Newsletters
Past Issues
Wednesday 6th March 2024
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IWD
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Free education - Introduction to AI – Luke Channel Nine
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Cyber Security Summi
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NSBS
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Cyber Warden’s Resources Hub
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ACCC Small business rights and obligations under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010
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ATMS Health and Wellbeing e-book
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Mini articles
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ARA - Australian Retail Insights 2024
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Transitioning Well - Planning ahead for parental leave
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Ombudsman Update
COSBOA February 2024 in Review
Wednesday 7th February 2024
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Give a Small Business Champion the recognition they deserve
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Top five habits making small businesses a target for cyber crime
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NSBS - Hear from politicians, regulators, senior policy makers, business influencers and association leaders
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ATO Training for small business success
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ATO resources, tools and services to support small business
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Mini articles
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Annual Bookkeeping Survey
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JobAccess - Unlock the potential of a disability-confident culture
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Ombudsman Update
Tuesday 16th January 2024
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Square Small Business Data Report
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National Small Business Summit 2024 – register now
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Nominate a Small Business Champion
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New rules for fixed term contracts
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Fair Work Act changes may affect you
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JobAccess – targeting disability employment in 2024
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Disaster recovery for small business
COSBOA December 2023 in Review
Wednesday 6th December 2024
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VET survey
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Government is trying to rush hundreds of IR amendments through Parliament with no consultation
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National Small Business Summit 2024 - early bird tickets available
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COSBOA welcomes further investment into cyber security for small business
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Nominate a Small Business Champion today!
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Accelerator for Enterprising Women, Kickstarter Challenge winner
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JobAccess launches an employer guide on career progression for people with disability
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Resources to help small businesses comply with the Positive Duty in the Sex Discrimination Act
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Mini articles
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For all Tasmania’s sake – go local first!
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ID Support NSW – Keeping your customers' personal information safe
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Ombudsman Update
COSBOA November 2023 in Review
Wednesday 8th November 2023
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New look COSBOA Board ready for future growth
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Parliamentary Friends of Small Business
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Cyber Wardens on tour
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Catch your chance to win big with Shop Small
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NEW Financial Assistance Hub
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ATO resources, tools and services to support small business
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Enterprising ME - It's your turn
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National Small Business Summit 2024 - early bird tickets available
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Mini articles
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Small business black hole of hidden costs
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Let Pensioners Work campaign win
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Ombudsman Update
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Thursday 12th September 2023
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Seeking a positive IR environment for small business in Australia
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Make October the month you boost your cyber security to protect small business online
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Kochie's Business Builders Masterclass - A Small Business Guide To: Cyber Security Essentials
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Cyber Wardens – Making cyber security simple for Australian small business
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#NSWSmallBizMonth
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NSBS – Early bird registrations open
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Small businesses can win big with Shop Small
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Mini articles
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Stop ID crime in its tracks! ID Support NSW
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Protect what matters – the Australian Cyber Conference
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Ombudsman Update
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COSBOA September 2023 in Review
Wednesday 13th September 2023
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Save the date NSBS 2024
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IR - Defend your rights, Closing the loopholes, Small business rejects complex IR
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Positive duty
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Paid leave for small business
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Plastic bag ban
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Cyber security essentials
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Accelerator for Enterprising Women
Friday 11th August 2023
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Small Business Data Report July 2023
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Quarterly Small Business Data Report with Square
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National Small Business Summit in Sydney Reminder 3rd and 4th of April 2024
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Family Domestic Violence Leave Podcast
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Better Skills & Labour Access
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The Australian Financial Review
Wednesday 12th July 2023
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ASBFEO Small Business Report
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AMEX panel event attended by Luke
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Greenwashing article
COSBOA June 2023 in Review
Wednesday 7th June 2023
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Business unites to oppose destructive IR changes
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SmallBiz Week hot topics include sustainability, cyber security, and improving productivity
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Small Business Perspective Report 2023: Costs of doing business. Read More.
COSBOA May 2023 in Review
Wednesday 10th May 2023
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Federal Budget - Small Businesses – Acknowledged but not the focus
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Building small business cyber resilience
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COSBOA calls for consultation and co-design for a workable system
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COSBOA Labour Hire Regulation submission. Read More.
COSBOA April 2023 in Review
Thursday 13th April 2023
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NSBS - The pinnacle event providing a voice for small business
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VET & skills workforce planning
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COSBOA and Square release a new report
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Industry Leader Lunch - What does the future of digitisation mean for small business?
