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THE influence of e-commerce is far more pervasive than many of us realise, and more than some of us would like to acknowledge.

E-COMMERCE has been the catalyst for an increase in the number of small and micro exporters, according to Austrade.

WHILE there may be a small run on The West Australian's stock if cross media ownership laws change, it appears unlikely that the paper will become a takeover target.

THE WA Museum has secured a documentary deal with Japan's largest broadcaster, NHK.

A YAWNING chasm between the State's research sector and its development counterpart appears to be the principal barrier to Western Australia securing a larger share of the national funding allotment.

THE old saying that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder' is never truer than when applied to property developers and heritage buildings.

FUND managers believe universities are too focused on basic research and do not have a strong commercial outlook. For their part the universities say that a failure to back pure research stifles ‘chance' commercially viable opportunities.

In this week's instalment on property development, Tracey Cook looks at getting approval and finding finance.

WA does not have an innovation strategy and, according to TechStart Australia venture manager Marcus Christian, WA is the only State in Australia besides Tasmania without a biotechnology strategy.

The coffee-led revolution on Beaufort Street in Highgate shows no sign of slowing down, as Julie-anne Sprague reports.

DEVELOPING an innovation strategy will help foster and grow WA's R&D capabilities, but just what should that strategy encompass?

A new Australian wine producer opens for business every 61 hours, leading some to think there are too many labels in the market. David Pike reports.

ACCORDING to the State Government, WA gained its 10 per cent of funding in the latest round of CRC funding.

In the first of a six-part series on corporate superannuation, Mark Beyer looks at the impact of increased regulation. AUSTRALIAN companies are voting with their feet.

Respondents to the Rising Stars survey completed a detailed questionnaire on their business strategies and plans. The responses provide in-depth insights into the success drivers for the Rising Stars.

FOURTEEN Western Australian employment services firms have picked up some of the $2.5 billion worth of Job Network business as part of an attempt to improve services to Australia's unemployed.

The growing community and political focus on environmental management has been good news for Myaree-based MPL Group. The company offers a unique combination of services, according to managing director Chris Morris.

HOME construction is becoming an increasingly attractive option as the median house price pushes through the $200,000 mark, with growing numbers of Perth investors sinking their money into house and land packages.

TWO home-grown tech companies have become leading lights in their respective fields and, although their technologies are strikingly different, there are some business similarities.

A REPORT by FPD Savills has estimated a 14 per cent level of overall vacancy in the CBD by the start of 2004.

Unlike those who have disappeared, they have anticipated future trends and changed their business accordingly. Over the past 15 years at Touchstone DDI they have successfully moved from typesetting to independent pre-press to printing.

MORTGAGE broker, Mortgage Choice has recorded a growth of 34 per cent in Western Australian home loan approvals for the March quarter 2003, compared with the same period in 2002.

RentSmart's business partners include Australia's two largest retail groups, Coles Myer and Woolworths, two of Australia's biggest banks in ANZ and National, and global IT suppliers Hewlett-Packard and Compaq, which merged last year to form HP.

Working in the wine industry's not all about drinking the stuff, as David Pike discovers, although he manages a bit of that too.

Australian Finance Group is hardly a household name, so it may surprise some readers to learn it is one of the top players in the home loans market.

NEXT week's Easter long weekend is a great opportunity to fill your belly with the good bunny's chocolate treats and to spend some quality time with the family.

I HAVE already shown my colours in the debate over retail trading hours but, with the extended deadline for submissions set to close this week, I thought it was worth revisiting the subject.

THE accumulated wealth of Australia's family businesses far exceeds the combined value of stock market-listed companies, a new survey has found.

THE wife of former Labor Minister and now successful lobbyist, Julian Grill, has warned Premier Geoff Gallop that the “witch hunt” against her husband and former Labor Premier Brian

In the final instalment of the mergers and acquisitions series, Mark Beyer gets a legal perspective. BEHIND every M&A lawyer is a frustrated merchant banker. It's an old cliche but it has an element of truth.

WE write regarding you story titled ‘Breathing Space for Channel 31' on page 20 of WA Business News, April 10-16, concerning Channel 31 Community Education Television Ltd.

IN general terms a ‘developer' is considered to be an investor in property, whether it be a construction company that also undertakes its own development projects, or a property assets trust developing a recent acquisition.