Media Releases
The Victorian Small Business Commission’s (VSBC) Annual Report 2019 reveals a record 2,074 small businesses sought help in resolving their business disputes. The main issues causing disputes were: 1. Retail leases 2. Money that wasn’t paid 3. Understanding rights and responsibilities when it comes to contracts 4. The quality of goods and services 5. Goods […]
The Retail Innovation Program will return in 2020, developed by early-stage investment firm Investible in partnership with the City of Sydney, with an expanded program and capacity to support more local retailers. Designed to help future-proof Australia’s retail sector, the intensive 12-week accelerator will provide business owners the opportunity to innovate, scale and grow – […]
New figures released today show 5000 small business owners have received help from Service NSW’s one-stop shop Business Concierge service. Service NSW for Business Executive Director Bridget Barrett said the service is all about helping people start, grow or run their small business, potentially saving them time and money. “Service NSW has become more than […]
Last week, Australian small businesses with 19 employees or less, were required by law to report using the new digital Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting system – however around a third of small employers are yet to start reporting or notify the ATO they need more time to start. STP requires employers to electronically send […]
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, agrees with RBA Governor Philip Lowe’s view that small business needs support from our financial institutions. “In cutting the official cash rate to an all-time-low of 0.75%, RBA Governor Philip Lowe made several pertinent observations about the credit squeeze affecting the Australian small business sector […]
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell has reminded small businesses they have until 30 September to adopt Single Touch Payroll (STP). Small businesses with 19 employees or less are required to make the transition to STP by the deadline in two weeks. STP became mandatory for small employers on 1 July […]
Australians are encouraged to thank and nominate successful women in business to be part of a significant milestone – the 25th Telstra Business Women’s Awards. Nominations are now open for the program, which celebrates and recognises exceptional women in leadership across all sectors, including: small, medium and large businesses, public sector, academia, for purpose and social […]
Applications for the Chivas Venture 2020 are now open – enter before 31st October 2019 for your chance to win a share of $1M Leading blended Scotch whisky, Chivas, has announced the launch of the 6th year of the Chivas Venture – a global competition that gives away $1 million in no-strings funding every year […]
October is NSW Small Business Month – a month-long festival providing opportunities for small business owners to strengthen their skills and network with others. Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said NSW Small Business Month was a fantastic opportunity for local firms and entrepreneurs to come together to celebrate the contribution that small […]
ANZ employers and employees contribute their opinions on AI ethics policies, potential misuse, liability and regulation Companies around the world are expecting to apply artificial intelligence (AI) within their companies in the next few years but are lagging in discussions about the ethics surrounding it, new research from global technology leader Genesys finds. More than […]
Moves by the Australian Tax Office to go after those employers not paying their workers super are welcome but barely scratch the surface of the problem Industry Super Australia (ISA) says. With ISA analysis showing that one in three workers – around 2.85 million people – are being ripped off close to $6 billion in […]
A Cheltenham-based business that has created a range of all-natural bandages which are sold to 35 countries has been named the 2019 Telstra Victorian Business of the Year. Inspired by his son’s sensitivity to typical bandages, Nutricare founder and CEO James Dutton set out to create a natural product that is sustainable, environmentally conscious and […]
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell is urging prospective franchisees to do their homework before investing, after the ACCC found some franchisors were failing to provide adequate information to buyers. The regulator found one-in-three franchisors in the food services sector had failed to disclose useful contact details of former franchisees to […]
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell has praised Beyond Blue for supporting the mental health of small business owners. Beyond Blue has today released a free online guide that provides business advisers, such as accountants, bookkeepers and industry association representatives, with practical tips about how to support their clients and members. […]
The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) today announced their support of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and the government in pursuit of those who deliberately scam the tax system. Speaking on behalf of COSBOA, Peter Strong, CEO noted the release of the tax gap for small business (12.5 per cent) and stated that […]
48 percent of small businesses do not monitor their energy spend 50 percent are on extended contracts and risk paying more An online tool enabling small businesses across Australia to see if they are paying too much for energy was announced by the Australian Government today, in partnership with Xero and Alphabeta. The Small Business […]
While many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) understand that the nature of work is becoming increasingly digital, many business owners aren’t necessarily certain where they should invest their limited resources for maximum results. Getting that investment right could create limitless possibilities for these businesses while getting it wrong could result in wasted time and money. […]
The Westpac Innovation Challenge has launched today, giving start-ups, scale-ups and entrepreneurs the chance to win $50,000 and professional support to grow their business. The Challenge asks entrants to create a solution using data to solve a business problem specific to one of five different sectors: micro business, energy, insurance, aged care or government. Now […]
Businesses that provide cleaning or courier services, as well as businesses in the building and construction industry were today reminded that they may need to lodge a Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR) with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) by 28 August 2019. ATO Assistant Commissioner Peter Holt said the Taxable Payment Reporting System (TPRS) has been […]
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, has handed down a comprehensive review of the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code, recommending a suite of changes to help small business employers meet their obligations. “Put simply, the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code in its current form, is not working in the way it […]
