Having a written cancellation policy is a must for businesses that offer services, to protect your business and stay on the right side of the law.
The State Government has approved extended trading hours for general retail shops in the Perth metro area in the lead-up to Christmas. While businesses classed as small or speciality retailers can generally trade across whichever hours they choose, if you’re a small retailer that’s based in a shopping centre (and have to follow standard trading...
Once you’ve developed your business plan, successfully launched your business and are starting to enjoy life as an entrepreneur, you may be thinking about the best ways to take your business to the next level. Whether you work from home or from other premises, one way to get more done in your business is to hire some extra hands to help. Hiring...
Government contracts and tenders offer a lucrative business opportunity for small businesses as well as larger organisations. Multi-million dollars of federal, state and local government opportunities are advertised each year. But do small businesses have the muscle power to win these contracts? How small businesses can compete for government...
Regularly reviewing your business costs and raising your prices is good practice to stay profitable. Follow our three steps to see if it is time to review pricing for your business.
If your business experiences quieter times, a digital marketing campaign can help drive new business and maintain a steadier flow of customers. Here are some expert tips to help you get started. While digital marketing can be a powerful strategy to reinvigorate your business and bring in new customers, there are some important things to know about...
Here’s your guide to what to do if a product you make, sell, import, distribute or otherwise work with in your business is recalled for safety reasons. Every business has a responsibility to make sure their products are safe for consumers, no matter where you are in the supply chain. This means that whether you manufacturer, import, distribute or...
More customers, longer hours and an increased workload can add up to festive fatigue for your team. Here’s your guide to looking after your staff members to help avoid burnout over the Christmas and New Year rush. While the Christmas carols tell us our days should be merry and bright, the reality can look very different for small business owners...
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...
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...
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...
No manager to answer to, no annoying colleagues and no-one to tell you when you can clock on and off – sounds appealing, right? For many, the benefits of being their own boss far outweigh the challenges, making self-employment an appealing option for many Western Australians. In fact, as of June 2023, there were 150,000 non-employing businesses in...
