Recommendations
Chapter 2
Recommendation One – page 20
The
committee recommends that governments consider appropriate ways of developing a
better understanding of micro-business and home-based business and their
potential.
Chapter 3
Recommendation Two – page 32
The committee
recommends that the Commonwealth Government resumes the Business Longitudinal
Survey, in close consultation with the small business community.
Recommendation
Three – page 35
The committee
considers that governments should promote awareness among the small business
community of avenues open to them to improve business performance and to
enhance their attractiveness as employers through improving the quality of jobs
without necessarily adding to costs.
Recommendation
Four – page 48
The committee
recommends that the Small Business Ministers Council commissions research into
measures to assist small business to become employment ready and to enhance its
capacity to recruit appropriate employees including through identifying:
- the attributes and
skills that small business needs in its employees;
- ways in which the Job
Network could better meet the recruitment needs of small business; and
-
tools to assist small
business make more informed decisions about employment arrangements, including
the basis of employment.
This
research should include consideration of how the competency standards and key
performance indicators developed by the Industry Training Advisory Bodies could
be more effectively used by small business in recruitment, training and performance
management.
Chapter 4
Recommendation
Five – page 63
The committee
recommends that the Small Business Ministers Council develops a national
framework for small business support, with each tier of government having
agreed areas of responsibility and more formalised information sharing
arrangements. Within the framework, the Council should develop a national
strategy with identified priorities for small business assistance based on a
thorough needs analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness of current
programs.
Recommendation Six – page 69
The committee
recommends that the Commonwealth government examines the feasibility of
developing a virtual small business department with more interactive support
and clearer, simpler information delivery.
Recommendation
Seven – page 69
The committee
recommends that the Small Business Ministers Council undertakes a pilot project
to trial the feasibility of introducing one-stop shops of government
information and assistance for small business, with an evaluation of the
project to be conducted after the first year.
Recommendation
Eight – page 69
The
committee recommends that the Small Business Ministers Council develops a
national small business support program, incorporating Commonwealth and state
and territory programs, within the context of a national framework and with a
clear and distinctive national brand.
Recommendation
Nine – page 73
The
committee recommends that the Small Business Ministers Council considers
options to improve the capacity of small business to put its case to government
and for individual small businesses to have improved representation in their
dealings with government and big business.
Recommendation Ten – page 78
The
committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government examines the feasibility
of options to improve small business access to finance, including improved
information on finance options and pathways and an income contingent loan
scheme for small business modelled on Higher Education Contribution Scheme
(HECS).
Recommendation
Eleven – page 80
The committee
recommends that the Small Business Ministers Council considers the following
initiatives to foster enterprise development in Indigenous communities:
- financial and
administrative support for an Indigenous small business association;
- consideration of ways
of adjusting small business assistance programs to better meet the needs of
Indigenous people; and
- the development, in
conjunction with ATSIC, of guidelines to assist Commonwealth and state and
territory agencies proposing regulatory change to better accommodate the
information needs of Indigenous entrepreneurs.
The Committee also recommends that the Commonwealth
discuss with ATSIC the need for any special provision under the Small Business
Answers program for advisers to work with Indigenous business people.
Chapter 5
Recommendation
Twelve – page 92
The committee
recommends that the Small Business Ministers Council examines the feasibility
of introducing a small business training and accreditation program with the
following components:
- a start-up kit,
including a checklist of the skills required to run a business, contact details
for training course providers, and advice on regulation requirements to be
provided to all those registering a new business;
- a system of
accreditation in business management for those who have successfully completed
an approved business management skills course and are able to demonstrate
appropriate competencies; and
- an analysis of the
availability of training programs for start-ups across Australia against current and future needs, with a view to developing
an expanded range of opportunities if required.
Consideration
should be given to the introduction of a mandatory licencing regime once the
voluntary program has been in operation for two years.
Recommendation
Thirteen – page 94
The
committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government supports the
establishment of a professional development program for incubator managers
across Australia.
Recommendation
Fourteen – page 98
The committee
recommends that the Commonwealth Government undertakes a feasibility study of
the establishment of a national mentor program that would include training,
accreditation and support for business mentors across Australia. The study should also examine the scope for an online
advisory and mentoring service. A pilot study should
form part of the feasibility study.
Recommendation
Fifteen – page 102
The committee recommends that the Small Business Ministers Council
commissions a needs analysis of training programs targeting established small
business and an assessment of the extent to which the current range of training
programs meets the needs. This should occur in conjunction with the development
of the integrated national framework for small business support recommended in
Chapter 4 and the analysis of training programs for start-ups.
