Only three out of 10 big businesses pay their small business customers within 30 days while nearly one-quarter take more than 120 days to pay up, according to new payment times data.
“This is a woeful performance and is bitterly disappointing…
… BIG BUSINESSES URGED TO “LIFT THEIR GAME” ON PAYMENT TIMES 01 February 2023 Only three out of 10 big businesses pay their small business customers within 30 days while nearly one-quarter take more than 120 days to … long to have their invoices paid,” Mr Billson said. “At a time when small and family businesses are facing headwinds, …
Media Centre item
Media Releases
ASBFEO Live
… the price or basis for calculating charges, payment terms, timeframes, delivery terms, etc. Agree dispute … costs. Provide a quote. If you charge for services on a time basis make sure you keep a work sheet detailing the time … assistance with COVID-19 affected lease disputes until 30 April 2024. You can contact QSBC by submitting an enquiry …
… the price or basis for calculating charges, payment terms, timeframes, delivery terms, etc. Agree dispute … costs. Provide a quote. If you charge for services on a time basis make sure you keep a work sheet detailing the time … assistance with COVID-19 affected lease disputes until 30 April 2024. You can contact QSBC by submitting an enquiry …
Basic page
… Payment disputes Self-help tools and support A small business … possible options with the small business, giving them time to consider the best course of action for their … the small business had defaulted on the loan, and every day a payment wasn’t made, a penalty fee of $1,000 was …
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Glen Bartholomew.
ABC News Radio
Subject: review of Payment Times Reporting Act…
… TRANSCRIPT: review of Payment Times Reporting Act (ABC News Radio) 01 September … and family business suppliers and paying, you know, within 30 days. That's hardly shooting the lights out, but it's … they've called out through their own policies a 30-day payment expectation but sadly too many aren't living up …
Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
Radio 2CC Canberra
Subject: Helping small business resolve disputes,…
… TRANSCRIPT: Helping small business resolve disputes, payment times, digital platforms 31 January 2024 TRANSCRIPT … figures that she's presented today, the average payment time for a big business to pay a small business is now down to 35.4 days. So, in other words, it's more than 30 days. And that represents an improvement? It's still too …
Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
2CC Radio Canberra
Subjects: Small business headwinds and need for right-sized regulation, payment times, Commonwealth…
… business headwinds and need for right-sized regulation, payment times, Commonwealth procurement. Leon Delaney The … payment times. Now, getting small businesses paid on time has been quite a considerable challenge for those … to be paid. There's about a third that get paid within 30 days. Cash flow, Leon, it's vital for business. It's the …
Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live
… Payment Disputes Payment plan enables outstanding payment to be made A small business owner had an ongoing payment dispute … emails had contact names or phone numbers attached. Each time the small business owner contacted the company, he would … Payment plan enables outstanding payment to be made A small …
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, wholeheartedly supports the call to overhaul the Payment Times Reporting Act and welcomes recommendations to make the data more useful for small business.
“Finance…
… OMBUDSMAN WELCOMES PAYMENT TIMES REVIEW BY DR CRAIG EMERSON 01 September 2023 … Register to provide meaningful information that can easily be understood and applied by small business, regulators and … game. “ASBFEO is the only organisation that has dedicated time and resources to unpack the current complicated …
Media Centre item
Media Releases
ASBFEO Live
16 October 2024
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with David Penberthy and Will Goodings.
Radio 5AA, Adelaide
…… TRANSCRIPT: payment surcharges and need for least-cost routing to cut … Bruce, good morning to you. Bruce Billson Will, fab to be with you and Penbo. David Penberthy Bruce, great having you on again, mate. We loved our segment last time. We got really good feedback from the listeners about …
Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live
Small and family businesses have just 12 days to make sure they do not have their vital business systems and equipment fail when the 3G network is switched off on 28 October, says the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce…
… is an awful lot of technology and equipment we use every day that's enabled by 3G as the wireless comms link and that … dysfunction they may face.” With 12 days to shutdown, time for small business to check older-style EFTPOS … way it allows us to get on with business. “It would be terrible if the first time you learn it runs on 3G is when …
Media Centre item
Media Releases
ASBFEO Live
By Bruce Billson
Originally published in the Herald Sun.
At a time when small and family businesses face headwinds, it’s not too much to ask that their big business customers play their parts by paying their invoices in a more…
… Paying on time tricky business (Op-ed) 14 February 2023 By Bruce … big businesses pay their small business customers within 30 days, while almost a quarter take more than 120 days to … of the assistance cases raised with my office relate to payment times, and it's pleasing the Australian government …
Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, says the small business community is exasperated by the delay in passing vital incentives to invest and create jobs that will expire on Sunday.
