Established under State legislation in May 2003, and an Australian first, the Office of the Small Business Commissioner (SBC) was created expressly to promote greater fairness in business. The Small Business Commissioner is Mark Brennan.

An initiative of the Minister for Small Business, The Honourable Marsha Thomson, the SBC delivers on the Victorian Government’s objective to provide a central point where retail tenancy disputes and small business concerns regarding unfair market or government practices can be addressed in a timely and low cost manner.

The SBC has four main functions through which it assists small business. These are:

Dispute Resolution

The SBC assists in reducing the burden of disputes on all parties (tenant vs landlord, small business vs large business etc) by providing a low cost and time effective dispute resolution service. The SBC has appointed a Panel of Mediators drawn from the private sector to provide this service.

To register a dispute, a small business operator will need to fill out the forms provided on the website located at www.sbc.vic.gov.au

 Investigation

The SBC has an investigatory function intended to ensure that small businesses not be unfairly taken advantage of because of their size. The Office can investigate complaints about unfair market practices, make representations about complaints to other bodies and investigate compliance with industry codes.

Information and Education

The SBC makes regular presentations to small business and business groups in regional and metropolitan Victoria. The Office has attended a number of regional field days .These include Farmworld in Gippsland, the ACME Field Days in Warrnambool and Sheepvention in Hamilton.

The SBC recently held a number of presentations in Latrobe City to raise awareness of the Office.

Reviewing Government Practices

The SBC is currently assisting in the development of ‘Small Business Service Charters’ across the Victorian Government. The aim of these Charters is to improve the quality of government services to small business in Victoria.

The Office of the Small Business Commissioner can be contacted at:

13 22 15 (general enquiries)

1800 136 034 (toll free)

03 9651 9316 (investigations enquiries)

or visit our website www.sbc.vic.gov.au

Crime Prevention Kit

The Australian Government’s Attorney- General’s Department has released a very useful kit—Is your business secure? A crime prevention kit for small business. It is available from the following gigantic web address:

http://www.ag.gov.au/www/ncphome.nsf/Web+Pages/C545B0D622E6C623CA256EDE0013A883?OpenDocument

Once you get all that in, its really worth the effort!

Upcoming Seminars – Expos

20th August—Small Business information display, South Gippsland Regional Library, Leongatha, 2 Smith Street Leongatha. Starts 5 pm.

25th August—Small Business information display, South Gippsland Regional Library, Warragul, 75 Victoria Street Warragul. Starts 5 pm.

15th September—Small Business Answers Better Business breakfast seminar Orbost. Commences 7.00am finishes 8.30 am. Phone 1800 669 300 to register.

6th October—Small Business Answers Better Business breakfast seminar Foster. Commences 7.00 am, finishes 8.30 am. Phone 1800 669 300 to register.

Useful Government Websites

AusIndustry is the Australian Governments business unit in the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources. Provides a range of incentives for Australian Business to foster investment and become more innovative and internationally competitive. www.ausindustry.gov.au

Austrade and TradeStart offer a package of free services designed to assist small and medium sized Australian companies develop their businesses overseas and to make their first export sales. www.austrade.gov.au

Small Business.com has been designed to give you general information on starting and operating a small or home-based business. www.smallbusiness.gov.au

Business Entry Point. Provides online services and information for Australian businesses including: setting up your business, managing your business, expanding your business, getting financial and other assistance, closing down your business, applying for an ABN, Transaction Manager (for forms, applications and payments), Government and Industry directory. www.business.gov.au

IP Australia. Patents, trademarks, copyright and design. IP Australia is the Australian Government agency responsible for supporting Australia’s patents, trademarks and design systems. A division of the Department of Industry, Tourism and resources, IP Australia provides policy advise to Government on intellectual property and also grants rights in patents, trademarks and design. www.ipaustralia.gov.au

Australian Taxation Office. Provides information on all aspects of Australian taxation requirements and information including : compliance, tax planning, business portal, activity statements, forms and services, booklets and publications, guidelines and policies, e-records, taxation returns on line, online calculators,  both for individuals and business. www.ato.gov.au

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.  The ACCC administers the Trade Practices Legislation and Prices Surveillance Act. The site includes information covering consumers rights, business rights and obligations, industry regulations and price monitoring as well as ACCC publications and bulletins. www.accc.gov.au

Victorian WorkCover Authority. Providing:  employer information, workers information , service providers information, health & safety, workers compensation & rehabilitation as well as industry data, legislation & legal matters, information and education, safety basics, publications & forms, WorkCover events & news. There is a section especially for Small Business. www.workcover.vic.gov.au

Office of the Victorian Small Business Commissioner. The OSBC assists small business by: supporting small business, promoting informed decision-making, mediating tenancy disputes, investigating complaints about unfair practices, minimises disputes between small and large business and encourages small business-conscious government decisions. www.sbc.vic.gov.au