Does Julia Gillard really believe that “Women Don’t Lead”?
June 24, 2010
by Suzi Dafnis
In a move that puts to bed once and for all her statement at AIM’s Women in Management Great Debate in 2005 that “This is Australia – women don’t lead”, Julia Gillard today made history by becoming Australia’s first female Prime Minister.
In an environment where:
- less than 50% of ASX200 companies have women on their boards
- the percentage of female directors in those organisations is only 8.7% and
- the gender wage gap is steadily increasing,
Ms Gillard’s appointment both inspirational and a very welcome wakeup call to corporate Australia.
“This is Australia – women don’t lead”
Along with ABN Advisory Board members and herVoice champions Amy Lyden and Susan McGrath I’ll soon be writing to Ms Gillard, to congratulate her on her appointment and introduce the Australian Businesswomen’s Network as Australia’s peak representative body for Australian businesswomen and female entrepreneurs.
I’d like to include a list of public policy issues of concern to our members in that letter, so if you’d like your voice to be heard and your issue included in the list, please contact me via policy@abn.org.au, or on 1300 720 120. Or, better still, add a COMMENT below.
Best wishes,
Suzi Dafnis
P. S. The 2010 AIM Women in Management Great Debate will be held in Canberra on 2 July and Sydney on 27 August. I hope you’ll join me. Who knows who will say what?
New Support for High Growth Women-Owned Businesses
June 15, 2010
Heads Over Heels is a new initiative that selects a small number of high-growth companies to support each year. Support can come in a variety of ways including providing access to mentors and business advisors, assistance with strategic and operational challenges, and exposure to potential customers through our extensive network.
Heads Over Heels portfolio companies are businesses with high-growth potential. These enterprises are led by committed, talented, women owners who seek to grow their companies, have impact in their chosen industry and establish ongoing, sustainable business operations.
Heads Over Heels holds four events per year including company presentation events and themed discussions.
You can learn more at the Heads Over Heels website. And, for more information contact co-founder Sue Klose on 0423 826 344.
Craig Emerson, Small Business Minister talks to ABN about Small Business Initiatives
May 17, 2010
Interview by Susan McGrath, Special Projects Advisor
As Australia’s peak representative body for female entrepreneurs and women in business, the ABN recently met with the Hon Craig Emerson, Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy, to garner his thoughts about the future of small business in Australia – and to find out whether the Rudd Government has moved on from its policy of ignoring the specific needs of female business owners.
Susan Wareham McGrath, Advisory Board Member and National Special Projects Manager interviewed Minister Emerson, and reports that she was heartened by his thoughts about the future of small business in Australia; but less than impressed with his Government’s continued refusal to address the specific needs of female business owners.
Craig Emerson | Minister for Small Business
ABN: Minister, what are your thoughts about the future of small business as we emerge from the downtown, albeit slowly?
CE: Small business has a strong future in this country. There’s no doubt small business has played a major part in helping get the Australian economy through the downturn. No doubt that small businesses have kept on staff, remembering the previous era of staff shortages and believing the sector will come out intact. This has had an important, sound consequence of putting a floor under unemployment in Australia. The original Budget forecast was for it to peak at 8.5% – we are now estimating 6.75%. This is due in a substantial part to small business keeping their staff – in some cases they’ve reduced hours, but that’s a lot better than having employees lose their job. As well as making an incredibly valuable economic contribution, this also equates to a valuable social contribution – the scourge of unemployment can last for a long time. It’s likely that small businesses will be rewarded by the loyalty of staff, who will stay on and contribute to profitability as recovery takes place.
Our stimulus package also assisted small business – the original cash payments, for example, helped stimulate the economy at a critical time; they helped avoid negative growth in two quarters in a row. If not for the stimulus, economic analysis indicates that the difference would have been a recession.
ABN: What do you see as growth industries over the next few years?
CE: One growth industry will be retailing. This will be driven by our strong population growth (in comparison with negative growth in some countries), which is higher than expected due to natural increase and our strong immigration program. This will lead to strong demand for retail goods and services. To remain competitive, retailers will however need to develop innovative ways of reaching customers.
Tourism and associated industries will also grow over the next few years.
