Small business owners give their all to their business. It can be all-consuming and is a big responsibility.

It was great to host Small Business Minister Julie Collins for an insightful Policy Forum discussion last week with many of the 49 small and family business-facing industry and professional associations that we collaborate with.

Cash flow is the oxygen of enterprise, but difficult conditions mean when one party is late in paying, it can cascade through the supply chain. Mary runs a small civil construction business but one of her customers, another small business, had not paid their $20,000 bill for 180 days.

We have today launched the ASBFEO Small Business Pulse – an innovative combination of non-traditional and traditional data to produce an indicator of small business health.

Income tax cuts, a rise in the minimum wage, updated information on tax deductions and increased superannuation payments are among changes coming into effect on 1 July.

This month we will celebrate World Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day (MSME Day) on 27 June.