Update from the Queensland Small Business Commissioner - November 2022

Businesses have been raising a particularly broad variety of queries and issues with our office lately, so this month’s newsletter will attempt to address some of the common themes.

From the Commissioner

Businesses have been raising a particularly broad variety of queries and issues with our office lately, so this month’s newsletter will attempt to address some of the common themes.

We know many of our small businesses rent their business premises and may have received some form of rent relief, whether it was part of the mandatory scheme during COVID or by negotiation outside of the scheme. These tenants and their landlords might like to check out the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)’s recently published guidance material which helps tenants and landlords understand the taxation implications of reporting those rent discounts, deferrals or waivers. You can access the guidance material here.

We’ve also received enquiries from businesses about how they can demonstrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials generally or when responding to tenders. With Brisbane 2032 announced as the Climate Positive Games, demonstrating green credentials is really important to winning related work and you can subscribe for updates direct to your inbox on the latest Olympic Games procurement news.

To help you demonstrate your environmental commitments, the Queensland Government has partnered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) to provide the ecoBiz program. This free program helps you understand your business’ carbon footprint and evaluate how your business consumes water, energy and produces waste. Participating in the ecoBiz program could also earn your business a ‘star partner’ rating which would be very handy. Check out the ecoBiz video by CCIQ and the additional information in the tile below.

You might recall last month we shared a remarkable statistic – every 29 seconds a new ABN is registered in Australia. With so many new entrants to the market, we know how important it is to access reliable information to help you on your business journey. We’ve heard from many businesses how great the refreshed content on Business Queensland is, so we thought we’d give it another plug so you know where to find it! The business health checks are a great place to start.

For those who may be considering franchising a business, the ACCC’s six franchise online learning modules are definitely worth the time. We particularly like the sample checklist of ques

tions you can download to ask the franchisor and other franchisees. The sixth module covers franchising a business with rented premises, which helps you understand many of the common questions that small business franchisees raise with our dispute resolution service. Before signing up, we recommend you complete this informative short course.

We also don’t want you to forget about the Small Business Wellness package. The financial counsellors and wellness coaches have been doing a great job according to the lovely feedback we’ve been hearing from business owners right across Queensland who have taken the time to look after themselves. Look after your business’ greatest asset – you!

And here’s another reminder, you have until 5 December to register your interest in the $5,000 Business Basics grants program. We’ve included more information in the tile below about this grant process works. Additionally, make sure you read our regularly updated support document which also contains information about grants and support available for you and your business.

It’s so great to hear that 78% of Queensland businesses are now operating in a Small Business Friendly Council area! During November we were delighted to welcome Bundaberg Regional Council to the growing network of Small Business Friendly Councils and look forward to getting together with Bundaberg and its three local business chambers early in the new year.

We are mindful how crazy December can be for some businesses while for others it can be especially tough as doors close but wages and other costs continue. We’ll be here until 23 December and will reopen in the new year - so please don’t hesitate to get in contact if you need us. We’ll also send out our final newsletter and update for the year just before the break.

Maree Adshead
Queensland Small Business Commissioner

SBFC showcase - Redland City Council

Redland City Council has developed a new program to encourage and empower emerging and established artists and performers.

The PASSAGE Artist Development Program was introduced in October 2022 and will be delivered as a year-round program to provide opportunities for artists to build on their skills alongside industry professionals and help them find space to develop their craft.

There are four key initiatives under this program including:

- Channel (new work in development)

- Stream (existing work in development)

- Skills Lab (professional development and workshops)

- Stage sessions (live performance opportunity)

Through these four key initiatives the program supports artists across multiple disciplines like dance, skills development, heritage, multi-arts, music, theatre, visual art, craft, design and writing.

Congratulations, Redland City Council for developing and promoting this place-based program for small businesses to grow and become more resilient. This is what it means to be a Small Business Friendly Council (SBFC). Find out about the SBFC program here and start a conversation with your council today.

