Blog

September 26, 2025 Policy Advocacy

How the 2025 Federal Budget Affects Australian Small Businesses

The 2025 Federal Budget delivered a mixed bag for Australia’s small business community. SBTC has analysed the key measures and their practical implications for members across all sectors.

Instant Asset Write-Off Extended

The instant asset write-off was extended for eligible businesses, allowing them to immediately deduct the full cost of qualifying assets. While SBTC had advocated for a higher threshold, the extension is welcomed as a practical measure supporting capital investment in small firms.

Full details on eligibility and how to claim are available from the Australian Taxation Office, which has updated its small business tax guidance with worked examples.

Energy Bill Relief Fund

Eligible small businesses will receive energy bill credits applied automatically through their electricity retailer. The measure is designed to reduce operational cost pressures that have been a consistent concern raised in SBTC’s annual member survey.

What Was Missing

Notably absent were meaningful reforms to payroll tax harmonisation — a perennial issue for businesses operating across borders. SBTC will continue to advocate through the government reform agenda. Visit business.gov.au for a full summary of Budget measures affecting small business.

September 12, 2025 Policy Advocacy

SBTC Calls for Reform of Unfair Contract Terms Laws for Small Business

The Small Business and Trade Council of Australia (SBTC) has lodged a detailed submission to the Australian Treasury calling for a comprehensive review and strengthening of unfair contract terms (UCT) protections for small businesses. The submission follows widespread member feedback that existing laws still leave many sole traders and small operators exposed when dealing with larger commercial partners.

The Problem

Standard-form contracts in commercial leasing, telecommunications, logistics and supply chain agreements frequently contain provisions that small businesses have no meaningful ability to negotiate. Despite recent UCT reforms extending to small businesses, SBTC members have reported ongoing challenges in enforcing their rights and understanding which provisions qualify as “unfair”.

According to data from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), complaints from small businesses about unfair contract terms have remained consistently high, with retail and franchising sectors among the most frequently cited.

Key Recommendations

  • Expand the definition of “small business” in the UCT framework
  • Introduce a model contract term library as a reference baseline
  • Require government agencies to publish plain-English guidance on unfair terms by industry
  • Fund the ACCC to conduct annual compliance audits in high-risk sectors

For more information on the UCT framework and your rights, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman or contact the SBTC policy team.

August 29, 2025 Recognition Programs

2025 SBTC Small Business Awards — Nominations Now Open

The SBTC Small Business Awards are one of the most anticipated events on the Australian small business calendar. Now in their twelfth year, the Awards celebrate the resilience, innovation and community contribution of small businesses and sole traders across the country. Nominations for the 2025 Awards are open until 31 March 2026.

Award Categories

  • Small Business of the Year — open to all SBTC financial members, recognising overall excellence in business performance, customer service and community involvement
  • Innovation Award — recognising a business that has introduced a genuinely novel product, service or operating model in the past two years
  • Regional Business Award — celebrating outstanding businesses making a difference in their regional or rural community
  • Sole Trader of the Year — recognising the achievement and resilience of individual operators
  • Employer of the Year — for businesses that have demonstrated exceptional workplace culture, flexibility and employee development
  • Young Entrepreneur Award — for business owners aged 35 or under

How to Nominate

Any financial SBTC member can nominate themselves or another member. Nominations are submitted via the SBTC website and require a 500-word submission addressing the selection criteria for the chosen category. A panel of independent judges drawn from industry, academia and the not-for-profit sector assess all nominations.

The Awards ceremony will be held in Sydney in June 2026. SBTC encourages all members to consider nominating — the process itself is a valuable opportunity to reflect on and document your business’s achievements. For information on what makes a strong nomination, the Smart Company website has published useful guides on how to write a compelling business award submission.

August 15, 2025 Research and Reports

The State of Small Business Lending in Australia: What the Data Tells Us

Access to affordable finance is one of the most discussed — and least solved — challenges in the small business sector. Despite years of government attention and a proliferation of fintech lenders, many small businesses still find it difficult to access the working capital and growth finance they need on terms that make commercial sense. Here’s what the current data tells us.

Bank Lending Remains Constrained

Major bank lending to small and medium businesses has grown more slowly than overall business credit, with lenders citing concentration risk, loan-to-value ratio concerns and the administrative costs of small loan origination as key factors. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s Financial Stability Review consistently notes the disproportionate reliance of small businesses on personal assets (particularly residential property) as collateral for business lending.

The Rise of Alternative Finance

Invoice financing, equipment leasing, revenue-based financing and peer-to-peer lending platforms have grown substantially, particularly among younger businesses and those in sectors with strong receivables. ASIC’s regulatory sandbox and fintech licensing frameworks have enabled a new generation of lenders, though interest rates from alternative providers remain significantly higher than bank rates.

