Small business owners and leaders have every right to be frustrated by the Reserve Bank’s review of retail payments regulations, says the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson.

While some progress is being made, it is disappointing this report falls well short of delivering the vital changes small and family businesses have been crying out for.

“More decisive action is urgently needed to stop small businesses and family enterprises paying more than they need to for payment services,” Mr Billson said.

State Small Business Commissioners and the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman have met to continue our collaborative efforts within our jurisdictions, to support our nation’s vital small business community.

As always, we recognise and highlight the circumstances of enterprising people who drive and lead our small business economy and are encouraged by the cautious optimism of the small business community.

The meeting discussed key pressing issues including:

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson is proud to support this year’s Outstanding Western Sydney Women Awards to be hosted on 16 November 2021, with a stellar line-up of finalists announced.

“I’m encouraged to see so many exceptional women-owned and women-led businesses recognised at this premier event,” Mr Billson says.  

“The pandemic has generated a new era of enterprising women who are trailblazing their own paths to success.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson has congratulated the winners of the Western Sydney Women Awards, many of whom are outstanding small and family business owners.

The awards, held virtually last night, recognised the resilience and agility of community leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals who have navigated their own pathways to success throughout the pandemic.

“Congratulations to the winners and finalists – who are all exceptional women,” Mr Billson says.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson is urging shoppers to spend big with small businesses this weekend, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales predicted to smash records.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales (Friday 26 November – Monday 29 November) are expected to hit a record spend of $5.4 billion in stores and online.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson has welcomed today’s launch of the Payment Times Reports Register, which provides transparency around big business payment times.

The new online Payment Times Reports Register publishes information about the payment policies of businesses with a turnover of more than $100 million.

Mr Billson says the new register requires big businesses to be up front and honest about the time it takes to pay their small business suppliers.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, has today released the final report into the insurance crisis facing Australia’s amusement, leisure, and recreation sector, declaring “the show must go on”.

The report, The Show Must Go On, finds a Discretionary Mutual Fund (DMF) is the most practical and durable solution to enable the amusement, leisure and recreation sector to remain operational in a hardened global insurance market.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson has recognised the rise of ‘womenpreneurs’ and the key role women will play in driving future business growth on World MSME Day (Sunday 27 June, 2021).

World MSME Day 2021, declared by the UN, has identified the evolution of womenpreneurs as one of the Top 10 Trends of the year.

Mr Billson says this is also an emerging trend in Australia, with women-owned women-led enterprises increasing at a faster rate than male-owned businesses.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson is encouraging Australians to support Indigenous businesses, as the nation celebrates NAIDOC WEEK 2021.

Mr Billson says the Indigenous business sector is one of the fastest growing in Australia, with fresh data from the University of Melbourne revealing indigenous businesses’ contribution to the economy has more than doubled.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson has urged the Federal Government and regulators to consider the reactivation of temporary insolvency protections, to support small and family businesses doing it tough in lockdown.

Mr Billson says the re-introduction of measures, such as the extension to existing safe harbour provisions, would provide temporary additional protections for small and family businesses that may be trading insolvent due to lockdown trading restrictions.