In terms of women in business, we know that the majority of home-based businesses are run by women who can tap into a huge potential market. Our new broadband network will enable women in particular to develop online activities where they are currently unable to do so – currently downloading can take enormous time, but when our 100 megabits per second broadband network is implemented, women operating from home will be able to reach far more customers.
It’s easy to underestimate the digital revolution – business has increased opportunities to find better ways of contacting customers via the internet – especially young people. Finding ways of accessing a young customer base will require innovative thinking, for example to find sites they’re visiting and make contact with them there.
Another example is tourism. If you’re enquiring into accommodation, a one page website says nothing – and tourists are likely to say “I’m not going to ask”. They expect a virtual tour through the property – not easy to do if you don’t have an online presence. Online tourism is, to an extent, one area in which we could do better. We have relied too much on Australia’s natural assets, which has made us not as sharp as we could be.
China and India’s economic growth is creating a very large middle class in each country, which will want to go overseas on holidays and innovative online marketing is the ideal way to promote Australia to these potential tourists.
ABN: What about the green revolution?
CE: There is potential for the green revolution to become overcrowded. Good, innovative green offerings will be successful, but a lot of people are coming up with similar ideas.
ABN: Has the situation changed since your advice at our last meeting that the Government is not planning to provide any specific funding, programs or initiatives to women in small business?
CE: What we are trying to do is support small business, in which women play a very important role. It would be very difficult to exclude males, particularly where women and men own or run businesses together. We will continue to work to increase the economic context for small business to develop and focus on growth.
ABN: What trends and issues do you see arising for small business over the next year?
CE: The main trends and issues I see will relate to employment. Shortages of skilled staff will re-emerge in some states, particularly in Western Australia, where business organisations are already discussing staff shortages. Consequently, the attraction of skilled workers from eastern states to work in Western Australia will create some shortages in those areas.
The Beige Budget – The good and bad news from this week’s lacklustre Budget
May 16, 2010
by Amy Lyden
It’s been a week of the budget – through every media outlet including a top trending topic on twitter (globally). Much anticipated, yet the Rudd Government delivered a fairly bland, beige budget. Not much cash-throwing about to try to grab votes, the Government is trying to show us that it is responsible and conservative in its efforts to get Australia back on track financially. It claims we will be back in black within 3 years. The budget may be beige but the Government is banking on Australians viewing them as the way to get us out of all this debt. We’ll see.
ABN member Anna Kyriacou has written an overview of the budget so I won’t go too much into detail into the specifics. However here is my take on the 2010 Budget:
The good news:
Business:
Lower taxes, less red tape. This is good news for everyone in business.
There will be a reduction in company tax to 28%, with small businesses having a year jumpstart (2012-13) before all companies benefit. This will enable extra investment back into the business to fund growth. Good move. Of course there is also the 3% superannuation guarantee hike for businesses to fund (up to 12% by 2020). But with an ageing population there has to be some more investment into retirement. We always knew that one was coming.
When I was a member of the Federal Small Business Council the #1 complaint from small businesses was the amount of reporting and compliance required by the Government. This budget has addressed part of this with the simplification of asset depreciation. Small businesses will be able to write off assets under $5000 immediately and write off all other assets at 30% (except buildings).
Also, there will be a new national business name registry. This eliminates the need for businesses to register their trading names in each state (with a fee each time).
Health:
Growing up in the US, aka the land of super expensive health care, this has always been a hot topic for me. The Government is providing $2b in extra funding for health. I think this is good news for all Australians. Some of the initiatives will include: 23 new super clinics, 400 upgraded clinics, training of more nurses, funding for 5,000 nurses in GP clinics, and a new nationwide system of after-hours medical care.
The other exciting thing is the Government is introducing electronic personal health records in 2012. This will make it much easier for doctors to send your health history to referring doctors etc. Welcome to the digital age!
The Bad News:
There is one area where the Government has seriously let down families: Childcare.
The Government has rolled back the Child Care Rebate cap to $7500 (previously $7778). $278 per year doesn’t sound like a lot but with childcare costing as high as $125 per day per child every bit helps. The skyrocketing cost of childcare is a major problem for many families. Women who choose to work must balance this cost with what they earn and for many women working has become a luxury.
