The festive season is bringing hefty challenges for businesses trying to maintain vital cash flow, Dun & Bradstreet CEO Christine Christian said today.

The dramatic decline in business-to-business trade payments this year is continuing, keeping the pressure on businesses as they head into the New Year.

Recent hopes of a positive start to New Year trading have faded with business expectations for the March quarter 2006 deteriorating.

The court history of a Director is a significant factor in whether a business is likely to succeed or fail, according to Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) figures released today.

Australian business is expecting the New Year will bring improved trading conditions on the back of a strong Christmas period for the retail sector.

Thousands of people are potentially denied access to the Australian dream of home ownership, while many others are provided access to credit they can't afford because of the nation's restricted consumer credit reporting system.

Business expectations for the Christmas December quarter have continued to improve slightly despite growing concern over oil prices, according to the latest D&B Business Expectations Survey.

High oil prices are the major roadblock to a buoyant end of year economic season, according to the latest D&B Business Expectations Survey.

Australian Trade Payments Decline - Cash flow crunch for business

General business expectations of leading executives have picked up with the arrival of the new financial year and anticipation of the economic bump, particularly in the retail sector, that traditionally accompanies the December quarter.

The arrival of the new financial year has done little to improve the expectations of Australian businesses for their trading environment in the coming months, according to the latest D&B Business Expectations Survey.

Australian businesses are preparing themselves for their worst start to a new financial year since the 1991 recession according to the latest D&B Business Expectations Survey, released today.

  D&B believes strongly that a parliamentary inquiry provides the best forum for open and transparent debate on the issue of Australia's consumer credit reporting system.  

As the Treasurer prepares to bring down his 10th Federal Budget, Australian businesses are bracing for a difficult start to the new financial year, according to the latest D&B Business Expectations survey, released today.

The economy may be cooling and interest rates rising, but Australian businesses remain optimistic that the market will bear higher selling prices, according to the latest D&B Business Expectations Survey, released today.

Melbourne, 16 March 2005 -- Australian consumers are spending more than they can manage during the holidays, women are better payers than men, and consumers from regional areas are better payers than those from urban areas.

The latest D&B Business Expectations Survey, released today, shows that Australian businesses   selling prices are above expectations for the fifth time in 2 years and that the outlook for selling prices continues to grow, indicating inflationary pressures on the horizon.

The latest D&B Business Expectations Survey, released today, shows that Australian businesses expect the June quarter 2005 to be one of the best for 12 months. All indicators, except one, are up.

The latest D&B Business Expectations Survey, released today, shows that businesses expect only moderate growth in sales and profits in the March quarter 2005, down a fraction on the expected growth for December quarter 2004.