QSBC Update

Update from the Queensland Small Business Commissioner - Edition 10

With the festive season now upon us this is our final newsletter for the year! It feels like time has absolutely flown by as I’ve enjoyed talking with small businesses across the state. This month has been action-packed with award season kicking off, and I’ve had the honour of participating in award events at the Sunshine Coast, Mt Isa and Toowoomba.

I’m blown away by the talented small business owners in Queensland and their contributions to our communities across the state. A huge shout out to Kantesha Takai and Tracey and Travis Harbour who participated in our Indigenous Business Month small business interviews. I can’t wait to see where their journeys take them next, and to showcase some more great small businesses!

We all know how important it is to support our local businesses, especially across the festive season - not just with our dollars but also with how we treat and engage with them and their staff. I encourage everyone to show your appreciation for others when you are out and about to help make this season enjoyable for everyone.

If you are one of the lucky ones who will get some down time at the end of the year, I encourage you to check in on your business plan and balance sheet, but most importantly take the time to do something that inspires, excites, and energises you. If you need any assistance with business planning, financial literacy, or general support around policies and procedures, please get in touch.

My office recently released the QSBC Annual Report 2022-23 which outlines what we achieved and highlights our commitment to getting a better outcome for small business.

Our Assistance Team remains busy with enquiries and dispute resolution work. We are seeing a spike in enquiries about sham contracting, business-to-business debt disputes, and missing bond to name a few.

I’m pleased to report that our latest stats show we are providing small businesses with access to alternate dispute resolution within 33 days, for less than $200 with a success rate of 71 per cent! The team work hard to help small businesses understand their situation better and to support parties in a disagreement to find a shared solution they can both live with.

We’re continuing our work with 47 of the 77 councils across Queensland who have committed to be more small business friendly. This includes sharing ideas and supporting various initiatives such as placemaking programs, procurement roadshows, productivity initiatives, streamlining efforts and sharing insights – all to help local small business thrive!

We’re continuing to advocate on matters important to small business including changes to seafood labelling, the franchising code, and unfair trading practices. We’re also contributing to several state and federal committees to ensure the small business experience is discussed and your views are heard to help improve government policies and practices.

Finally, I wish you a wonderful festive season and look forward to getting to know more of Queensland’s small business community next year as we continue our work for you.

Please note, our office is closed for the Christmas and New Year period, finishing at 4:30 pm on Friday, 22 December 2023 and returning recharged on Monday, 2 January 2024.

If you are new to our newsletter or would like to learn more about our services, resources, initiatives, and projects, visit the QSBC website. If you are ever unsure and are looking for more information, give us a call on 1300 312 344 or submit an enquiry.

Photo (from L to R): Luke Forster (QSBC), Cassandra Cazzulino (Smart Hub Burdekin), Commissioner Dominique Lamb (QSBC), and Sarah Tekopua and Ben Smith (Townsville City Council).

Queensland Small Business Commissioner

When you’re running a business you need to look after your mental health so everything runs smoothly. Business Wellness Coaches are available to help you with your personal and business challenges in a free one-on-one, supportive environment.

No matter where you live in Queensland, support is available for you and any of your family members who are employed in your business, and if you need help in your language, a business wellness coach can make sure you get the support you need.

Coaches are in:

Smart Hub Burdekin, launched by Burdekin Shire Council in March 2022, mirrors the success of its predecessor, Smart Precinct NQ. It provides crucial support—mentoring, education, and networking—to local startups and the broader small business community.

Approaching its second anniversary, the hub's focus includes technology and innovation in the agriculturally rich Burdekin region. Using GPS and automation for irrigation showcases the region's commitment to intuitive and efficient farming practices.

The collaboration's success is attributed to the dedication of the local business community, the Burdekin Shire Council, and Smart Hub Burdekin's staff and volunteers. Their joint efforts have significantly benefited the region's growth and innovation.

As a member of QSBC’s Small Business Friendly Program, Burdekin Shire Council is demonstrating its charter commitment to do more to support its local small businesses. Smart Hub Burdekin is a great example of collaborative efforts driving transformative change for a more innovative future.

