With organisations around the world looking for more effective ways to work remotely and keep their teams connected, the spotlight has fallen on web meeting tools to provide an edge for companies.

Most readers will already be familiar with at least some of these tools. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses that previously operated entirely with on-site teams to look at remote work options to remain productive.

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Telecommuting, teleworking, working from home, mobile work, remote work, flexible workplace… whatever you want to call it, it amounts to the same thing.

No chats about last night's match at the watercooler. No comparing notes about the movie you watched. And no after-work drinks.

Just the work, I'm afraid.

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We've seen plenty of spectacular social media fails from large corporations over the years – from McDonald's accidentally (or deliberately, some have argued) tweeting placeholder text, to the social media planner for Britain's HMV using the company's Twitter account to live-tweet the sacking of over 60 employees. There was Donald Trump's 'covfefe' tweet, and that Adidas email subject line, 'Congrats, you survived the Boston marathon!', which instantly became fodder for the masses on Twitter. 

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So, you're thinking about using a marketing calendar for your business but you're not sure if it's worth the effort or how exactly to go about it. 

Let's clear something up right off the bat: you DEFINITELY need a marketing calendar. No matter what business you're in or how small it is, you need to market it and – if you're serious about getting results – you should market with a plan.

What's a marketing calendar?

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The pen may be mightier than the sword – but can it beat the smartphone? When it comes to keeping track of vehicle mileage, we think not.  

When do you need to use a logbook? 

If you're claiming a tax deduction for car expenses in Australia, you've got two options:

1. cents per kilometre method
2. logbook method. 

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What would happen to your loved ones if something suddenly happened to you?

Not surprisingly, it's a question many of us tend to avoid.

It's just too hard to remove the emotion from a situation where you imagine you're not around anymore.

And making clear decisions in the best interest of those you love is difficult unless you're able to look objectively at everything and everyone that is closest to you. That is, until you get a 'wake-up call'. It may be an accident, an illness or something else…

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If you once ran a thriving taxi company that started to fade when Uber burst on the scene or a hotel that suffered from the impact of Airbnb, you know what the word "disruption" means.

You probably don't do either of those things but could the business you do run be equally at risk from rapid changes in your industry in the future?

"I never saw it coming" or "Who could have predicted such quick change?" is a poor defence against a failed business. And closing the door after the horse has bolted usually does little good: you can't catch a bolting horse on foot.

So ask yourself: 

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Busy work. That work you have to get done, but somehow seems to take over your entire day and before you know it, you've reached the end of the week and still haven't managed to make a dent on the most important task on your to do list. 

Sure, this can be about priorities, but more often than not it's about working with your daily habits to make sure the important stuff is getting done consistently.

Let's look at some simple changes you can make:

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For many, the word 'budget' is about as appealing as the word 'diet'.

It seems to imply what you will go without, rather than what you will achieve.

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Unless more Australians start making smarter superannuation and investment decisions, many won't have enough to retire when they imagined or live the type of lifestyle they expected.

The Ready to Retire study from 2017 found that the average Australian worker currently has around $200,000 less than they will need to live comfortably. A lowly 22 percent believe they will have enough superannuation funds upon retirement.

This rather alarming reality is starting to dawn on many people approaching retirement around the country.

One of the key decisions with your superannuation is whether to run your own self-managed super fund (SMSF) - and whether to invest in property through your super.

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