In my regular talks with small businesses in the electorate it’s clear they’re doing it tough. Customers are spending less, cost of borrowing is high, and regulation and bureaucracy create endless headaches on top of tough economic conditions.
The number of insolvencies in Australia is higher than ever before, and of those that have survived, survey data shows nearly half have considered closing in the past 12 months.
We see this struggle playing out in aggregate numbers across the economy. Since 2006, the small business share of GDP had declined from 40% to 30%. The proportion of young people under 30 operating a small or family business has halved since 1976. Fewer people are seeing small business as a viable career path.
The awards system has become far too complex and needs urgent streamlining. Most businesses are not maliciously underpaying workers – they are trying to do the right thing but just don’t have the time, expertise, or support to navigate the system.
Government should be an ally of small business, not the enemy. This includes regularly reviewing regulatory settings to ensure that they are proportional. Government could also use its weight to level the competitive playing field between small and large businesses. I will continue to push government to introduce payment times data – information that we already collect from large businesses – as a necessary consideration for government procurement contracts.
We need to simplify and improve the tax system for small business. We need permanent tax supports in place that incentivise small businesses to invest and grow, rather than the annual politicking we see year on year around instant-asset write offs. We also need to harmonise or remove payroll taxes that hit businesses twice, firstly as a financial tax on each additional worker and secondly as an administrative tax due to the discrepancies across jurisdictions.
The volume and complexity of employment law is a major challenge. This complexity has increased significantly in the last 2 years, as a result of changes to the Fair Work Act such as the introduction of a ‘Right To Disconnect’ and changes to how casual workers are employed. In a recent survey, 82% of small businesses said that they were struggling with the level of regulatory compliance. One of the simplest ways to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses would be to increase the threshold for businesses subject to the Fair Work Act from 15 employees to at least 25. This change would provide relief to small businesses across Australia and would more appropriately reflect the limited resources that they are able to deploy to handle complex legislative requirements.
It’s also about young people with a great business idea but not their own a home to offer up as collateral – something that was far more achievable 20 or 30 years ago. While the banks tell me that business lending is red hot right now, the data tells the full story that this is driven by lending to medium and large enterprises while small business lending is flatlining.
Find information on community and business grants on our Grants page.
In addition to community and volunteer grants, there are numerous corporate and philanthropic organisations which may offer a grant suitable for your project. To view additional opportunities please register for a free account with the Wentworth Funding Finder which is available to the Wentworth community. This tool provides a comprehensive database of all grants available, along with tools (including videos) to help you search, save and apply for current and pending grants as well as to set up email notifications of new grants which may be of interest.
If you need funding, or a letter of support from Allegra for your application, please email us at [email protected] and our grants team will be happy to help.
See here for our Grant Writing Tips.
Communities are stronger when small business is thriving.
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The following are some useful resources and advisory services available via government agencies and helplines.
Support for Businesses in Australia
Starting a business, registering an ABN, government services and other practical information for business owners - www.business.gov.au. The ATO also assists businesses to get their tax and superannuation correct Australian Taxation Office (ATO) – Small Business Information | business.gov.au
Fair Work - Workplace Advice Service
Fair Work Commission – Workplace Advice Service | business.gov.au
The Fair Work Commission – Workplace Advice Service provides free legal help to employers and employees that qualify.
You may be able to speak with a lawyer if an appointment is available.
This service is only for issues that involve:
To be eligible for this service, you must be a small business employer, that:
Treasury and the Small Business Ombudsman
The Treasury provides advice on small business policy issues and assists the Australian Government in developing an internationally competitive and productive environment for small businesses.
The Treasury hosts the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO). The Ombudsman is an independent advocate for small business owners offering them advice and assistance, for example on Dispute Resolution, Franchising, Industry Codes and a Tax Concierge Service if you need to review a decision. The Ombudsman also hosts the Small Business Data portal which has statistics and information on the status of small business in Australia.
Support for women in Business
Strong Women Strong Business - business.gov.au
Free service. Strong Women Strong Business provides women in business with the opportunity to connect with Indigenous business women, to share knowledge in navigating the path less trodden.
Participants may register as either a mentee or a mentor.
The benefits of joining include:
Indigenous Business support
Indigenous Business Australia - business.gov.au
Indigenous Business Australia provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia with access to workshops, advice and business support programs. In some cases they may also provide business finance to eligible business owners. They are also able to link businesses to other networks and resources to help them build and develop sustainable businesses.
Wellbeing
The Australian Government is investing in programs and resources to support small business owners’ mental and financial wellbeing. For more information visit:
Small business digital support
Small businesses that embrace digital technology can increase their productivity and growth. Digital technology can help businesses navigate economic challenges, deliver products and services faster, respond to changing consumer demands and welcome new customers who want to buy online.
The Digital Solutions – Australian Small Business Advisory Services program offers small businesses nationwide access to low cost, high quality, independent advice on digitalisation, with the aim of improving their productivity, sales, growth and resilience.
You can also access free workshops, webinar presentations and self-directed tutorials. Services cover a range of topics including:
The program is for small businesses with fewer than 20 full-time (or equivalent) employees, as well as sole traders. The service is available across all metropolitan and regional areas in Australia.
Debt Helpline
Small Business Debt Helpline – CALL 1800 413 828
Access to small business financial counsellors who will give free, independent and confidential advice.
In addition, fin information about disaster relief, access to grants, loan repayments, bankruptcy and insolvency, loan and bill payments.
Government run events for small business
Events and training finder - Events and training finder - business.gov.au
Tradestart network
TradeStart Network - business.gov.au
The TradeStart network assists small and medium-sized exporters to achieve long term success in international markets. It offers exporters the combined resources of Austrade and partner organisations from export markets, providing local assistance and a direct link to Austrade’s Go Global Toolkit and overseas network.
Find a Business Adviser
Adviser finder - business.gov.au
An online tool to find a business adviser or expert relevant to your interests and location. Chat to a business adviser or expert online, over the phone or face-to-face.
Local Councils
Woollahra - Business - Woollahra Municipal Council
Waverley - Business - Waverley Council
Randwick - Business - Randwick City Council
City of Sydney - Business - City of Sydney