What should I do when disaster strikes? Here's a place to start
Originally published in The Canberra Times
By Bruce Billson
Over the past five years there have been 13 declared natural disaster catastrophes.
Small businesses need the right kind of incentives to succeed
Originally published in the Canberra Times.
By Bruce Billson.
I was shocked, but sadly not surprised, to read recently that one in five small businesses have zero cash reserves.
About 18 per cent have less than a month's worth of cash to fulfil their obligations and 21 per cent have reserves to cover only one to two months.
Release of the ASBFEO Small Business Guide to dealing with debt/ASBFEO Review
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
2CC Canberra
Subject: Release of the ASBFEO Small Business Guide to dealing with debt/ASBFEO Review.
Leon Delaney
Future of cash
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Nadia Mitsopoulos.
ABC Radio Perth
Subject: Future of cash
Nadia Mitsopoulos
Well I want to go to Bruce Billson, who's the Small Business Ombudsman. Bruce, good morning, and thank you for joining me.
Bruce Billson
OMBUDSMAN’S SMALL BUSINESS GUIDE TO DEALING WITH DEBT
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, has released a guide to help small business navigate the challenge of paying or collecting a debt.
“Outstanding debts can be overwhelming for a small business – whether you are owed money by a customer or you owe money to a supplier,” Mr Billson said.
“We have seen a 50 per cent increase in calls from small businesses worried a supplier might be insolvent or their own business might be heading that way.
You always hear about businesses doing the wrong thing. Let's flip the script
Originally published in the Canberra Times.
By Bruce Billson.
A good business pays its taxes, proper employee entitlements and its small business suppliers in a timely way.
Not paying is an unfair advantage over other businesses who are meeting their obligations. We hear a lot about businesses who have done the wrong thing. And they should be penalised, named and shamed.
What is ASBFEO and what does it do? How small business can chase money they are owed, insolvency fears, resolving problems with digital platforms, the Personal Property Security Register
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Rick Hind.
ABC Radio Darwin
Subject: What is ASBFEO and what does it do? How small business can chase money they are owed, insolvency fears, resolving problems with digital platforms, the Personal Property Security Register
Rick Hind
Payment surcharges and least-cost routing to reduce fees
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
Radio 2CC Canberra
Subject: payment surcharges and least-cost routing to reduce fees
Leon Delaney
Mysterious surcharges on our payments are unfair on everyone
Originally published in the Canberra Times.
By Bruce Billson.
No one is happy when you buy a coffee, a meal or even an item of furniture and as you tap your card a few extra cents or dollars are drained from your account.
Typically, a small business merchant is only passing on this surcharge because it is imposed upon them through our opaque and mysterious payments system with no help to their bottom-line.
The big shutdown is coming, be ready
Published in The Daily Telegraph and the Courier-Mail.
By Bruce Billson
Next Monday (October 28) is D-Day for the 3G network as it will be shut down, but I'm worried it could also put many small, family and farming businesses out of business because they don't think it will affect them.