Recommendation
Sixteen – page 103
The
committee recommends that the Commonwealth government undertakes a feasibility
study of a program to foster the establishment of several centres of excellence
in business development for the small business sector, with a focus on the
needs of high growth business. The study should examine international
experiences with this approach and ways in which any such centres could be
integrated with the broader structure of small business development support.
Chapter 6
Recommendation
Seventeen – page 113
The
committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government undertakes a follow-up to
the Bell Task Force survey of the time and money
that small business spends on compliance related matters. The committee also
recommends that the Commonwealth Government, in consultation with state and
territory governments, develops a consistent methodology for measuring the
compliance burden of government regulations. It also recommends that the
Commonwealth proposes to the OECD that it undertakes regular reviews of the
effect of compliance on small and medium enterprise, with Australian
participation, as a further means of tracking changes in the regulatory burden
over time.
Recommendation
Eighteen - page 115
The
committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government maintains and publishes
an annual consolidated register of regulatory changes with a summary of their
objectives and impact on business as a tool to monitor the growing body of
regulation. State and territory and local governments should consider a similar
mechanism.
Recommendation
Nineteen – page 117
The
committee recommends that all levels of government introduce rolling programs
of regulatory review to assess whether existing regulations are continuing to
achieve their objectives as simply and efficiently as possible and to identify
the need for any changes to regulations or administrative requirements.
Recommendation
Twenty – page 119
The committee
recommends that the Productivity Commission be asked to report to the Council
of Australian Governments (COAG) on the most appropriate body to monitor and
manage a continuing program of cross-jurisdictional regulatory review and
coordinate the rolling programs of regulatory review to be undertaken by all
tiers of government.
Recommendation
Twenty-one – page 123
The
committee recommends that the Commonwealth and state and territory governments
introduce a range of initiatives to assist small business to identify,
understand and implement new and existing regulatory requirements. Information
programs for small business should involve all components of the small business
network.
Recommendation
Twenty-two – page 129
The
committee recommends that:
- the Commonwealth
Government reports to Parliament at the end of 2003 on the takeup of the
Simplified Taxation System (STS) across the small business sector and on the
extent to which the STS has reduced the compliance burden of participating
businesses; and
- in the event that
there is not both a significant takeup of the STS and evidence that the STS is
producing the benefits expected in terms of reduced compliance burden, the Government
should examine other measures to reduce the compliance burden of the taxation
system on small business.
Recommendation
Twenty-three – page 131
The committee
recommends a follow-up education and assistance program for the New Tax System
to ensure that all small businesses, particularly in regional areas, are aware
of the requirements and have access to appropriate assistance. The program
should be developed in conjunction and consultation with the various
accountancy organisations, Area Consultative Committees and Business Enterprise Centres from regional areas and other
members of the small business network.
Recommendation
Twenty-four – page 135
The committee
recommends that the Commonwealth and state and territory governments develop a
range of strategies, including software tools, information materials and
training programs to assist small business to identify and understand their
employment-related obligations.
Recommendation
Twenty-five – page 137
The committee
recommends that the Commonwealth and state and territory governments develop a
range of suitable, free of charge, information materials and training programs
on unfair dismissal legislation for small business. Information materials
should be disseminated widely, including through the small business network.
The committee also recommends that the Commonwealth Government introduces a
simplified process for considering unfair dismissal claims.
Recommendation
Twenty-six – page 140
The committee
recommends that the Commonwealth Government amends the Regulation Impact
Statement (RIS) guidelines to require that agencies provide quantitative
estimates of compliance costs, based on detailed proposals for implementation
and administration. It also recommends that the Commonwealth Government
commissions regular reviews of the accuracy of compliance estimates in the RISs
for regulations with a major impact on business.
Recommendation
Twenty-seven – page 141
The committee also
recommends that the Commonwealth and all state and territory governments review
their current regulation impact assessment arrangements to ensure that they
meet best practice standards with regards to minimising the compliance burden
on small business.
Recommendation
Twenty-eight – page 144
The committee
recommends that the Commonwealth and the states and territories, in
consultation with local government, develop national model legislation for home-based
business.
Recommendation
Twenty-nine – page 144
The committee recommends that all states and territories
develop model legislation for use by local governments in developing
regulations within their jurisdictions.
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