The Ombudsman called for…
… were announced more than a year ago and will expire on 30 June,” Mr Billson said. “The small business community is … you want to see more of but if there is so little time to act, the purpose and value of the incentive is … World Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day (on Thursday 27 June) but the Parliament is hardly …
Media Centre item
Media Releases
ASBFEO Live
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
2CC Canberra…
… National Family Business Day 19 September 2025 TRANSCRIPT Australian Small Business … some funds to reward, you know, your parents for maybe 30, 40, 50 years of work? Do they just hand it over, or is … a young person, look, you know, you're investing a bit of time and gaining some knowledge about this business before …
Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live
… to the survival of small and family businesses. Making payment information available to the public can help small … large businesses to improve their practices. The Payment Times Reporting Scheme (the scheme) requires large … as reporting entities), to report on their small business payment terms and times. Reporting entities must submit a …
17 October 2024
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Steve Austin.
ABC Radio Brisbane
…
… Payment surcharges and need for least-cost routing to cut … times are tough. Some have described it as challenging a time as they can recall. We saw in the last full year of tax … the use of surcharges on tap-and-go payments is going to be examined. What would small business like to see happen, …
Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
Radio 2CC Canberra
Subject: payment surcharges and least…
… Payment surcharges and least-cost routing to reduce fees 28 … and frustrating surcharge that gets included. I know every time I get a pizza, there's like another 13 cents or … to be with you and your listeners on this glorious capital day. Leon Delaney It's a lovely day, isn't it, and you've …
Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live
Originally published in The Canberra Times
By Bruce Billson
This is a big time of year with lots going on. Reflecting on the year passed, catching up with those near and dear and perhaps setting some goals for the year ahead.
For…
… The stress of running a business doesn't vanish at closing time 06 January 2025 Originally published in The Canberra … for the year ahead. For small business owners , it can be a particularly important time. This festive and summer … for managing the stress. These include: Structuring your day by pro-actively scheduling time for important stuff …
Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live
… a quote for several hundred dollars per month. On the same day, after discussing it with her business partner, she … pay system. The small business owner also used this same payment system for her security alarm. Three years later the … to cancel (this should be listed in the terms – but may be 30 days, 60 days)? • Are they agreeing to new terms and …
Basic page
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Nicole Overall.
2CC Canberra
Subject: Small Business – “looking after yourself”.…
… Nicole Overall Well this afternoon I am going to be talking a little bit about small business from varying … but the truth of the matter is they haven't had an easy time Bruce. And it's not looking that great. Holiday time … people can do for themselves is really structure their day, think about putting time aside for the important stuff. …
Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, has urged small business owners to take time early in the new year to take stock of their mental and financial well-being.
“When you own a small business, it is just…
… Bruce Billson, has urged small business owners to take time early in the new year to take stock of their mental and … their mental and financial well-being. Sometimes it can be as simple as making time to pause, reflect and reconnect.” … stressors this involves. These include: Structuring their day to navigate ‘not enough hours in the day’ – pro-actively …
Media Centre item
Media Releases
ASBFEO Live
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
2CC Radio Canberra
Subject: Merchant transaction fees (least-cost routing)…
… like tap-and-go payments and other forms of electronic payment. And that would save both small businesses and … Billson. Good afternoon. Bruce Billson Leon, great to be with you and the Capital listeners. Leon Delaney Thanks … Now handling cash comes with a cost - the cost of the time that it takes to manage the cash, to hold the cash, to …
Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live
… Payment disputes Self-help tools and support A small business … possible options with the small business, giving them time to consider the best course of action for their … the small business had defaulted on the loan, and every day a payment wasn’t made, a penalty fee of $1,000 was …
New instant asset write-off thresholds, updated tax rules, increased superannuation payments and a rise in the minimum wage are among changes coming into effect on 1 July, says Bruce Billson, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise…
… leaders as we near the end of the financial year it can be easy to overlook new and changing rules. However, there … put aside. “The end of the financial year is also a good time to not just have a stocktake but to take stock of the … introduced during the COVID pandemic which expires on 30 June and provided a write-off of eligible assets costing …
Media Centre item
Media Releases
ASBFEO Live
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…
… been calling for a system called least-cost routing to be mandatory. I'm delighted the Australian government has … to worsen unless action is taken. When you tap-and-go, the payment technology automatically chooses the payment pathway. … be good for the consumer and the merchant, but most of the time that's not what happens. Instead, it is being operated …
Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live
… significantly reduced, and an agreement was reached for payment in instalments. The business expressed gratitude for … to cancel (this should be listed in the terms – but may be 30 days, 60 days)? • Are they agreeing to new terms and … arrears and the lender continued applying the $1,000 per day late penalty. The small businesses’ debt was increasing …
… Payment Times Reporting Scheme Cash flow is vital to the survival of small and family businesses. Making payment information available to the public can help small … due, check your invoice has been processed and is due to be paid. If payment is 1-2 days overdue, contact the accounts …
Basic page
TRANSCRIPT
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.
2CC Canberra
Subject: Release of the ASBFEO Small…
… Are they getting better at paying their bills on time? Bruce Billson Yes, they are, there's a number of very … and it particularly doesn't reach into areas where that payment worry might actually come after you - the business … if that, you know if they've got 5 minutes in their busy day to read through it? Bruce Billson Jump on the nation's …
Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live