You might think that the 2007-2008 financial crisis was an unpredictable one-time crash. But Didier Sornette and his Financial Crisis Observatory have plotted a set of early warning signs for unstable, growing systems, tracking the moment when any bubble is about to pop. (And he’s seeing it happen again, right now.)

Didier Sornette studies whether it is possible to anticipate big changes or predict crises in complex systems.

How much money do you need to fund your retirement? In the past this has been a difficult question to answer but as analysts, academics and superannuation/investment specialists have put their heads together to crunch the numbers, things have become a little clearer. It’s no surprise that it all depends on your life expectancy, work plans, investment returns and desired lifestyle – basic, modest or comfortable.

Poor time management can have terrible consequences for small business owners overwhelmed by challenging priorities. Some simple changes are worth trying for a better night’s sleep.

A Gallup survey shows that 10 years ago almost 60 per cent of people believed they would have enough money for a comfortable retirement. Last year, the portion of survey respondents who told the Gallup survey they would have enough money was less than 40 per cent.

Our client in focus this month is Kwik Kopy Gosford and passionate owner, Peter Clarke.

Peter shares his enthusiasm for the region and how he took control of the opportunity to build a stronger, smarter business model that could “bend and flex” as market conditions changed.

Research has shown that over the years, sometimes having too much choice makes us less happy. This may be true when it comes to medical treatment. Baba Shiv, director of Strategic Marketing Management Executive Program at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, studies how “liking” and “wanting” shape the choices we make, and what that means in the world of marketing.

He shares a fascinating study that measures why choice opens the door to doubt, and suggests that abandoning control – especially on life or death situations – may be the best thing for us.

Here are five of the finest resolutions to help you kick off the new year in high financial style.

Your website is usually the first contact method most of your potential customers will have with your business, so it shouldn’t look tired or old. Here are nine tips on how you can effectively refresh your website.

The Australian Taxation Office has made 3 significant changes to the simplified depreciation rules that apply from the 2012-2013 income year for small businesses.

This month’s Client in Focus is family business, Galley Kitchens.

This month, Managing Directors and Paul and Liarne Ray talk about how they managed to grow the business during the financial crisis and remain a market leader in the region.