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    Disputes & Assistance

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

    We provide information about dispute resolution options, access to mediation, alternative dispute resolution processes under the Franchising, Horticulture, Dairy and Oil Codes of Conduct, and assistance with disputes with the ATO.  

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    Policy & Advocacy

    The ASBFEO understand the challenges facing small businesses and family enterprises. 

    We provide advice and insights to policy and decision makers, conduct research, deliver inquiries, comment on legislation, provide advice to Ministers, and undertake outreach and engagement activities to ensure Australia is the best place to start, grow and transform a business.

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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.

    We have compiled these supports for you, relevant to your interests and needs, to help your business succeed.  

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    Media Centre

    Connect with us and keep up with our latest news, media releases, social media, successes and policy and advocacy work. 

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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.

    • ASBFEO Small Business Pulse
    • Small Business Matters
    • Contribution to Australian Gross Domestic Product
    • Contribution to Australian Employment
    • Number of small businesses in Australia
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    • Location of Australia’s small businesses by state and territory
      • New South Wales
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      • Tasmania
      • Northern Territory
      • Australian Capital Territory
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    • Location of Australia’s small businesses - regional and metro areas

The November 2025 Small Business Pulse is now available

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Media Section

  • Media Centre (193)
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Media Source

  • ASBFEO Live (202)

Submission to Payment Times Reporting Rules Amendments 2024

… Submission to Payment Times Reporting Rules Amendments 2024 Date Fri, 08/16/2024 - 12:00 File 240819 SB Payment Times Reporting Rules 2024 - Treasury consultation exposure draft.pdf pdf 212.89 KB Summary Payment Times Reporting Rules amendments … Payment Times Reporting Rules amendments …

Submission

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…

… 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 …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

EINVOICING A SMART PROTECTION FOR SMALL BUSINESS

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 …

Media Centre item
Media Releases
ASBFEO Live

TRANSCRIPT: Natural disaster preparation and checklists for small business

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 …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

Northern Territory

… were 15,431 small businesses in the Northern Territory on 30 June 2023, representing 1% of Australian small businesses. … 2024 Table 1: Small businesses in Northern Territory, 30 June 2023 Download data Source: Based on Australian Bureau … the Territory’s small businesses were in Greater Darwin on 30 June 2023. The areas with the highest number of small …

Basic page

Access to low cost advice for disputes

… with another business or government agency.  This may be offered at 2 stages:  Stage 1 (Preliminary advice) to help … so not all matters will be eligible for support.  A co-payment of $100 is required from the eligible small business … in an ADR process to resolve their dispute; the length of time parties have been in dispute and any attempts that they …

Basic page

Small businesses must prepare for the upcoming 3G shutdown

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

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.

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

It's not all doom and gloom. Here's why businesses are feeling more optimistic

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

Australia wants to lift productivity? Here are some practical initiatives

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. …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

Stressed about how AI will affect your work? You are not alone

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 …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

… can provide flexibility to small businesses and can be an excellent way to earn money for your specific skills. … app, spreadsheet, timelog? Is superannuation part of the payment? And don’t forget you might need to pay tax! 3. Check … as a contractor, and there can be a lot of demands on your time. It may be hard to turn down that contract that seems …

… workplace obligations to employees, meet tax reporting and payment obligations in a timely way and pay small business … workplace obligations to employees, meet tax reporting and payment obligations in a timely way and pay small business …

TRANSCRIPT: Franchising Code of Conduct Review

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 …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Oliver Peterson

Radio 6PR Perth

Subject: internet domain name changes

Oliver Peterson

You’re being warned if you're a small business owner and for that matter, if you go to a website,…

… Ombudsman. Good afternoon. Bruce Billson Oli, great to be with you and 6PR listeners. Oliver Peterson It's great to … be a genius to know that change is happening. And for some time I've been urging the non-government regulator that … the thing I'm trying to surface. There is a window of time that runs out around the 20th of September. For …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

Senate Economics Legislation Committee (the Committee) - inquiry into the Financial Accountability Regime bill and other related bills

Submission

Consultation on Preliminary Conclusions to the Review of Retail Payment Systems

… on Preliminary Conclusions to the Review of Retail Payment Systems Date Fri, 07/09/2021 - 12:00 File … on Preliminary Conclusions to the Review of Retail Payment Systems pdf 867.86 KB Summary Reserve Bank of … on Preliminary Conclusions to the Review of Retail Payment Systems …

Submission

… (don’t expect anything that is not included) all costs, payment timings and overall contract costs  regular and … (don’t expect anything that is not included) all costs, payment timings and overall contract costs  regular and …

… 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 content that we …

… of self-employed small business owners working full-time earn less than the average full-time adult wage. 55% of small business owners working full-time with 1 – 19 employees earn less than the average … of self-employed small business owners working full-time earn less than the average full-time adult wage. 55% of …

PCG 2025/D5, Payday Super - first year ATO compliance approach

Submission

Consultation on Preliminary Conclusion to the Retail Payments Regulation May 2021

Submission

Even if these aren't new ideas, we have a chance to shift the conversation

Originally published in The Canberra Times

By Bruce Billson

The Treasurer has released the agenda for the much-vaunted three-day Economic Reform Roundtable he is hosting in just a few short days (August 19 to 21), and there is feverish…

… has released the agenda for the much-vaunted three-day Economic Reform Roundtable he is hosting in just a few … entrepreneurship, investment and competitiveness and would be funded by tax changes for the big end of town. It is an … where the focus of the Economic Reform Roundtable should be and what practical commitments should emerge. Even if some …

Media Centre item
Op-ed
ASBFEO Live

… turn ads on or off and can remove or update advertising payment information. Have your account/s set up so that … app, text message or email to help with account recovery. Be aware of and follow the platform’s community guidelines. … be suspended from the platform. Create a separate payment method that is only used for your social media …

… which traditional sources of information and point-in-time surveys often miss. The Pulse was constructed in line … as they become available while maintaining a reliable time series. The ASBFEO Small Business Pulse is a composite … which traditional sources of information and point-in-time surveys often miss. The Pulse was constructed in line …

TRANSCRIPT: Small business problems with digital platforms

TRANSCRIPT

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Thomas Oriti.

ABC News Radio

Subject: Small business problems with digital…

… Ombudsman. Bruce, good morning. Thank you for your time. Bruce Billson Thomas, fab to be with you and your listeners.  Thomas Oriti How bad is this … customer relationships where there's valuable data about payment arrangements and the like. It might be that they've …

Media Centre item
Transcript
ASBFEO Live

… program.  As part of the pilot, these guidelines will be periodically updated. 2. About the small business dispute … in an ADR process to resolve their dispute; the length of time parties have been in dispute and any attempts that they … or as or as otherwise agreed with the small business.   6. Payment Stage 1 Preliminary Advice:   A co-payment of $100 is …

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, water and community.

We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the Elders past, present and emerging.

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