Deciding to raise your prices can be a big step for your business. The next crucial step is to make sure your customers know what’s changing, why and when your new pricing takes effect. If you’ve decided it’s the right time to increase your prices, it’s important to invest time in planning how to share the news of your new pricing. Our small...
If you’re a business owner, it’s important to understand your obligations to provide a safe and healthy workplace. This includes keeping up with changes to health and safety legislation. The Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has introduced new Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws for Western Australia. Here are seven things...
Are you finding that your payment reminders are being met with excuses? It’s a common scenario many business owners are experiencing. Here at the SBDC, we often hear from small business owners, particularly subcontractors in the construction industry, who say they are struggling to be paid on time. But when the only ‘evidence’ of a contract is...
The first round of changes to the Franchising Code of Conduct have now come into effect. Here’s your guide to what has changed and what this might mean for your small business. Across Australia there are more than 1,100 franchisors and 70,000 franchisees, with most of these being small businesses. If your small business operates as a franchise or...
For Ami Hackett, turning her ‘holiday job’ into a business launched her into the unknown, but keeping her business skills current helped her steer it through rough waters. Ami opened her self-named boat detailing and management business, Ami Marine, in Success in 2004 after an early career on the land in the wool industry. The marine business now...
Chris Topfer has always loved comic books, movies, tv shows and pop culture. In 2014, he turned that pastime into a full time business. Clarkson based Collector Zone! has grown over a decade into a hub for collectors, families and fans of all ages. Specialising in rare comics, vintage collectibles and pop culture merchandise, the store quickly...
Lou Corteen’s journey into the world of food manufacturing began with a simple compliment. “A friend raved about my green tomato chutney and told me I should sell it. I thought, ‘Yeah, OK, that’s what I’m going to do,” Lou recalls with a laugh. From that spark, Urban Forager was born, starting as a small venture at local farmers markets. Lou’s...
If your business sells any kind of unpackaged, ready-to-eat foods, it’s important to keep your customers safe from food-borne illnesses. Here’s what you need to know about the new food safety management standard introduced in Australia – and what action you need to take. It’s not pleasant to imagine the consequences for your customers, business and...
Tendering is the process of creating a formal offer (or ‘bid’) to supply goods, services or works as requested by a government agency or private organisation. Procurement and tender specialist Celia Jordaan also sees tendering as an opportunity to work out what you do well in your business and use that to your competitive advantage. Through her...
Are you finding it hard to work out how much you should be charging for your services? One of the most common questions we’re asked by new business owners is how much should they be charging per hour for their services. There are a number of factors to consider when setting an hourly rate. Here are our top tips if you are running a service-based...
If you’re expecting a surge in business in the 2024-25 financial year that will boost your taxable income, now is the time to plan ahead to make sure you meet your obligations and maximise your cashflow. Take a look at your expected taxable income for the current financial year (2023-24) - that’s the assessable income for your business minus any...
A new form of paid leave has been introduced to assist employees who are experiencing family and domestic violence. We outline the facts about the scheme and how it affects small business employers. What is family and domestic violence? According to 1800 Respect, domestic and family violence happens when one person in a relationship hurts another...
