Deadly Hair Dude Gary Strachan is the 2024 National Small Business Champion
The founder of a not-for-profit business training remote Indigenous people how to cut hair has been recognised at the COSBOA summit in Sydney.
Australia’s regulatory super-squad says it wants to be friend, not foe, to SMEs
It felt like something out of a superhero movie, but Australia’s top tax and corporate regulators didn’t meet on Thursday to challenge a global villain or alien threat.
Insolvencies are sky-high, but the NSW Small Business Commissioner fears policymakers aren’t taking note
NSW Small Business Commissioner says despite sky-high insolvencies, he fears “the voice of small business” is often overlooked or ignored.
Labor, Coalition to compete for small business hearts and minds at COSBOA summit
The federal government and the Opposition will show off their duelling visions for the small business sector at this week's COSBOA National Small Business Summit, one of the last big-name business events before the May budget outlines taxpayer support for SMEs.
Right to disconnect: Tony Burke defends “reasonable” out-of-hours contact as SMEs demand to see fine print
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Tony Burke says it is reasonable for employers to email staff and enquire about shifts outside of working hours, as the debate about the 'right to disconnect' heats up.
Ready for 2024? Small business experts predict this year’s storylines
Constrained consumer spending, interest rate anxiety, and sheer exhaustion are likely to weigh on small businesses in 2024, advocates say, as entrepreneurs seek opportunity in what could be another challenging year.
COSBOA slams senators after shock Closing Loopholes Bill split
Australia's most prominent small business lobby has chastised Senate crossbenchers over a last-minute deal that saw "radical" industrial relations reforms pass into law this month.
Small business groups left fuming over “damaging” and “rushed” IR reforms
Small business advocates say the latest industrial relations reforms are "damaging", after a last-minute deal between Labor and key Senate crossbenchers saw significant changes legislated on the last sitting day of the year.
Small business groups “disappointed” as Labor blocks debate on specific IR reforms
The Albanese government has swatted away the Coalition's bid to debate four widely-supported industrial relations reforms in the House of Representatives.
“Nothing in here to celebrate”: COSBOA hits back at casual concessions in IR bill
The Albanese government's recent concessions on industrial relations reform are nothing to cheer about, the Australian small business lobby says, arguing the proposed legislation will still level unwieldy and complex rules on SMEs.
IR reforms: Penalties dropped and casual rules clarified in win for employers
The federal government has ceded ground to employer groups on contentious IR reform package, agreeing to change key proposals related to casual work.
COSBOA, Tony Burke face off in campaign to split contentious IR reforms
COSBOA is locked in a staredown with Employment Minister Tony Burke, as the federal government refuses to split off elements of its highly contentious Closing the Loopholes industrial relations reform package.
