well as a special offer for NAB Business customers.

How Facebook can help build your business
Large scale greenfield agri-business development

Large scale greenfield agri-business development

13 June 2014

The Australian project finance market is widely considered a world leader when it comes to assessing the financing of greenfield development risk. Michael Clarke looks at how mining/resource project financing may be a helpful paradigm for financing large-scale greenfield agri developments.

Large scale greenfield agri-business development
Finding new ways for dryland farmers to stay profitable

Finding new ways for dryland farmers to stay profitable

6 June 2014

Ninety three percent of Australia’s annual grain crop is grown under dryland conditions. Southern Panel Chair of the Grains Research and Development Corporation, explains how national and international research is helping farmers in this challenging environment.

Finding new ways for dryland farmers to stay profitable
Insights from Ram Charan from the World Business Forum (Sydney)

Insights from Ram Charan from the World Business Forum (Sydney)

29 May 2014

Good ideas with no execution ends in no results. There are seven simple tools for developing a culture of excellent execution, says global business and leadership consultant Ram Charan. He has worked extensively with some of the world’s leading corporates.

Insights from Ram Charan from the World Business Forum (Sydney)
Insights from Lyn Heward from the World Business Forum (Sydney)

Insights from Lyn Heward from the World Business Forum (Sydney)

28 May 2014

Lyn Heward, former Director of Creation, President and COO of the Creative Content Division of Cirque du Soleil challenges every individual and company to go through what she calls ‘the seven doors’ to enhance creativity, motivate high performers and foster innovation.

Insights from Lyn Heward from the World Business Forum (Sydney)
What the Federal Budget means for Agribusiness

What the Federal Budget means for Agribusiness

14 May 2014

Our leading team of economists have broken-down how the 2014 Federal Budget impacts Australian agribusinesses. As well as analysis, we outline the key initiatives and how the industry is responding.

What the Federal Budget means for Agribusiness
Industry perspective: the Federal Budget and business funding

Industry perspective: the Federal Budget and business funding

14 May 2014

While some saw this as ‘the Budget we had to have’, the grants news is good. Overall funding for businesses is set to increase under measures proposed in the 2014 Federal Budget. GrantReady summarises what the Budget means for grants and funding programs.

Industry perspective: the Federal Budget and business funding
China’s reforms & the implication for Aust. agribusinesses

China’s reforms & the implication for Aust. agribusinesses

5 May 2014

Patrick Vizzone, Regional Head of Food & Agribusiness, Asia, Institutional Banking reflects on how the outcomes of last November’s Third Plenary Session of China’s Communist Party’s Central Committee may shape the Australian agriculture sector.

China’s reforms & the implication for Aust. agribusinesses
Robots at your service

Robots at your service

23 April 2014

Robots are on the march. Most of them work on assembly lines, building cars, making electronic devices and processing food, drugs and chemicals. But robots are spreading beyond the factory - a trend that will accelerate in 2014.

Robots at your service
A fresh look at Australia in the Asian Century

A fresh look at Australia in the Asian Century

22 April 2014

Australia’s role in securing the food, water and supply chains of Asia will be dependent on our ability to embrace change and innovation. Dr. Ken Henry looks at the opportunities that exist for Australian businesses in the Asian century.

A fresh look at Australia in the Asian Century
Here comes the sun: better times for the music industry

Here comes the sun: better times for the music industry

15 April 2014

The internet has always been the enemy of music executives, facilitating piracy, denting cd sales and encouraging people to download single songs instead of buying them by the dozen. But it will give executives something to sing about in 2014.

Here comes the sun: better times for the music industry
The business of kids’ health

The business of kids’ health

13 February 2014

Monica Meldrum was named '2013 Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year' at last year’s NAB Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards. Here, she discusses the increasing demand for 'clean' food and how her fast-growing business Whole Kids is committed to improving children’s health.

The business of kids’ health
Robots open the door to more profitable farming

Robots open the door to more profitable farming

7 February 2014

Robots are rapidly moving out of science fiction and on to the farm. Salah Sukkarieh, Professor of Robotics and Intelligence Systems at the University of Sydney, says they could soon be helping farmers to cut costs and increase yield - and that now is the time to prepare.

Robots open the door to more profitable farming
Encouraging entrepreneurial thinking in rural communities

Encouraging entrepreneurial thinking in rural communities

22 January 2014

Entrepreneurial thinking can strengthen rural businesses and reinvigorate entire communities. Dr Yasmin Chalmers, Director of Marcus Oldham College’s Centre for the Study of Rural Australia, explains how the EntruBIZ program is helping people to think in an entrepreneurial way.

Encouraging entrepreneurial thinking in rural communities
Australia installs 2M small-scale renewable energy systems

Australia installs 2M small-scale renewable energy systems

10 January 2014

Australians have now installed more than two million small-scale renewable energy systems, the Clean Energy Regulator has confirmed, providing a strong indication that investment in small-scale renewable energy continues to flourish in Australia.

Australia installs 2M small-scale renewable energy systems
Top 5 tech in 2014

Top 5 tech in 2014

23 December 2013

Smartphones and tablets are old news. The New Year promises tantalising prospects when it comes to new technology and innovation. Business Spectator explores the top five new technologies set to send pulses racing in 2014.

Top 5 tech in 2014
Getting your product on the shelves of major retailers

Getting your product on the shelves of major retailers

18 November 2013

Five years ago, Daniel Flynn dreamed of changing the world by selling bottled water to Australians. Today, his Thankyou products are sold in Australia’s leading supermarkets and helping thousands of people in need. It’s an inspiring story of hard work and persistence.