Government Guarantee Schemes

The SME Recovery Loan Scheme and its successors have provided some improvement in access, particularly during and after the COVID period. Current government-backed lending initiatives are summarised on the business.gov.au grants and finance finder.

SBTC’s Position

SBTC has called on the government to expand the scope of the Small Business Loan Guarantee program and to work with lenders to develop unsecured lending products that do not require residential property as collateral. We will continue to advocate for data-driven reforms that improve capital access for the sector.

August 1, 2025 Research and Reports

SBTC Annual Small Business Survey 2025: Key Findings

Each year, SBTC surveys its financial membership to understand the challenges, opportunities and outlook of Australia’s small business community. The 2025 survey drew responses from 847 members across all states and territories and every major industry sector. Here are the key findings.

Operating Costs Remain the Top Concern

For the third consecutive year, rising operating costs — particularly energy, insurance and commercial rent — were identified as the top business challenge. Sixty-eight percent of respondents rated cost pressures as “significant” or “severe”, up from 61% in 2024.

Digital Adoption Accelerating

A notable positive finding: 54% of survey respondents had adopted at least one new digital tool in the past 12 months, with cloud accounting software, AI-assisted customer service tools and digital invoicing systems among the most commonly cited. This represents a significant uplift from 38% in 2022.

Workforce Challenges Easing Slightly

After two years of acute labour shortages, 43% of businesses reported that staffing was “easier than last year” — the first improvement recorded since 2020. However, finding skilled workers in trades, health and technology remained significantly more difficult than other categories.

These findings align with broader economic data published by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, both of which have noted the resilience of the small business sector through recent economic cycles.

Outlook for 2025

Despite ongoing cost pressures, business confidence was modestly positive: 52% of respondents expected revenue to be “about the same or better” than 2024. The full survey report, including industry and state breakdowns, is available to financial members in the SBTC resources portal.

July 18, 2025 Business Support Services

When Do You Need a Lawyer? Legal Basics Every Small Business Should Know

Legal costs can feel prohibitive for small businesses, which leads many owners to either avoid legal advice altogether or seek it only in a crisis. Neither approach is ideal. Here’s a practical guide to when professional legal advice is genuinely necessary, and when you can manage things yourself with the right resources.

When You Should Always Use a Lawyer

  • Business structure setup: Choosing between sole trader, partnership, company or trust structures has significant tax and liability implications that require tailored legal and accounting advice.
  • Buying or selling a business: Business sale agreements, due diligence and asset purchase structures are complex and high-stakes — legal errors can be very costly.
  • Commercial leases: Lease terms, outgoings, make-good clauses and option periods all have long-term financial consequences that are worth having reviewed before signing.
  • Disputes and debt recovery: Once a commercial dispute escalates beyond initial negotiation, legal representation substantially improves your prospects.

Where Free or Low-Cost Help Is Available

For straightforward matters, there are several free resources worth exploring before engaging a private solicitor. The Business Victoria website (and its equivalents in other states) provides free legal guides on common small business issues including contracts, employment and intellectual property.

Many community legal centres also offer free initial consultations for small business matters. The Community Legal Centres Australia directory can help you locate services in your area.

SBTC Member Legal Support

SBTC’s Business Support Services program includes a free 30-minute initial consultation with a qualified commercial solicitor from our partner law network. This service is designed to help members quickly assess whether a legal issue requires formal engagement and to understand their options. Contact the SBTC office to book your session.

July 4, 2025 Business Support Services

A Small Business Guide to Understanding Your Cash Flow Statement

Ask most small business owners which financial document they find most confusing and many will say the cash flow statement. Yet understanding your cash position — not just your profit — is critical to keeping your business alive and growing. Here’s a plain-English explanation of what it all means.

Profit vs Cash Flow: The Key Difference

A business can be profitable on paper and still run out of cash. This happens when income is recognised before it’s actually received — for example, when you invoice a client but they don’t pay for 60 days. During that gap, you still have wages, rent and supplier costs to cover. Cash flow management is about ensuring the timing of money coming in and going out remains workable.

The Three Sections of a Cash Flow Statement

A standard cash flow statement has three components: operating activities (day-to-day business cash flows), investing activities (purchase or sale of assets), and financing activities (loans, equity investments and repayments). For most small businesses, the operating section is the most important to monitor on a regular basis.

The Australian Taxation Office provides a range of free tools and templates to help small businesses manage their cash flow, including the Business Performance Check tool which benchmarks your financials against industry averages.