And there isn’t going to be relief. With the introduction of the one-carer-to-four-children ratios childcare fees will only increase.
The other problem with the current system is the CCR (Child Care Rebate) is only available for “approved care” not “registered” day care centres, many of which are family day care and the preferred option for many families. But that is another blog….
Summary:
Overall, I think there are some positive changes for small business and business generally (if you’re not in the resources sector!) in this budget. Also Health will certainly get a much-needed boost. But the Government must address the childcare issue – it will not go away and is becoming a heavy burden on many Australian families.
Amy Lyden - Advocacy Advisor – Australian Businesswomen’s Network
An entrepreneur and specialist in ecommerce and online strategy, Amy has had over 13 years of practical experience in these areas. Launching her first website in 1998 Amy was at the forefront of an online revolution without even realizing it. Within a year this site became and remains today a #1 ranking site and global community of pet lovers that attracts over 4 million visitors a year.
This Australia-based business, Bow Wow Meow, now sells product online to over 100 countries worldwide. Amy sold this business in 2007 and turned her energy to the nonprofit sector.
Amy is the recipient of numerous business awards including the 2006 NSW Telstra Business Women’s Awards for Innovation, the 2002 National Telstra Business Award and the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World Grant.
Amy is an Ambassador and former Chairperson for the Australian Businesswomen’s Network, an organisation that supports female entrepreneurs. Amy was also invited to serve on the Commonwealth Small Business Council, an initiative by the Federal minister for Small Business.
Amy is currently the CEO of Australian Scholarships Foundation, an organisation that facilitates scholarships for education and training for people who work in the nonprofit sector. Amy is passionate about using technology to connect people globally for positive change.
| Email: | amy.lyden@gmail.com |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/amylyden |
| LinkedIn: | www.linkedin.com/in/amylyden |
| Member Profile: | See Amy’s Member Profile |
Budget 2010 – It’s no Sex & The City 2
May 13, 2010
By Anna Kyriacou, AKA Group
What can I say about Mr. Swans 3rd Budget Speech, besides the fact it was no Sex & The City 2 (i.e. thrilling)? Instead, we got a very conservative announcement, to say the least.
The good news was there were no real surprises. No ‘effective from 11.00pm EST on the 11 of May 2010′-type announcement (with the exception of the Capital Gains Tax which is effective from 7.30pm 11 May). No surprises means we can stick to our business plans to grow our businesses.
It is also assuring to think that we as a Country could be out of the RED within three years. This is good news – we do not wish to go down the path of Greece. Mr. Swan has forecast that the economy will grow by 3.5% in 2010/11 before reaching 4% growth by 2011/12.
Now, although that is a good growth compared to the rest of the globe, can I make a suggestion? Do not let these rates stop you from aiming for double digit growth within your business.
With this growing economy we will also see unemployment fall to 4.7%, meaning that as business owners we need to focus on our businesses being the place of choice for new team members. We need to focus on being leaders to attract the right staff, as lower unemployment rates often do lead to greater difficulty and employment costs to business owners.
There were no sensational handouts to business owners as in past budgets. We did though manage to get a few scatterings of very very small pearls, but also some disappointment as follows:
- Immediate claim for GST Paid on assets financed via Hire Purchase Agreements for Small Business that account for GST on the cash basis. In the past GST could only be claimed on each monthly repayment.
- The Government will spend $125.2 million during the next four years to establish a single national register for business names. This will result in business owners not needing to register business names in each state and territory, as well as making searching for trademarks, providing licensing requirements and monitoring your business registrations easier.
- $660 million will be allocated over the next four years in improving skills and job creation, with 39,000 new training places been made available in industries suffering from skills shortages along with support for 22,000 new apprentices. Not sure if this goes far enough as no additional support to encourage employers to employ untrained workers and train on the job.
- $2.7 million will be injected into services to support businesses to be able to access early intervention dispute resolution services that operate under the Franchising, Produce and Grocery Industry and Horticulture and Oil Code of Conduct, reducing businesses legal costs to resolve disputes.
- The Recreational Boat Building and Film Industry will also get some boost from this year’s budget but will be subject to public consultation and will require states to be in agreement.
- Raising the effective tax-free threshold to $16,000 from 2010/11.