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Australian Cyber Conference 2023 – Canberra. Read More.
COSBOA March 2023 in Review
Wednesday 8th March 2023
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NSBS – Summit speakers announced
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Supporting and empowering women
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Submission articulates what is needed now and in future programs. Read More.
COSBOA February 2023 in Review
Thursday 9th February 2023
COSBOA has provided a 2023-24 pre-budget submission & National Small Business Summit - VET & Skills Panel speakers announced.
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Younger Australians are the least safe, cyber generation
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Big businesses urged to “lift their game” on payment times
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COSBOA Board Director awarded OAM. Read More.
COSBOA January 2023 in review
Tuesday 17th January 2023
The COSBOA board is in planning mode for the year ahead and we look forward to continuing to advocate for small businesses throughout 2023 and to having a voice distinct from big business to government, policymakers, and the community. Already a focus for the year ahead is the recruitment of a new CEO for COSBOA, which will begin shortly following the resignation of Alexi Boyd; who we thank for her leadership, advocacy, and collaboration while CEO of the nation’s peak small business body.
COSBOA December 2022 in Review
Friday 9th December 2022
Congratulations to Dominique Lamb, former CEO of the National Retail Association (NRA) on her recent appointment as Queensland’s Small Business Commissioner. We look forward to connecting with Dominique in this role on behalf of small business leaders in Queensland.
COSBOA November 2022 in Review
Wednesday 9th November 2022
Shop Small founded by our partner, American Express, is back this November to support Australian small businesses and we were thrilled to be a part of the launch. See below how you can get your members involved whether they are already a participating Shop Small store or are a small business that wants to be part of the Shop Small movement.
COSBOA October 2022 in Review
Thursday 13th October 2022
The countdown is on for the Treasurer to deliver the highly anticipated first budget for the new Government - the Federal 2022-23 Budget is on Tuesday 25 October 2022 - and some big-ticket items are expected to be included, as well as measures to support small business.
Monday 19th September 2022
In September, the focus has been on the Jobs and Skills Summit which COSBOA attended with a number of our members; ITECA, the Smart Energy Council, and the Australian Retailers Association. Small business did not have the weight of representation of other stakeholders however thanks to the efforts of COSBOA in the lead-up to the Summit, small business was highlighted on several key panels, the Summit summary, and in the outcomes document.
Early Bird Regos open for COSBOA National Small Business Summit in Melbourne
7 September 2022
We invite you to help shape the future for small businesses in Australia by attending COSBOA’s National Small Business Summit in April.
With a new Government and the fast pace of change moving into 2023, we urge you to attend this event in person and be part of the conversation to influence outcomes for small businesses. Read More
4 August 2022
"Happy financial new year everyone! July has been a productive month... Worker shortages, rising costs of doing business, and absenteeism due to COVID-19 remain the top issues. COSBOA is looking forward to workshopping solutions to some of these issues along with other industry groups and unions at the Government's upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit in September."
COSBOA June 2022 Wrap Up
8 July 2022
"June has been quite the month! Small business owners continue to tackle the pressures of the energy crisis, worker shortages, and the cost of doing business, all while actually running a small business."
6 June 2022
"What a significant month not just for small business owners, but for all Australians! We are heartened by now Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s promise of a collaborative approach to reform. COSBOA looks forward to working with the new government to implement the best possible policy settings for the betterment of small business owners."
2 May 2022
"I hope everyone had a well-deserved break over Easter... It's hard to believe that voting opens in just 7 days. Millions of small business people around Australia will begin to get their voices heard and influence the outcome of the election."
5 April 2022
"We've had yet another busy month at COSBOA in preparation for the National Small Business Summit in Sydney. The event will be taking place when you're reading this - make sure you're following all of our social media channels, and check our website for a summit wrap later in the week."
4 March 2022
"It seems like small businesses can't get a break - we went from Omicron at the beginning of February to severe flooding at the end. As disasters continue to occur, it's going to be important to create the best structural and economic environment possible for small businesses to recover and build resilience."
3 February 2022
"With 2022 being an election year, it's bound to be an interesting one for small business policy. It's been a painful start to the year for many small businesses who have been battling with workforce absenteeism and low customer numbers as a result of the Omicron outbreak."
3 December 2021
"The end of the year is approaching fast. In the lead-up to Christmas, it's going to be so important for consumers to support their local small businesses. It's heartening to see so many people, from politicians to local chambers, promoting the Go Local First message - thank you to everyone who has engaged with the campaign this month."
