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…
… The big shutdown is coming, be ready 23 October 2024 Published in The Daily Telegraph and … By Bruce Billson Next Monday (October 28) is D-Day for the 3G network as it will be shut down, but I'm … they may face. It would be terrible if the first time you learn it runs on 3G is when it shuts down, and that …
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ASBFEO Live
The public rightly expects any personal information collected and stored by businesses - whether they are large or small - will be protected, says the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson.
Mr. Billson…
… by businesses - whether they are large or small - will be protected, says the Australian Small Business and Family … acknowledgment of the special circumstances and limited time and resources of small business and that the exemption … reforms around cyber risk management, Digital ID, payment times, deepening the digital engagement of small …
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Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Julie-anne Sprague.
Radio 6PR Perth
Subject: 14 Steps to energise enterprise
Julie-anne Sprague
There is a worrying…
… me to find out why and how. Bruce Billson himself, Bruce G'day. Bruce Billson Jules, fab to be with you and your … 8 per cent of business owners that are under the age of 30, whereas in the ‘70s, it was twice that. So, something's … to business operators, that the burden has increased over time, and we need to look at that. But then you have an …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally posted in the Canberra Times
It is pleasing to see so much recent attention on what is needed to bolster our economic resilience and to restore living standards at a time of uncertainty and disruption. International economic…
… economic resilience and to restore living standards at a time of uncertainty and disruption. International economic … Yet, in political corridors, productivity tends to be talked about quietly (if at all), and rarely raised as a … of creating a business, reach for these goals every day. Not just when the going is good and conditions are …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally published in the Canberra Times on Monday, 27 May 2024.
Bruce Billson
Winning a government contract can be life-changing for a small business. As all businesses know, there is no substitute for good…
… May 2024. Bruce Billson Winning a government contract can be life-changing for a small business. As all businesses … are looking for to engage in a complicated, costly and time-consuming process. Dismissing considered and … boost women-owned business opportunities and improve payment times. We found active stewardship is essential to …
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ASBFEO Live
Opinion piece by the Ombudsman Bruce Billson.
Originally published in the Canberra Times.
Small business is the beating heart of our communities and our economy, so it is crucial to check the pulse of such an important sector to measure its…
… and the unseen 'business of running the business' can be physically, mentally and financially exhausting. That's … terms of their spending, preferences and confidence. The time-series for the Pulse covers the past eight years and has … increased, although they remain below pre-pandemic levels. Payment disputes are often an early warning sign of cash flow …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally published in The Canberra Times
By Bruce Billson
ASBFEO recently released our fourth Small Business Pulse - a health-check on the small business operating environment.
It recorded a microscopic improvement of 0.1 per cent…
… is showing some modest signs that conditions seem to be stabilising. It shows that small and family business … seeing increasing numbers of requests for assistance with payment disputes. This type of dispute, that often leaves a … without productivity improvement is somehow helpful, at a time too many small business owners are battling to keep the …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally published in The Canberra Times.
Digital platforms have fundamentally changed the way small businesses connect and sell to their customers. Yet, when there is a problem - such as having your account shut down after being hacked -…
… your account shut down after being hacked - solving it can be a nightmare. Whether it is Facebook, Instagram, Uber, … cases, when there is a problem these platforms require a time and resource-poor small business to navigate the most … turn ads on or off and can remove or update advertising payment information. Have your account/s set up so the …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally published in The Canberra Times
By Bruce Billson
More and more women are creating new businesses to find solutions to everyday problems.
About 35 per cent of small businesses are owned or led by women.
This is double…
… that 68 per cent of self-employed females are working part-time, compared to 47 per cent of female employees in the … the pressures that entrepreneurial women deal with every day. Where is the question about childcare and employee share … told that they needed a male on the application form to be approved. We have taken some strides since the 1950s but …
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ASBFEO Live
15 October 2024
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
Radio 2CC Canberra
…
… you before, Bruce, but many, many, many years ago, I think 30 years ago, I came up with this idea when recorded phone … McEnroe is. Leon Delaney He was the Nick Kyrgios of his day. Bruce Billson What great documentary about him and his … - they might also tap into a credit card or some other payment facility you have linked to your account that helps …
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ASBFEO Live
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
Radio 2CC Canberra
Leon Delaney
The Australian Small…
… Billson, good afternoon. Bruce Billson Leon, great to be with you and your listeners on this glorious capital day. Leon Delaney It's a beautiful day today, isn't it? It's absolutely a cracker. Now I've got … to be with you and your listeners on this glorious capital day. Leon Delaney It's a beautiful day today, isn't it? It's …
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TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Deb Knight.