- A 50% Tax deduction on the first $1,000 of interest earned on deposits, debentures, annuities and bonds from 1/7/2011. All the small business owners with savings put your hands up. I suspect we all pay interest rather than earn it. Well the gesture was there we cannot complain, can we?
- The Medical expense tax offset goes from $1,500 to $2,000 before you can qualify for the 20% offset.
- Taxpayers will also be able to opt to accept claiming a flat $500 from 2012/13 and $1,000 from 2012/13 for work related expenses without having to produce receipts or the need to use a tax agent if all they have is salary and work related expenses. This is good news for taxpayers, not so good for H&R Block and ITP.
All up though not the fan fare of fashion week, no shockers either. The only thing to hope for now is that the Resources Tax passes through the senate. Coming out of the red is heavily reliant on that extra revenue.
For a more detailed analysis of this year’s budget, please contact us.
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Anna Kyriacou - AKA GroupAnna Kyriacou is the founder and CEO of AKA Group, established in 1997 as a total financial solutions destination for start-ups through to established small to medium businesses. With 17 years experience working with and advising clients in Australia, London, USA, Holland and South Africa, Anna has sought not only to deliver accounting advice but also to mentor them towards autonomous business success. Anna is driven to help others help themselves, similarly illustrated by her commitment to community and charitable organisations. Operating with sheer professionalism in tandem with genuine caring, Anna applies a holistic approach to her client’s business development and ultimate success.
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Award-Winning Business Woman Appointed as Advocacy Ambassador
May 11, 2010
The Australian Businesswomen’s Network (ABN) has appointed multi-award winning businesswomen Amy Lyden as its Advocacy Ambassador, heading up the network’s herVoice advocacy program.
Amy Lyden has been an ABN member since 1995. Amy has mentored a number of women through the ABN’s mentoring programs, spearheaded International Women’s Day events and served on the ABN board for a number of years.
“Amy’s passion for supporting women in business is admirable and we are thrilled to have her representing the ABN to government.” said ABN’s Community Director, Suzi Dafnis.
The advocacy role has previously been held by ABN Board Member Susan McGrath who continues on the ABN board heading up special projects.
“Women make up 51% of the population, yet many do not have a voice that is heard. I am passionate about amplifying those voices. Decisions are made daily by the government that adversely affect or simply do not consider what women want and need. I am excited to be taking on this very important role.With an election looming, NOW is the time for women to be heard.” Amy Lyden
About Amy Lyden
Amy has won numerous business awards including the 2006 Telstra Business Women’’s Awards- NSW – Business Innovation Category, 2002 National Telstra Small Business Award and the 2000 NSW MicroBusiness of the Year. Amy was also selected as the Winner of the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World Grant for 2004, an International organisation that helps female entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Amy is currently the CEO of Australian Scholarships Foundation, an organisation that facilitates scholarships for education and training for people who work in the nonprofit sector.
Amy is passionate about assisting women in business served on the Advisory Board of the Australian Businesswomen’’s Network (ABN) from 2003 to 2006, her last role being Chairperson.
About herVoice
In response to many requests from our community, herVoice, through the stewardship of the ABN’s Board Member Susan McGrath, was established by the ABN in 2008 to give Australian businesswomen a voice about issues that impact on its members’ business, lifestyle, interests and wellbeing.
herVoice was created in response to numerous requests for the ABN to take a leading role in public policy development, advocacy and lobbying on issues relating to Australian business women and female entrepreneurs.
herVoice takes the concerns of the ABN’s community to government and industry, advocating and lobbying to make a real difference.