Getting your product on the shelves of major retailers
Responding to the seismic shift in Agriculture

Responding to the seismic shift in Agriculture

2 October 2013

The 2011 Agricultural Census reveals an evolving sector - in terms of both farm and farmer. With bigger farms and more sophisticated owners to contend with, service providers need to prepare for a new and challenging landscape.

Responding to the seismic shift in Agriculture
Sustainable practices create the first carbon-neutral wine

Sustainable practices create the first carbon-neutral wine

17 September 2013

As Managing Director of Taylors Wines, Mitchell Taylor is steward of a family-owned company which was founded by his grandfather. Here, he explains how his passion for handing on a sustainable business inspired the creation of the world’s first carbon-neutral wine.

Sustainable practices create the first carbon-neutral wine
The seven keys to a successful e-commerce website

The seven keys to a successful e-commerce website

13 September 2013

Only 50 percent of Australian businesses have a website, according to a recent poll commissioned by Google Australia. Your website can be a real revenue earner if you build it the right way. We share some very simple but crucial elements to include in your website.

The seven keys to a successful e-commerce website
Collaboration creates a family farm with a corporate mindset

Collaboration creates a family farm with a corporate mindset

4 September 2013

Four years ago, John Gladigau joined forces with fellow farmer Robin Schaefer to create a new business, Bulla Burra. Here Gladigau explains how the collaboration has led to improved efficiency, economies of scale and even a better lifestyle.

Collaboration creates a family farm with a corporate mindset
Recipe for an icon

Recipe for an icon

28 August 2013

It was a tough sell, but Cyril Callister, inventor of Australia’s beloved spread, Vegemite, overcame a disappointing beginning to shape the taste of a nation. Read how Vegemite went from being spectacularly unsuccessful to remarkable.

Recipe for an icon
Telehealth makes quality healthcare more accessible

Telehealth makes quality healthcare more accessible

20 August 2013

Telehealth could provide many Australians with easier access to healthcare, monitor chronic illnesses more effectively and assist the ageing population. Dr James Freeman (pictured) founded GP2U to remove logistical obstacles to the uptake of telehealth, but other challenges remain.

Telehealth makes quality healthcare more accessible
Technology supports exponential growth in a family farm

Technology supports exponential growth in a family farm

12 August 2013

30 years ago, Rushel Farm was a bare and uneven block of dirt. Today, Russell and Helen Chapman head a family concern selling over 550,000 cartons of capsicums, melons and mangoes every year. They’re also August’s featured family in the NAB Agribusiness Calendar.

Technology supports exponential growth in a family farm
Harnessing the value of an ageing workforce

Harnessing the value of an ageing workforce

1 August 2013

As the war for talent intensifies, business owners with an eye on the future are nurturing older workers. Michael Hyatt, Director, Human Capital Advisory at Deloitte Australia, discusses the benefits of maturity and the importance of harnessing skills and experience.

Harnessing the value of an ageing workforce
Business View Magazine – Winter 2013

Business View Magazine – Winter 2013

23 July 2013

In this edition, we delve into the experiences of finance commentator turned business builder Alan Kohler, detail bringing an invention to life and explore running a business in an extreme climate. We also cover retaining staff, handling tax in your SMSF and negotiating contracts in China.

Business View Magazine – Winter 2013
Health care – Australia’s biggest employer

Health care – Australia’s biggest employer

19 July 2013

According to the 2011 Census, the Health Care and Social Assistance industry is now Australia’s biggest employer. The Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association’s Andrew McAuliffe discusses increasing demand, unequal growth and opportunities for innovation.

Health care – Australia’s biggest employer
More value for less effort – the secret of Lean

More value for less effort – the secret of Lean

16 July 2013

Being Lean worked for Toyota - could it work for you? Chris Foster, KPMG Director, National LEAN Service Line Leader, explains the five basic principles of the Lean system and how doing less work can create more customer value.

More value for less effort – the secret of Lean
A distinctive flavour for beers around the world

A distinctive flavour for beers around the world

17 June 2013

As owners of Ellerslie Hop Estate, the Crokes have been putting the flavour into beer for over 80 years. Managing Director Greg is the grandson of the founder and the son of the chairman - and they're June's featured family in the NAB Agribusiness calendar.

A distinctive flavour for beers around the world
Federal Budget 2013 impacts on small business

Federal Budget 2013 impacts on small business

14 May 2013

The Council of Small Business Australia’s (COSBOA) CEO, Peter Strong, provides his summary of what the Government’s Federal Budget announcement means for small businesses – do they stand to benefit or will they be worse off?

Federal Budget 2013 impacts on small business
A transformation success story – Craig Mostyn

A transformation success story – Craig Mostyn

12 March 2013

From the brink of breaching environmental standards to a leading diversified food and agribusiness company – CEO David Lock talks about transforming the Craig Mostyn Group, securing a supply chain and tapping into consumer preferences.

A transformation success story – Craig Mostyn
A2 Milk – an innovative success story

A2 Milk – an innovative success story

5 March 2013

Australia’s fastest-growing supermarket milk brand, A2 Milk™ turned an obscure milk protein into a profitable point of difference. CEO of A2 Dairy Products Australia, Peter Nathan, explains how and discusses the growing export market.

A2 Milk – an innovative success story
Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence

3 December 2011

To respond quickly to online customer queries, artificial intelligence is increasingly being used by businesses, from retailers to publishers. My CyberTwin CEO, Liesl Capper-Beilby (pictured), explains this trend.

Artificial intelligence