The Sydney Morning Herald logo

Small business

Advertisement
Ben’s Restaurant has been an institution for many years.

Beloved decades-old karaoke restaurant closes suddenly

The inner-city restaurant closed unexpectedly, announcing the news online and taping a sign to its front door.

  • Dominique Tassell

Latest

ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh.

‘Like an ambulance at the bottom of a cliff’: ACCC cracks down on bad franchises

The competition watchdog is flexing its policing powers over the franchising sector – but has warned prospective franchisees to do their homework.

  • Jessica Yun
Hailey Bieber is now the proud owner of a Gold Coast diamond cleaning wand called Dr Diamond.

Layla gifted Hailey Bieber her diamond cleaning stick. Then she quit her job

A chance encounter with Bieber saw sales of this Gold Coast-made product soar 3000 per cent in a week – and the model hadn’t even endorsed it.

  • Brittney Deguara
James Estephan at his newly opened Char’d Lebanese chicken shop in Belfield, Sydney.

El Jannah’s cousin has entered Sydney’s chicken shop wars

James Estephan’s chicken shop chain Char’d will be compared to El Jannah either way – so he’s leaning into it.

  • Jessica Yun
Renee Woolnough left her job in corrections to open up Brisbane’s first romance bookshop.

Why Renee walked away from her job to open Brisbane’s first romance bookshop

“It was getting too much and I was burning out and I’m like, ‘my life is too short’.”

  • Dominique Tassell
<p>

Commie Commie Commie, Oi Oi Oi!

I’ll slip an extra sympathiser on the barbie for you.

Advertisement
Gus and Lou Berger at their recently opened 81-seat cinema, the Brunswick Picture House.

Small but perfectly formed: How micro-cinemas are swimming against the tide

The cinema business is still struggling to reach pre-COVID levels. But these niche theatres are thriving by doing it differently.

  • Karl Quinn
There is a whole ecosystem of businesses growing around frequent flyer programs.

Frequent flyer points mania expands far past airlines

In what’s estimated to be a $5 billion industry, a raft of businesses has grown to help customers navigate and exploit airline-linked benefits.

  • Chris Zappone
Ross Greenhalgh nailing hides to drying racks.

Zebra and giraffe hides? Just another day at this 150-year-old family tannery

A regional Victorian tannery has been in one family for five generations. Brothers Bruce and Ross Greenhalgh are keen to retire – but that will be the end of the business.

  • Carolyn Webb
Shaun Pyne, aka Pyney the Pieman, describes himself as “just an average bloke on a mission to visit every bakery/cafe in Australia”.

The ‘average bloke’ on a mission to visit every pie shop in Australia

In a land where many claim theirs are the most “famous”, competition is hot for the crown of Australia’s best meat pie.

  • Mark Dapin