Originally Published in The Canberra Times

By Bruce Billson

Vibrant, culturally and linguistically diverse small businesses are essential to growing our economy.

WE ALL depend on the small and family-run businesses in our lives - from your local café to your dog groomer, GP or landscaper.

The more than 2.6 million small businesses around the country are a vibrant and diverse group of passionate people who are carving out small business livelihoods and making significant contributions to workplaces, communities and the economy.

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 the rate in the 1970s.

TRANSCRIPT

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Stephen Cenatiempo.

Radio 2CC Canberra

Subject: 2025-26 Federal Budget, instant asset write-off, insolvency, small business conditions

Stephen Cenatiempo

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson says tonight’s 2025-26 Federal Budget was ‘the sequel’ to last year’s, offering modest targeted measures to help small and family business deal with specific current pain points and headwinds.

The Ombudsman said that struggling small businesses will have to look to and hope for election commitments that present a decisive positive action plan to ‘put some wind in their sails’, lift their prospects for success and to turn around a post-COVID period of tough trading conditions.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Supermarket Inquiry report confirms that the supermarket sector is highly concentrated and unduly challenging for small business suppliers, says the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) is encouraged by the Australian Government’s response to the Murray Review of Security of Payment Laws, and welcomes the announcement of further action to help ensure tradies and subcontractors are paid on time.  

Mr Billson said the Government’s commitment to extend protections against unfair business practices to small businesses, will also help address harmful conduct in the construction sector. 

TRANSCRIPT

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson interview with Leon Delaney.

2CC Canberra

Subject: Low cost support to help small businesses resolve disputes and the Small Business Pulse

Leon Delaney 

Originally published in The Canberra Times

By Bruce Billson

With election talk building and political announcements starting to roll out, there has not been a more important time for small businesses to be seen, heard and supported.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) has enthusiastically welcomed the Australian Government’s commitment to introduce protections for small and family businesses harmed by unfair business trading practices. 

Mr Billson said this commitment will reassure small and family businesses that they can invest, innovate, take risks, compete and create jobs and opportunities without being unfairly ‘done over’ by a more powerful business because there is a ‘gaping hole in the law’.    

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) has welcomed the expansion of subsidised legal advice for eligible small and family businesses to support more effective engagement in dispute resolution processes.