Practical Tips for Improving Cash Flow

  • Invoice promptly and offer a small early payment discount
  • Review your payment terms and consider moving from 30 to 14 days
  • Negotiate extended payment terms with suppliers where possible
  • Use cash flow forecasting tools in your accounting software
  • Consider invoice financing for businesses with regular B2B receivables

SBTC members can access a free initial session with one of our partner financial advisors through the Business Support Services program. For general financial guidance, the Moneysmart website maintained by ASIC also has useful small business resources.

June 20, 2025 Member Networking

Regional Business Networks: Why Location Still Matters in a Digital World

There’s been a tendency in recent years to assume that digital connectivity has made geography irrelevant for business networking. The evidence tells a different story. For small businesses — particularly those in service industries, retail, hospitality and trades — local networks remain a critically important growth and resilience asset.

Trust Is Built in Person

Research consistently shows that trust — the foundation of referral relationships — is built more quickly and durably through in-person interaction than through digital channels. For small businesses that rely on word-of-mouth and personal recommendation, local networks are irreplaceable.

Local Procurement Is Growing

Government procurement reform at both state and federal level has placed increasing emphasis on local sourcing. The Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources has published guidance on how small businesses can better position themselves for government contracts, and local business community membership is frequently cited as a positive signal in tender assessments.

Regional Communities Support Their Own

In regional and rural communities especially, participation in local business associations directly affects consumer perception and purchase behaviour. A 2024 study by the Regional Australia Institute found that businesses active in their local business associations reported 18% higher customer loyalty scores than non-participating businesses in the same communities. Learn more at regionalaustralia.org.au.

SBTC’s Regional Chapter Model

SBTC chapters operate in 42 locations across every state and territory. Each chapter holds a minimum of four in-person events per year, supplemented by digital meetups, shared member directories and collaborative advocacy on local issues. To find your nearest chapter, contact the SBTC member services team.

June 6, 2025 Member Networking

How to Get the Most Out of Your SBTC Regional Chapter

With 42 regional chapters across Australia, SBTC’s local network is one of its most powerful member benefits. Yet in our most recent member survey, nearly 40% of financial members said they had attended fewer than two chapter events in the past 12 months. Here’s how to change that and unlock real value from your membership.

Attend Consistently, Not Sporadically

The relationship return from networking is compounding. Members who attend events regularly — even just once a quarter — report significantly stronger referral networks and business connections than those who attend ad hoc. Treat chapter events as a standing commitment in your calendar, not an optional extra.

Volunteer for a Chapter Role

Every chapter is run by a small volunteer committee. Taking on a role — even a modest one like social media coordinator or event support — dramatically increases your visibility and the speed at which you build meaningful relationships with other members.

Use the Member Directory

The SBTC member directory allows you to search for members by location, industry and business type. Before your next chapter event, identify two or three members you’d like to connect with and come prepared with a specific reason to introduce yourself.

Research consistently shows that professional networks built through association membership outperform cold outreach and social media connections in conversion to actual business. The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman has highlighted peer networks as one of the top resilience factors for small businesses navigating economic uncertainty.

Share, Don’t Just Sell

The most effective networkers are those who give before they take. Come to chapter events with insights to share, referrals to offer, and genuine curiosity about the challenges other members are facing. Business will follow naturally from genuine professional relationships.

May 23, 2025 Education and Training

Understanding the Fair Work Act: What Every Small Business Employer Needs to Know

For many small business owners, employment law is one of the most anxiety-inducing aspects of running a business. The Fair Work Act 2009 sets out the minimum entitlements and obligations for employers and employees across Australia, and getting it wrong can be costly. Here’s what you need to know.

The National Employment Standards

The National Employment Standards (NES) are the minimum entitlements that apply to all employees covered by the national workplace relations system. They include provisions for annual leave, personal and carer’s leave, parental leave, flexible working arrangements, and notice of termination.

The Fair Work Ombudsman maintains a free, comprehensive resource centre with plain-English guides, pay calculators and templates for employment contracts and letters of engagement.

Modern Awards

Most employees are covered by a Modern Award, which sets minimum pay rates and conditions specific to their industry or occupation. As a small business employer, it is your responsibility to identify which award applies to each of your employees and ensure you are paying at least the award minimum rate.

Unfair Dismissal Protections for Small Business

Small businesses (those with fewer than 15 employees) have different unfair dismissal rules under the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code. Employees must generally have been employed for at least 12 months before they can make an unfair dismissal claim against a small business.

For ongoing training and compliance support, SBTC members can access our HR advisory helpline or attend our quarterly employment law update webinars. You can also explore the Safe Work Australia website for workplace health and safety obligations that sit alongside your Fair Work responsibilities.