A registered trade mark can be used to protect anything that identifies your business such as a brand name, logo, distinctive phrase, letter, number, colour, sound, smell, shape, picture, movement, or aspect of packaging.

Registering your trade mark gives you:

a business asset: the more successful your business becomes, the more valuable your trade mark becomes.
the legal right to use the ® symbol next to your trade mark.
exclusive rights to use your trademark in Australia.
a legal avenue to stop others using your trade mark.
the ability to sell your trademark or license it to others for a fee.

IP Australia’s free TM Checker makes it easy to check if a business name, phrase, or logo trade mark can be registered. An initial check only takes a few minutes, and you can then use the tool to apply for a trade mark which costs from $330.

Queensland has implemented the Australian Warning System across five hazards (bushfire, flood, cyclone, storm, and extreme heat) which changes the way people are alerted to natural disaster events.

This means warnings for all hazards are now consistent across the country. Every warning will have an icon that tells you what the hazard is, a colour that identifies the warning level, and actions you should take to be safe. Translated resources in 22 languages are also available.

Now is the time to consider your readiness to deal with a disaster by checking you have a plan and arrangements in place to support your business should it be disrupted by a natural disaster or emergency event. A business continuity plan will help you to identify what events could stop your business from running, what you can do, and what you need to get ready to act quickly and safely.

Use the Get Ready Queensland resources to help you prepare for natural disaster events.

Could you or your employees spot a scammer? Scamwatch data shows that small and micro businesses lost $13.7 million to scams in 2022 - a 95 per cent increase compared to the previous year! The biggest contributor to these losses was payment redirection scams, also known as a business email compromise.

Top tips for avoiding scams:

Stop – take your time before giving money or personal information.
Think – ask yourself if the message or call could be fake.
Protect – act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank and report scams to the ACCC-run Scamwatch.

The best way to protect yourself is through awareness and education. The Little Black Book of Scams will help you spot, avoid, and protect yourself against scams. Translated copies of the previous edition are also available.

Cyber liability insurance is a type of business insurance that can help cover financial losses to your business following a cyber security breach. Policies may include cover for forensic investigation, data restoration and customer notification and rectification.

For small and medium-sized businesses, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) endorses the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s Essential Eight Maturity Model as a good first step towards improved cyber security health.

From 6 December 2023, new rules apply when engaging employees on fixed-term contracts. A fixed-term contract terminates at the end of a specific period. This includes contracts where the employee is employed for a specific period.

Employers will need to give these employees a Fixed Term Contract Information Statement (FTCIS). Limitations will apply to how fixed-term contracts can be used and there are some exceptions to whom these rules apply. The changes are explained on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.

Small businesses can talk to a free Industry Workforce Advisor to help identify workforce solutions and recruitment strategies, develop a workforce plan, or connect with available support. Employers can also get one-on-one mentoring for their business through the Mentoring for Growth program.

The Diverse Queensland Workforce program connects employers with local migrants, refugees and international students looking for work, and the Back to Work program provides eligible employers with a range of support when they employ and retain an eligible jobseeker.

Hiring Outside the Box is a webinar for employers about different recruitment practices. The final webinar for 2023 is on Wednesday 6 December from 11.30 am-1 pm and will focus on apprenticeships and traineeships. You can also watch their previous mature-age workforce webinar which was hugely popular.

Did you forget something on your tax return? You can lodge an amended tax return within up to two years. Once you’ve received your notice of assessment, you can easily fix your return through your registered tax agent or Standard Business Reporting (SBR) enabled software.

Queensland-based manufacturers looking to adopt new technologies, systems, and processes that promote energy efficiency, sustainability, and net zero outcomes are encouraged to apply for matched funding grants of $50,000 to $2.5 million. Applications for the Made in Queensland grants close on 11 December 2023.

The Backing Business in the Bush Fund is offering cash grants for Queensland small to medium businesses in traditional industries and sectors to undertake projects in regional Queensland. Funding between $500,000 and $2 million is available for less than 50 per cent of the project’s total eligible capital expenditure.

If you’re an innovative small and/or medium enterprises with commercialisation and/or growth projects in one or more of the National Reconstruction Fund priority areas, you should consider the Industry Growth Program. There are a range of priority areas identified and the program includes advice and support to help get good ideas to market and grants.