Starting your own business from home sounds like heaven. No boss to hassle you or office politics to distract you and all the flexibility in the world to spend time with the kids. But the flipside can be loneliness, issues with self-discipline and the pressure of having to do everything from admin, to sales, to bookkeeping to even your own IT support! This week on Small Biz Central we look at micro businesses – those outfits with between one and five employees that make up over half of all Australian small businesses. Watch tonight at 9.30pm on TVS on Digital Channel 44, or Analogue Channel 31. To watch previous episodes of Small Biz Central visit our website at www.smallbizcentral.com.au

For builder Jim Gialouris getting the perfect screw into a corrugated iron roof was a challenge. You’re up high, working at an angle, with a curvy piece of building material – and one mistake and your roof will have leaks forever. So he invented ‘the jigolo’ a drill bit (or jig) that fits the corrugation perfectly and magnetically holds the screw in position. But inventing something groundbreaking is only half the story. How does he make sure his invention is indeed new? Will he manufacture and market his tool himself or sell or licence it to someone else? For the answers to all these questions tune into Small Biz Central tonight at 9.30pm on TVS. Watch previous episodes here.

Today’s TEDx Sydney conference is all about ideas. Big ones. Some of the country’s most massive minds will be in attendance to show off their high-powered brain babble… with only one rule; no-one can talk for longer than 18 minutes. It’s going to be incredible. There’ll be a woman who says it’s good to get bored, another who says it’s good to fast, and an environmental entrepreneur who wants to change the depressing ‘you’ll have to give up this, pay more for that’ climate change headline. So come to Carriageworks in Darlington in Sydney sometime between 8.30 and 6.30 – if you see me come say Hi cos I’ll be the event’s roving reporter and will be excited to hear your big ideas. If you can’t make it watch the live stream at youtube.com/tedxsydney

Do you really want your nan facebooking you shots of her planking? Well today we have an academic in the studio who does. Joining him will be Bob Gould’s wife talking about his amazing life. The legendary Newtown book shop owner and activist died on the weekend… his funeral is tomorrow in North Ryde. Then we talk about that new movie Snowtown… is it just a glorified snuff film like Richard Wilkins reckons? Or something more important? And we close with MasterChef pastry chef Leanne Beck… she’ll be dishing the behind-the-scenes dirt…so join in between 6am-9am on 2SER 107.3 FM or on the net here! Or download an App to listen on your phone. (Also hear our podcast here)

Competing in the global economy is exciting. Not only are you increasing the nation’s wealth but you’re also insulating yourself against downturns in the domestic market and exposing yourself to new technologies and innovative competitors. And of course there might even be the odd overseas trip in it too! But there are some serious challenges. This week on Small Biz Central we examine those speed humps with the help of our panel of experts. We meet Nic Cooper, from Turbosmart in Ashfield, who sells turbos around the world but is juggling multiple currencies and holds his breath every time the Aussie dollar bounces around. Should he get into forward exchange contracts or simply only deal in Aussie dollars? Find out tonight at 9.30pm on TVS (Digi 44, Analogue 31) or watch it live on either the web here, or your iPhone here. And remember if you miss it you can watch all the episodes on our website here.

Well she’s put her poetry on the doors of toilets, the feet of racing pigeons, and in the cabs of the nation’s truckies. She’s a poet prankster and she joins me in the studio tomorrow… she’ll be joined by a radical historian who’ll tell the dirty secrets of the businessmen who wanted to give their Japanese pals most of Queensland during WWII. And did you know every piece of plastic ever made still exists? Well we’ll tell you how it’s killing you and your world… + we’ll have Sarah with sport, Yas with the What’s On and DVD reviews with Ben so join in the radness between 6am-9am on 2SER 107.3 FM or on the net here! Or download an App to listen on your phone. (Also hear our podcast here)

Last week planking was heaps of fun and then it got all serious with the death of a bloke in Brisbane on Sunday. So is it bad – or if done in moderation still random and funny? We find out tomorrow when we speak to the QLD Deputy Police Commissioner. Soon after we’ll talk to an artist who reckons we’ve addicted kids to a mind-altering substance through over subscription of Ritalin. Then, for a bit of fun, we’ll have world Scissors, Paper, Rock champion Tim Conrad in the studio as well as comedian Matt Okine – who happens to be building a time machine. So join us between 6am and 9am on 2SER 107.3 FM or on the net here! (Also hear our podcast here)

Anyone who’s ever had legal problems knows it means three things; time, money and worry – all of them lethal to small business. Tomorrow on Small Biz Central we meet jumping castle maker Jay Maxwell whose innovative designs are being ripped off by foreign counterfeiters and Richard Graham who’s website domain name was stolen by his unscrupulous webmaster. And our panel of experts dive straight in telling Richard he needs to call the Australian Domain Administration. And for Jay it’s going to come down to getting proper patent protection and deciding whether it’s worth his time, money and worry to pursue the pirates through the courts. And with lots of other useful tips on tax, insurances and employee entitlements this is an episode of Small Biz Central not to be missed. Tune in tomorrow at 9.30pm on TVS (Digi 44, Analogue 31) or watch it live on the web here, or live on your iPhone here. And remember if you miss it you can watch all the episodes on our website here.

One doesn’t like to confront the fact one is a woos. But the prospect of having the most arrested man in Australia in the studio this morning has unnerved me. Lucky he’s not a hardened criminal – he’s Ian Rintoul of the Refugee Action Coalition. He’s protested in every state and under umpteen governments. So I suppose he knows a thing or two about detainees. He’ll be taking your calls on Julia’s ‘Malaysia Solution’. Then we’ll cross to Sunrise Reporter Eddie Bartholomew at Dubbo Zoo who’ll be sharing her scoop on the tricky business of Rhino egg harvesting. Plus we’ll have the artistic director of the Sydney Writers Festival and a woman who’s been living on $10 worth of food for 5 days as part of Live Below the Line… so join us between 6am and 9am on 107.3 FM or on the net here! (Also hear our podcasts here)

Think the budget is boring? Well yes it is. Except if you listen to 2SER breakfast tomorrow… cos we’ll break it down all funky like… find out what it means for you in 60 seconds or less. Also, while we’re asking questions… What is ‘slutwalk’? A serious political campaign or offensive reactionary nonsense? We don’t know either so we’ll talk to the Canadian organiser… also we’ll have a queer comedian in the studio who reckons god created gay men so there’d be someone to take nerdy girls to the year 10 formal and an olive farmer who’s miffed those new smoke packs the PM’s bringing in are called ‘olive green’ – can she be serious? Well find out on 2SER tomoz between 6am and 9am on 107.3 FM or on the net here! (Also join our podcast here)