3 November 2021
"Many small business owners had reason to celebrate this month after lockdowns were lifted in NSW, Victoria and the ACT. We encourage you all to show your local small businesses some love, especially those that have been closed over the last few months..."
5 October 2021
"The most exciting news from COSBOA this month is that, with the support of Commonwealth Bank, Transurban, and GoFundMe, we're administering a grant program for micro-businesses based in Victoria called Doing it Tough. Too many small businesses, especially micro-businesses and sole traders, have slipped through the cracks of the government support on offer."
2 September 2021
"Another month of lockdown has passed. As attention shifts from case numbers to vaccination rates, there has been a lot of talk about whether employers should make vaccination a condition of employment."
4 August 2021
"July has been an absolutely devastating time for small businesses, particularly in Greater Sydney. We also saw Victoria and South Australia go into their own lockdowns, which thankfully were not as long as New South Wales’."
6 July 2021
"Hello COSBOA subscribers! If you haven’t already heard, our CEO of 10 years, Peter Strong, is on leave. My name is Alexi Boyd and I’m the Interim CEO for the months of June, July, and August. You might know me as the host of the Small Biz Matters community radio show and podcast. You can read more about me and my background here."
3 June 2021
"When you're reading this I'll be on leave — quite a surreal thought. If you missed the memo, Alexi Boyd will be COSBOA's interim CEO while I'm away for three months. The month of May has ended with Melbourne re-entering lockdown — a tragedy for the thousands of small businesses who barely survived last year's experience..."
4 May 2021
"April was a bit of an eclectic month for COSBOA with no one single issue taking center stage - a nice change of pace.
There was IR, of course, and the aftermath of the omnibus bill..."
1 April 2021
"It's been yet another hectic month. We got a new small business ombudsman and a new small business minister, all against a backdrop of industrial relations reform, national discussions on sexism, once-in-100-year floods, the end of JobKeeper, and a snap lockdown in Brisbane."
4 March 2021
"With the first sitting weeks of the year taking place this month, the biggest topic of February has been industrial relations and, specifically, the IR Omnibus Bill. COSBOA wants the Omnibus Bill to pass because we believe the changes in it will give small business owners more confidence to employ people..."
3 February 2021
"Happy new year everyone. A short update to kick off the year. Things were finally looking up in our last update, which of course was right before the Northern Beaches went into lockdown and border closures and associated chaos started up again. And now we have Perth under lockdown because of one case."
17 December
"Merry Christmas on behalf of the team at COSBOA. Obviously, we know what 2020's been like but on the positive side we've seen so much cooperation, so many people supporting each other, and a real sense of community. Let's hope we can continue this way in 2021 and beyond."
3 December 2020
"This month things finally settled down, allowing us to draw our attention to non-COVID-related issues. Well, except for the brief panic about South Australia, which looked like it was going to be almost as hopeless as..."
3 November 2020
"The month of October 2020 kicked off with the federal budget, the first since the bushfire and coronavirus crises.
There are some great ideas for small business, but they won't work as intended unless local business communities get involved in their implementation."
2 October 2020
"The month began with the passing of two important pieces of legislation: the IR provisions for JobKeeper and the Payment Times Reporting framework. They're both big wins for small businesses. Kate Carnell's office was instrumental in making late payment times into the important issue it is today. Well done."
3 September 2020
"It's another long and serious update this month but there's some humor at the end if you read all the way through (I promise).
First off, this is the first August in a long time that COSBOA's National Small Business Summit hasn't taken place. For obvious reasons it wasn't feasible this year - let's hope that next year things are different."
4 August 2020
What is happening in Victoria is awful. It's a critical time for small business people everywhere, but especially in the Melbourne area. Here is what we think should be done to assist small businesses affected by stage 4 restrictions.
Of course, the biggest news for small businesses in the month of July was the announcement of the JobKeeper Extension..."
3 July 2020
"I have to admit it's getting hard to make these newsletters positive and lighthearted like they used to be.
I'm back at Parliament House this month because orange passes are working again - hallelujah. (*Insert Leonard Cohen reference*). And a good thing too, because it's a crucial time for small business."
3 June 2020
"2020: what a crazy time to be on this planet.
COVID-19 restrictions started easing around the country this month with lots of discussion and planning for more of them to be eased in June..."
