Tag Archives: small businesses

Ombudsman Kate Carnell has welcomed the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s (TIO) announcement that it will form a Small Business Team. “From April 1, 2019, small businesses who are in dispute with their telephone, mobile or internet services provider will have a specific team to contact,” she said. She also highlighted the …

Master Grocers Australia (MGA) has welcomed the government’s decision to allow easier access to justice for small businesses. According to MGA, the ‘Small Business Access to Justice’ policy aims to help small businesses bring cases of anti-competitive behaviour to court. It does so by allowing requests for a ‘no adverse costs order’ …

Aussie small businesses are overcoming stiff competition by getting tech savvy, according to a new global report. It also found that, despite various challenges, the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector is in “good health” globally. The State of Small Business Global Report comes from TradeGecko, in collaboration with Golfdale …

Ombudsman Kate Carnell has welcomed the Labor party’s commitment to three key changes to legislation on unfair contract terms. Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Ms Carnell described Labor’s announced changes to unfair contract terms as “in line with our submission to the review currently being undertaken by …

Kate Carnell has welcomed Labor’s policy announcement to overhaul jobactive, which she says is letting small businesses down. In a recent statement, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman was scathing about the employment services system. “(It’s) not meeting the needs of small business operators in Australia,” she said. …

Ombudsman Kate Carnell says she’s concerned that major banks still haven’t lowered costs for the use of debit cards. Despite promises, she says, the banks still haven’t put into action the “least-cost routing” of debit cards’ tap-and-go payments. ‘Still waiting’ “The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics recommended banks …

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell says e-invoicing is good for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Ms Carnell argues that it streamlines payments and improves cashflow, and therefore makes SMEs more productive. She also welcomed the Australian Treasury’s public consultation on how e-invoicing could work best. $28 …

Small businesses in mature national-broadband-network (NBN) regions grew employment by one-third more than businesses in non-NBN regions in 2017. They also increased revenue by almost two-thirds more. So says a new report, ‘From little things big things grow’, from Xero Small Business Insights and AlphaBeta. The report’s overall message is …

Master Grocers Australia (MGA) has welcomed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s decision to bring forward tax cuts for SMEs. These include small-to-medium-sized supermarkets, liquor stores and hardware outlets. CEO of MGA Jos de Bruin said: “Our members are facing cost increases at a rate never seen before. Bringing forward a reduction …

Ombudsman Kate Carnell says many small businesses will be disappointed by Royal Commissioner Kenneth Hayne’s interim report into banking misconduct. Ms Carnell says the banks’ behaviour affected many small businesses. But so far, she says, they have not received “adequate consideration” from the Royal Commission. She said, “The interim report …