Small Business Spotlight

Pushing against burdens that have a disproportionate impact on small businesses

In NSW and WA we are pushing back against proposed legislation that would make doing business harder for small businesses –especially those doing building work. From unreasonable duties on practitioners to multi-registrations for sole traders, we continue to advocate for a reasonable balance in new regulation that addresses evidenced policy problems. To find out more, see our State and Territory Highlights in this edition.

It’s a wrap…2022 Small Business Summit

Many thanks to the Consult Australia members who joined us for our third annual Small Business Summit. We trust attendees got value out of the day. From the exploration of collaboration to Insurance Insights data on current market conditions and the pros and cons of professional standards schemes – there was something for everyone. We were particularly pleased to see a strong turnout for the break-out session on helping us to help you on contracts – but also there was great value in the other break-out sessions; working with Indigenous communities and how to market to a large firm.

Ongoing engagement with ASBEFEO and local Small Business Commissioners

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBEFEO) continues to want to hear from Consult Australia and our members. In SA and NT, ASBEFEO held forums with the local Small Business Commissioners and local members to hear about the latest concerns, many thanks to those members that attended and shared their thoughts. The QLD Small Business Commissioner also invited us to join the quarterly Small Business Industry Roundtable. The purpose of the roundtable is to increase engagement with key industry stakeholder groups to identify and address issues, challenges and opportunities faced by small businesses. Many thanks to Frank Carlow for representing Consult Australia members.

Opportunities on technical committees

Consult Australia is a Nominating Organisation of Standards Australia, providing us with significant opportunities to be represented on technical committees that design and redesign standards. We currently have a broad range of topics open from industrial fans to sustainable cities and communities. If you are interested in knowing about the other technical committees, please contact Kristy

Small Business Sets from the Standards Australia Store

Acknowledging the user requirements of small businesses with 1-19 employees, Standards Australia has released Small Business Sets (SBS). SBS offer online access to a bundle of standards for specific trades that can be accessed via smartphones, tablets, and other computing devices. This supports small businesses with easier standards access, with annual subscription terms. The range includes 19 different sets, including the recently updated National Construction Code (NCC) Primary References Set, providing access to standards listed in Schedule 4 of the NCC 2022. To find out more and browse the range visit: Sets | Standards Australia

Be engaged, get value!

To best way to get value from your membership is to engage with Consult Australia, be it through the small business open forums, events and education, responding to calls for input or just contacting your State/Territory Manager to vent about current business frustrations.

Here are some of the small business members making their membership (and the Consult Australia team) work for them.

- ConsultJR

- Carlow and Carlow

- MLEI Consulting Engineers

- Turnbull Engineering