5 May 2020
April was yet another month dominated by the COVID-19 crisis. For small businesses, the main focus was the JobKeeper payment which has had everyone on their toes. It's (not surprisingly) not perfect, but most of the feedback from our members has been positive..."
3 April 2020
"March 2020 is not the month that we expected to have. At the beginning of the month, we held a roundtable for members to discuss the potential impacts of COVID-19 on small businesses, but none of us envisaged the virus putting much of the world into lockdown as quickly as it did. COSBOA has been doing its best to advocate for the needs of small businesses during this difficult time..."
COSBOA February 2020 Update
5th March 2020
"First off I want to acknowledge that many of us in the small business community have had a tough start to the year, first with the bushfire crisis and now the looming threat of a COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Back in January, we called a roundtable of our members to discuss how best to respond to the fires and earlier this week we held a similar meeting about COVID-19..."
COSBOA January 2020 Update: bushfire edition
23 Jan 2020
"In the wake of the destructive fires of December and January, we decided to dedicate our January newsletter to information about the crisis. The COSBOA team is horrified and deeply saddened by the events and their impact, direct and indirect, on small businesses and their communities."
2nd December 2019
November 2019 has been a good month for small business policy and I think it's safe to say that COSBOA can take some of the credit for that. The month kicked off with the launch of a research report commissioned by NBN Co, "Connecting Australia: How technology is leveling the playing field for small business in Australia"...
4th November 2019
We had another eventful month in October with our AGM and Council Meeting taking place at the Hotel Kurrajong on the 16th. The other very exciting event was the launch of the website for the Academy for Enterprising Girls, a project that our partners at 89 Degrees East have been working on for the past year...
Read more
4th October 2019
September was a relatively calm month after the flurry of activity that was August. The month began with two sitting weeks which we made the most of by meeting with relevant ministers and members of Parliament. A big topic for discussion was...
9th September 2019
I always say that the month was busy but August 2019 was particularly hectic for COSBOA (in a good way of course), and not just because of our National Small Business Summit. The first exciting development from August...
Read more
5th August 2019
There's a special announcement at the end of this preamble, so make sure to read it all the way to the bottom. Also, our National Small Business Summit is coming up on the 29th and 30th of August in Melbourne. Don't forget to register!
2nd July 2019
Happy financial new year! It's now everyone's favorite time of the year - tax time. This month COSBOA had several interesting meetings with a variety of stakeholders in the small business sector...
COSBOA May 2019 Update
3rd June 2019
Well, a month ago I thought that I would begin this newsletter by congratulating Labor, but things didn’t turn out as most pundits (me too) had expected. A big congratulations to Scott Morrison and the Coalition for an unexpected win...
7th May 2019
In between all the public holidays and consumption of chocolate eggs this month we managed to get things done. First of all (and speaking of sweet things) we had the federal budget on the 2nd of April...
1st April 2019
March has been a very busy month packed with events. I might as well have moved to Melbourne for the month as that was where most of the action occurred...
5th March 2019
The month of February started off with a bang when we received Justice Hayne’s final report from the Royal Commission into the Banking and Finance Sectors...
6th February 2019
Perhaps belatedly but Happy New Year! This year, already, it seems like everyone wants a piece of small business. Our sector is seen as a key to electoral success and also a key to credibility for advocates and influencers...
4th December 2018
This month there have been not one, not two, but three major announcements by the Government that COSBOA is very excited about...
5th November 2018
This month has been another busy one for COSBOA. It kicked off with a candidate's forum in the seat of Wentworth run by the Australian Traditional Medicine Society...
8th October 2018
This month kicked off with meetings with our new ministers up at Parliament House, as well as the new PM. I spent a good amount of time talking to Michaelia Cash, our Small Business Minister...
6th September 2018
What a month August was. Despite all the commotion in Canberra, we managed to get Small Business back into the Cabinet Room - something that must be celebrated...
1st August 2018
It has been another busy month for us, and as always for small business people. One interesting event was the Women’s Economic Security Roundtable which I co-chaired with the head of the Office for Women...
6th July 2018
This month we have seen a number of wins for small business in Australia. From the new Small Business Hub to Labor's tax poliicy, there are signs that collective voice for small business is strong in Australia...
4th June 2018
What a month! We have had a big win with e-Invoicing (see below), the Royal Commission investigating small business loans, and preparation for our Roundtable with the ATO on the definition of a contractor...
30th April 2018
Banks, finance, and lending! This has been the theme of April for COSBOA and will continue next month as the Royal Commission focuses on SME lending...