Quiz: Test your knowledge of news and current affairs

Did you keep up with all the latest this week? The Opes saga rolled on, but there were plenty of other events the savvy business owner would want to have kept on top of.

Did you keep up with all the latest business news and trends this week? The Opes saga rolled on, of course, but there were plenty of other events the savvy business owner would want to have kept on top of in areas like business sale values and search engine marketing.

Hope you kept your eyes open….

1. This week it was reported airports revenue from car parks has increased by 77% over the past six years, while passenger numbers increased by just 41%. What did the Federal Government do in response?

a) Fund the construction of more parking at airports.
b) Ask the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to monitor airport parking charges to ensure consumers aren’t being exploited.
c) Impose a new tax on airport parking to encourage more people to leave their car at home and use public transport.

Here’s a hint

2. Which player on the retail scene introduced a national pricing policy for its 165 Australian stores this week?

a) CostCo.
b) Aldi.
c) BuyForLess.

Here’s a hint

3. Until the financial market squeeze brought everything to a standstill, retail businesses were selling for multiples of eight to 10 times EBITDA, but not any more. What did a private equity guru estimate is the current going rate this week?

a) 1.5 to 2.5 times EBITDA.
b) 5.5 to 7.5 times EBITDA.
c) 4 times EBITDA.

Here’s a hint

4. A report this week revealed data showing rental income and vacancy rates in shopping centres have remained stable, despite softening consumer sentiment and retail sales. Where are vacancy rates running at their lowest levels?

a) Inner city CBD retail premises.
b) Regional and sub-regional shopping centres.
c) Country and rural retail strips.

Here’s a hint

5. Scientists at the CERN particle physics research centre in Switzerland have invented a new and improved version of the internet capable of transferring information at 10,000 times the speed of your average broadband connection. What is its name?

a) The ultra-web.
b) The x-net.
c) The grid.

Here’s a hint

6. Australians are working more hours per week than employees anywhere else in the developed world, according to research reported this week. How many hours per week does the average Aussie work?

a) 48.
b) 39.5.
c) 43.

Here’s a hint

7. Opes Prime creditors found out this week how much of their investments were likely to be recovered. What is the average Opes investor likely to get back?

a) 70c in the dollar.
b) 60c in the dollar.
c) 30c in the dollar.

Here’s a hint

8. Which company has admitted to the ACCC its search engine marketing constituted misleading and deceptive conduct?

a) Sensis.
b) Google.
c) DoubleClick.

Here’s a hint

9. ACTU president Sharan Burrow and Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout usually find themselves on opposite sides of the policy divide, but this week they made a joint statement supporting the introduction of which measure?

a) The abolition of fringe benefits tax exemption for company cars.
b) Paid maternity leave.
c) Abolition of state payroll taxes.

Here’s a hint

10. This week disgraced former music industry entrepreneur Glenn Wheatley was given the OK to serve out the remaining six months of his 15 month jail sentence from home. What was it that landed him in jail in the first place?

a) Defrauding the Commonwealth of $300,000 in taxes.
b) Stealing $300,000 from one of the performers he managed.
c) Having $300,000 worth of cocaine in his possession.

Here’s a hint

How did you go? Click here for the answers, and if you’re brave enough let me know how you did by sending in a comment using the field below.

The Quizmaster is young, sharp and business savvy – or at least he thinks he is – and loves nothing more than testing the know-how of his fellow entrepreneurs. Love him or hate him, he doesn’t care – but answer all 10 questions of his weekly business quiz correctly and he’ll be quick to recognise you as a fellow member of the business cogniscenti. Think of him as your business knowledge personal trainer.