Money News
Subjects: COSBOA Summit, energising enterprise
…… welcome back to Money News. Bruce Billson Deb, great to be with you and your enterprising audience. Deb Knight Yes, … is held every year by COSBOA, but these would have to be some of the most challenging times wouldn’t they for small … only 8% of business owners that are under the age of 30. It was nearly twice that in the ‘70s. So, something is …
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ASBFEO Live
This week we celebrate National Family Business Day - on Thursday, September 19.
It's a great moment to reflect on the crucial role family-owned businesses play in the economy and throughout our communities.
Think about the many farming,…
… 2024 This week we celebrate National Family Business Day - on Thursday, September 19. It's a great moment to … services businesses in your community and often it will be family-owned and led. Some of our most enduring businesses … added layer of emotion. What if one of the offspring takes time away from the family business to gain experiences that …
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ASBFEO Live
Opinion piece by the Ombudsman Bruce Billson.
Originally published in the Canberra Times.
The public rightly expects any personal information collected and stored by businesses - whether they are large or small - will be protected and only…
… Small businesses can't be held to the same privacy standards 22 July 2024 Opinion … Mark Dreyfus of the special circumstances and limited time and resources of small business, the need for support … with this after they've been running their business all day. Small businesses will need clear guidance on the active …
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ASBFEO Live
Opinion piece by the Ombudsman Bruce Billson.
Originally published in the Canberra Times.
I fear we are sleepwalking into a "big corporate" economy.
Many small and family businesses are doing it tough right now and the post-COVID…
… electricity, insurance and rent. And there continues to be ongoing shortages of talent and skills with lower rates of … from the Privacy Act. Together, it is taking a toll on time-poor and resource-constrained small business owners. The … workplace obligations to employees, meet tax reporting and payment obligations in a timely way and pay small business …
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ASBFEO Live
SPEECH
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson.
Speech to COSBOA National Small Business Summit
I particularly want to acknowledge Matthew (Addison), Luke (…
… for whom, self-declared, their business is their full-time endeavour, take home less than average total weekly … for those people. They’re working their tails off every day. The average age of a business owner is 50, not 45 where … our small business owning fraternity are under the age of 30, half what it was in the 1970s. 70% of small businesses …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally published in The Canberra Times
By Bruce Billson
It's been just over a week since the government's Economic Reform Roundtable was held.
Was the three-day event productive? I'd say yes. There was lots of discussion and views…
… Economic Reform Roundtable was held. Was the three-day event productive? I'd say yes. There was lots of … of independent contractors and self-employed working full-time to derive their livelihoods earned below the average … for American customers can only enter with the verified payment of ever-changing tariffs; and small businesses were …
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ASBFEO Live
May 2025 Small Business Pulse
Key highlights:
Over the past quarter conditions for small businesses improved 0.1% - the first quarterly rise since August 2022. Over the past 12 months deteriorated by 0.9%, but now…… Small business conditions show modest improvement for first time since 2022 27 May 2025 May 2025 Small Business Pulse Key … for ASBFEO’s help reflect these cash flow concerns. Payment disputes continue to be the most common dispute our office assists with. Payment …
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Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Lisa Millar.
ABC News Breakfast
Subject: 14 Steps to energise enterprise, tap-and-go merchant fees, digital platform disputes, small business…
… a group of Australians that need their personal best every day and, in some cases, needing to be world class every day. … bit of breathing space as they tackle a really challenging time. Lisa Millar So, what are you saying, the credit card … got about 8 per cent, Lisa, that are under the age of 30. It was 17 per cent in the ‘70s. So, we really think you …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally published in The Canberra Times
By Bruce Billson
With election talk building and political announcements starting to roll out, there has not been a more important time for small businesses to be seen, heard and supported.
…
… starting to roll out, there has not been a more important time for small businesses to be seen, heard and supported. The Australian Small Business … wait for years and years for supportive action at this time of significant economic and cost of doing business …
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ASBFEO Live
By Bruce Billson.