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Amy Lyden - Advocacy Advisor – Australian Businesswomen’s NetworkAn entrepreneur and specialist in ecommerce and online strategy, Amy has had over 13 years of practical experience in these areas. Launching her first website in 1998 Amy was at the forefront of an online revolution without even realizing it. Within a year this site became and remains today a #1 ranking site and global community of pet lovers that attracts over 4 million visitors a year. This Australia-based business, Bow Wow Meow, now sells product online to over 100 countries worldwide. Amy sold this business in 2007 and turned her energy to the nonprofit sector. Amy is currently the CEO of Australian Scholarships Foundation, an organisation that facilitates scholarships for education and training for people who work in the nonprofit sector. Amy is the recipient of numerous business awards including the 2006 NSW Telstra Business Women’s Awards for Innovation, the 2002 National Telstra Business Award and the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World Grant. Amy is an Ambassador and former Chairperson for the Australian Businesswomen’s Network, an organisation that supports female entrepreneurs. Amy was also invited to serve on the Commonwealth Small Business Council, an initiative by the Federal minister for Small Business. Amy has been profiled in the following books: “Women’s Business, Women’s Wealth” by Amanda Ellis, “Female Entrepreneurs”, by Leiza Clark and “Secrets of Female Entrepreneurs Exposed!”, by Dale Beaumont. Amy is passionate about using technology to connect people globally for positive change.
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ATO Seeks Input from ABN Community Members
March 24, 2010
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is seeking advice about ways it could better support small business.
Key Relationships Manager and Project Officer for the ATO’s Supporting Small Business Program, Tony Watkins, would appreciate ABN community members’ response to the following question:
“Is there something that the ATO should be doing better to support small business?”
Any members who would like to provide input are invited to email Tony directly via freehelp@ato.gov.au . If there are any queries, Tony can be contacted on telephone (08) 7422 2518 or mobile 0427 940 250.
People wishing to find out more about the Supporting Small Business Program can obtain further information from the dedicated SBAP internet site.
ABN Meeting with Federal Parliamentarians – Community Input Sought
January 16, 2010
As the peak representative organsation for Australian businesswomen and female entrepreneurs, the Australian Businesswomen’s Network is meeting individually with the Federal Minister for Small Business, Dr Craig Emerson and the Federal Assistant Treasurer, Senator Nick Sherry next week.
Community Director Suzi Dafnis will be meeting with Senator Sherry and Advisory Board member Susan McGrath is meeting with Dr Emerson.
We’re seeking input for both meetings so we can make the most of this opportunity to represent the concerns of the Australian SME community to both parliamentarians.
If you have a public policy issue you would like us to raise with either Dr Emerson or Senator Sherry, please contact us on policy@abn.org.au, or call the ABN on 1300 720 120.
The more input we receive, the stronger the messages we can take to the Minister and the Assistant Treasurer – this is one of the few opportunities Australian businesswomen and female entrepreneurs will have this year to have their voice heard at the highest level of Australian government, so we would love to hear from as many community members as possible.
Sincerely
Suzi and Susan
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Susan Wareham McGrath - McGrath Career Management
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| Email: | susan@susanwareham.com |
| Website: | www.susanwareham.com |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/Susan_McGrath |
| Blog: | www.susanwareham.com |
| LinkedIn: | au.linkedin.com/in/susanwmcgrath |
| Member Profile: | See Susan’s Member Profile |
South Australian Taxes Highest for Business
December 29, 2009
Today’s Australian newspaper reports that research by the Institute of Public Affairs has found South Australia is the highest taxing Australian jurisdication for business.
Queensland continues to slide in its competitiveness, while WA has the most favourable taxation regime for business.
The report’s author, IPA research fellow Julie Novak, says that tax reform should be a priority for all governments in the current low-growth economic environment.
The ABN has long been advocating for fiscal and economic public policy reform to assist small business; particularly those owned by women.
We would welcome your input and ideas about public policy reform, or any other issues relating to the small business environment, so that we can raise them at our next meeting with Senator Craig Emerson, the Minister for Small Business.
Please post your input below, or email to policy@abn.org.au.
50% business tax break purchase deadline 31 December 2009
December 2, 2009
The Small Business and General Business Tax Break was introduced as an investment allowance a year ago, to boost business investment during the global financial crisis.
It was extended in this year’s Budget to allow small businesses to claim an extra 50% tax deduction on eligible assets bought by 31 December 2009.
As the deadline for eligible purchases draws closer, the ATO has developed some online information materials to help explain the business tax break to businesses:
· A Tips for Business fact sheet
· A Myth Busters fact sheet
· A short article for use in newsletters or websites
· A business tax break overview ‘hand out’
· Information in languages other than English
The kit is available on www.ato.gov.au and the business tax break communications team can provide further information via businesstaxbreakcommunications@ato.gov.au or 1300 337 921 (8.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday).