Employees vs independent contractors webinar

On 1 December 2022 the Fair Work Ombudsman is hosting two webinars to help business owners understand the different rights and obligations your staff have if they are working as an employee or independent contractor within your business.

Each webinar will be 30 minutes and there will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Register to attend here.

Business Basics grants

Registrations of Interest (ROI) are now open for round 4 of the Business Basics grants program.

Grants of $5,000 are available to support businesses to build basic capabilities and upgrade their skills through activities such as:

- training and coaching

- website build or upgrade

- professional business advice

- strategic marketing services

- business continuity and succession

There is a new application process which makes it easier for businesses to register their interest and saves time and effort:

1. Register your interest

2. If selected by random ballot, submit a more detailed application

ROIs are open until 11.59pm on 5 December 2022. Register your interest here.

Rural Economic Development Grants program

The Queensland Government’s Rural Economic Development Grants program is aimed at strengthening primary production sectors and bolstering good jobs in rural and regional communities.

There are co-contribution grants of up to $200,000 available for successful applicants.

Expressions of interest (EOIs) for the fifth round of this program are now open and will close on 30 January 2023.

Applicants who are successful with their EOI will be invited to submit a full application with final grants awarded by late June 2023.

For more information about these grants can be found here.

Small Business Cyber Security Guide

The Australian Cyber Security Centre has developed the Small Business Cyber Security Guide to help small businesses protect themselves from the most common cyber security incidents. Use this guide to learn more about:

- Cyber threats

- Scam emails (phishing)

- Ransomware

- Software considerations

- Multi-factor authentication

- People and procedures

- Access the guide here.

Free business wellbeing training

business.gov.au has developed tailored online training to help sole traders, small business owners and their staff create mentally healthy workplaces.

There are 10-15 minute modules to complete, which are self-paced and can be saved and resumed at any time. Each module contains a variety of activities, case studies and practical tips and tools.
Throughout the training you will learn about:

- mental health and mental ill-health

- stigma and its effects on those with mental illness

- having conversations about mental ill-health

- how to manage stress and take care of your mental health

- how to create and contribute to a mentally healthy workplace

CCIQ ecoBiz coaches

The Queensland Government has partnered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) to deliver the ecoBiz program.

This is a free program to help Queensland businesses reduce their power, water and waste bills.

Businesses can register for a free assessment with an ecoBiz coach who can work with you to create personalised recommendations on how you can save money on your energy, water and waste bills.

Find out how other businesses have saved money by becoming an ecoBiz partner here.

Assistance case study - how mediation helps to solve conflict

A tenant contacted our office after their shop was severely damaged by water - the tenant was concerned because their shop required major repairs and they’d stopped receiving updates from their landlord.

Our Assistance team reached out to the landlord and quickly discovered that the landlord was awaiting an update from their insurance company and builder, so they had stopped updating the tenant as they didn’t have any new information to share. Our Assistance team encouraged them to communicate this with the tenant and keep providing regular updates.

Once they were communicating again, the tenant decided they wanted to exit their lease early due to a lack of business insurance to cover their damaged stock and fittings, and hoped to have their bond returned in full. The landlord agreed to let the tenant exit the lease but did not agree to return the bond – instead the landlord wanted to keep it as a surrender fee. This meant the parties were in dispute, so the QSBC arranged a low-cost mediation to help the parties reach an agreement.

Leading up to the mediation both parties were resistant to sharing information about their circumstances with each other, which made it difficult for each person to appreciate the other’s position. The Assistance team encouraged each party to be transparent and share information. The tenant took the first step and shared their situation with the landlord - the landlord then reciprocated. This fostered a sense of trust and soon both parties were committed to working towards a solution which benefited everyone - and an agreement was reached through mediation.

This outcome was a huge relief for the tenant who was initially doubtful that a mediation would be successful as they perceived the landlord as being in a much more powerful position than them. The landlord was also relieved as they were able to settle the matter quickly and affordably, and turn their attention to finishing the repairs and finding a new tenant.

If you think you’d benefit from a conversation with our Assistance team, you can submit an online enquiry via our website here.