Published in the Western Advocate.
More needs to be done to support and recognise small businesses.
A RECENT Westpac study found almost half of the people starting their own business are motivated by the dream…
… The obstacles entrepreneurs face 30 September 2024 By Bruce Billson. Published in the Western … big business to small business and ratings for big firms' payment performance. The recent US presidential debate … did not make a profit and three-quarters of full-time self-employed people earned less than the average total …
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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…
… relationships, they might also mess with the attached payment facility that's there and spend our money pimping … money for substations, all the cabling, the equipment, our time. I want to make sure that the developer is good for … if we do things on trade credit, on terms like ‘pay us in 30 days’ we might not get paid. So that's coming up as an …
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ASBFEO Live
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, is encouraging small businesses to adopt eInvoicing as a more secure and faster way of getting paid.“There are real opportunities for small business in engaging with…
… what is a vital part of getting paid, replacing what can be a tendinous, mundane and error-prone activity.” Mr Billson … vulnerable to invoice substitution scams – also called payment redirection scams or business email compromise - … people with all the critical information to execute the payment,” he said. Mr Billson welcomed the Australian …
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TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
Radio 2CC Canberra
Subjects: How small business can prepare for a…
… you a couple of bucks back, which is the equivalent of a day or two of what you pay to access our communications … had a direct loss. It's the same with banking services. Payment platforms went out late last week for a lot of the … and we touched on that in the report. If you're a time-poor small business owner, you don't really want someone …
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ASBFEO Live
Opinion piece by the Ombudsman Bruce Billson.
Originally published in the Canberra Times.
Small, family and farming businesses should urgently make sure they are not caught out by the 3G switch-off which is now scheduled to take place on 28…
… is an awful lot of technology and equipment used every day that's actually enabled by 3G. Quite understandably, … thinking about what the piece of kit actually does and the time-saving or technology-enhancing way it allows us to get … bookings and payroll, could stop working. At risk may be security systems and cameras, tablets, telephones in …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally published in The Canberra Times
By Bruce Billson
Over the past five years there have been 13 declared natural disaster catastrophes.
The devastation caused to our communities by these terrible floods, storms, cyclones and…
… fearsomeness so early in the season ... Businesses can be directly damaged or wiped-out, or they become an indirect … businesses have a current business continuity plan. It is time for small business to be prepared for natural disasters. … owner or leader out of the business for a period of time. An inquiry I conducted into the impact of natural …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally published in The Canberra Times
Australia's small and family businesses are backing themselves and drawing on their self-belief and entrepreneurial instincts to envision a more positive year ahead.The ASBFEO Small Business…
… increase. It increased 0.5 per cent compared to the same time last year. With relatively stable economic conditions … how they can delight their customers in new ways. It might be through unique experiences, personalised service, … spending plenty of time in their business, tending to the day-to-day, but more and more are carving out time to work on …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally published in The Canberra Times
By Bruce Billson
The first half of this year has been characterised as a test of endurance for many small businesses, but I'm encouraged by the enduring optimism and the promise of improvement.…
… on is the increase to the national minimum wage . You'll be aware the Fair Work Commission has announced a 3.5 per … to cope with another cost impost at this challenging time. But we cannot forget that small businesses are also … of self-employed small business owners working full-time who earn less than the average full-time adult wage. …
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ASBFEO Live
Originally published in The Canberra Times
By Bruce Billson
It is big in the minds of many small business people. Uncertainty and complexity can constrain growthWe have just released the latest ASBFEO Small Business Pulse and there is a…
… that influence decisions and drive behaviour and the "real time" business decisions being contemplated or taken. The … strength and there's reason for small business owners to be hopeful that this will support their business to thrive. … accessing finance by small businesses more expensive, at a time when many business owners are dipping into their own …
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ASBFEO Live
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney on Radio 2CC Canberra.
Subject: Franchising Code of Conduct Review
Leon DelaneyThe Small Business and…
… the phone now. Good afternoon. Bruce Billson Leon, fab to be with you and your listeners, sir. Leon Delaney Thanks … are well-known, and those brands have proven the test of time. There are other systems that might have just been, … and spending a quarter of a million bucks to get your day in court? That's an area where we think more work needs …
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ASBFEO Live