Western Australia might be home to the nation's richest man and awash with riches amassed from property and mining booms, but that doesn't necessarily translate into funding for online businesses.
At the height of the tech boom almost a decade ago it would have been laughable to suggest that one of Western Australia's most successful internet entrepreneurs would offer local weather information to fishermen.
Government involvement in the promotion of online business development should go beyond funding and reach more deeply into society, panellists at the WA Business News Online Business forum found.
At just two and half years out of school, it would be easy to think Paul Slee, as part of an increasingly wired generation, is the right age to be running an online business.
Emirates has confirmed its A380 aircraft will service Western Australia on a daily basis following the launch of its aggressive expansion program this month, when the first of Emirates' eventual fleet of 58 A380s flew from Dubai to New York.
The vision of creating one of the Asia-Pacific region's best airports - with 45 aerobridges and costing just $1 billion - has become a major challenge for Perth Airport.
The appointment of Australian Football League legend Graham Moss to head the state's peak tourism industry lobby may seem a curious choice to some, but for those who have worked with the no-nonsense operator, it's far less of a surprise.
In a further demonstration of the industry's confidence in the Perth market, several international and domestic carriers are scheduled to increase capacity on their Perth services.
While the short-term macro-economic picture looks increasingly bleak, many still believe in the Western Australian story, driven by an insatiable demand for raw materials from China and other developing nations.
Former academic Tim Atterton believes Australia's tax system sets up small business for failure in times like these by discouraging the retention of profits, distracting management and undermining strong balance sheets.
Perth's planned new sporting stadium at Subiaco could include innovative venues for the presentation of theatre and music to sports fans attending big games.
When prominent Perth accountant Frank Cooper was asked to join the WA Opera board, his initial reaction was: "The fat lady with horns? Not my cup of tea".
Mining engineers, scientists and technology entrepreneurs should collaborate with innovators in the arts sector to produce outcomes that benefit all sectors, the WA Business News boardroom forum was told.
Ensuring the ongoing strength of the arts sector in Western Australia beyond the boom will only be achieved by building relevance of the arts in the community, according to participants at the WA Business News forum.
The federal government is expected to complete its review of the franchising sector by the end of the year, following a state government inquiry into the sector handing in its final report in April.
A lot can happen in a year. Just more than 12 months ago, Western Australia franchises were concerned about the difficulties in finding new areas of growth, with the sector subject to the same labour market pressures as other industries.
Microbrewers Gage Roads Brewing and Little Creatures have featured in the top five emerging brands in the WA Business News branding survey every year for the past four years.
