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    The ASBFEO responds to requests for assistance from small businesses and family enterprises that are in dispute with other businesses or Commonwealth Government agencies. 

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    There are so many useful resources, tools and sources of information which assist and support small businesses and family enterprises to run their business.

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    Small Business Data Portal

    Our Small Business Data Portal brings together the latest statistics about small businesses and family enterprises and their contribution to the Australian economy.

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    • Location of Australia’s small businesses - regional and metro areas

Small Business Pulse - February 2025

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  • Media Centre item (267)
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Success story type

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…

… 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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

OMBUDSMAN SUPPORTS ‘RIGHT-SIZED’ PRIVACY CHANGES FOR SMALL BUSINESS

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 …

Media Centre item
Media Releases
ASBFEO Live

Energising enterprise

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 …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

Payment Times Reporting Act 2020 primary legislation amendments

… Payment Times Reporting Act 2020 primary legislation … amendments Date Wed, 05/01/2024 - 12:00 File SB 240429 Payment Times Legislation Amendments.pdf pdf 164.2 KB Summary Payment Times Reporting Act 2020 primary legislation …

Submission

OMBUDSMAN WELCOMES INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO HELP SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESSES

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, has welcomed the Albanese government’s move to introduce legislation into Parliament to crackdown on unfair contract terms and increase penalties for anti-competitive…

… large enterprises doing business with smaller firms to be a kindly customer – patient and understanding, with good … “What is also crucial, however, is that these new laws be enforced by regulators to defend the economic interests of … leap from $10 million to $50 million. “Fines need to be more meaningful and not just an easily absorbable ‘cost of …

Media Centre item
Media Releases
ASBFEO Live

Too many small businesses are hurt by not being in the 'in-crowd'

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

Checking the pulse of small businesses across Australia

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

Location of Australia’s small businesses - regional and metro areas

… on numbers and locations. Key findings for the year to 30 June 2023 Of the 2.5 million small businesses in … and external Other Territories. Victoria’s decrease can be attributed to a decrease in the number of small businesses … (3.3%) and Greater Hobart (3.0%) over the year to 30 June 2023. The main contributors to these increases were …

Basic page

… or your favourite winemaker or café owner who work every day to delight customers and energise enterprise. These are … owner is a self-employed man, aged 50, who works full-time and earns below the average full-time wage. Yet that is … climbing. Just 8% of small business owners are under 30. That’s half the peak for this age group of 17% achieved …

Big tech laziness is hurting small Australian businesses

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

Women owned small business

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

… which traditional sources of information and point-in-time surveys often miss. “Our approach is different to other … experiences of the business life-cycle, and in near real time. “The ASBFEO Pulse probes factors which range from … and general economic conditions including disputes. “The time-series for the Pulse covers the past eight years and has …

Least Cost Routing

… fees’ are charged by schemes, acquirers, and issuers (payment service providers) to facilitate card-based payments … competition in the debit card market by ensuring a payment is processed via the least-cost route. Merchants … of the RBA’s public interest powers. This change will be a positive step towards reducing merchant fees for mobile …

Report

… should get in contact with the ATO. You can also set up a payment plan if your debt is under $100,000. Phone: 12 28 66 … to help people with their tax affairs who may not be able to afford professional advice and representation. … individuals can access a one-off non-taxable crisis payment . Small Business Debt Helpline The Small Business …

TRANSCRIPT: growing number of small business disputes with big tech digital platform providers, Ghostbusters, John McEnroe, weaponised product takedowns and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

 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 …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

TRANSCRIPT: Small business insurance crisis

 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 …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

TRANSCRIPT: COSBOA Summit, energising enterprise

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, … only 8% of business owners that are under the age of 30. It was nearly twice that in the ‘70s. So, something is … only 8% of business owners that are under the age of 30. It was nearly twice that in the ‘70s. So, something is …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

… which traditional sources of information and point-in-time surveys often miss. “Our approach is different to other … such as hospitality. It is uncertain whether this will be a sustained improvement. Many customers are still being … and the Personal Property Securities Register.  “Extended payment times and terms are weighing on small business …

Celebrating Australia's great family businesses

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

Small businesses can't be held to the same privacy standards

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

Apprentices and Trainees Employed by Small Business

… December 2023. This was a 8% decrease compared to the same time the previous year, and a 5% decrease compared to … Sep-09 28.00 23.00 25.00 Dec-09 29.00 23.00 26.00 Mar-10 30.00 24.00 26.00 Jun-10 31.00 24.00 27.00 Sep-10 31.00 25.00 … Dec-11 33.00 28.00 32.00 Mar-12 32.00 28.00 33.00 Jun-12 30.00 29.00 35.00 Sep-12 31.00 29.00 34.00 Dec-12 31.00 28.00 …

Basic page

TRANSCRIPT: Small Business Matters

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Nadia Mitsopoulos.

ABC Radio Perth

26 June 2023

Subject: Small Business Matters…

… a hook point, 8% of business owners are under the age of 30. That used to be 17%. So it's quite an interesting picture … Another allied piece of work we've been doing is around payment times - another example where too often small … they deserve from big business customers taking a long time, in some cases, one in four big businesses taking a 120 …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

TRANSCRIPT: Small business natural disasters preparedness and resilience

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Phil Staley. 

ABC North Queensland 

Subject: Small business natural disasters preparedness and…

… preparedness and resilience  Phil Staley  It's that time of year where tropical lows often form off our coasts. … good with that stuff. We all know that it's wet this time of year and we usually have strategies. So, here's a … now. Bruce Billson, good morning.  Bruce Billson  Fab to be with you and your listeners. Phil.  Phil Staley  That …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

14 steps to stop small business's alarming downward spiral

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

… not attach any illegal, restricted or offensive content. Be aware that we will be obliged to report any inappropriate content that we … not attach any illegal, restricted or offensive content. Be aware that we will be obliged to report any inappropriate …

… Family and Domestic Violence Leave All full-time, part-time, and casual employees can access 10 days of paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave. The full 10 day leave entitlement is available immediately - it does not need to be accumulated like annual leave. It also doesn’t increase …

… How to show your support This MSME Day say thank you by:  downloading our MSME Day 2023 logo package for using on your own channels. Be sure to tag ASBFEO in your social posts and use our MSME …

Improving the transparency and timeliness of payments to small and family businesses

… Wed, 03/01/2023 - 12:00 File SB - Statutory Review of the Payment Times Reporting Act 2020.pdf pdf 359.84 KB … …

Submission

… of the ASBFEO.  The arbitrator will decide the date, time, and place that arbitration will take place, and the means by which arbitration will be conducted (such as in person or video conferencing). The … you of their costs. In general, the arbitrator has a half-day rate and a full-day rate, with the length of time for the …

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