Excessive red tape from the state government, councils and WorkCover are causing damage to small businesses in Australia.

According to Yasmin King, New South Wales' first small business commissioner, small business operators in the state are struggling to have their voices heard and are suffering under excessive regulation.

After six months into the job, Commissioner King was saying that her job is to ensure that small businesses are thriving rather than just surviving as she observed that small businesses in her state are struggling to compete with big players because it is being forced to pay excessive wages.

Just recently, King hosted an inaugural national forum in Sydney, which pooled resources of the more established Small Business Commissioners in other states and discuss ways of working together.

Ms. King, a former bottle shop owner and deputy commissioner at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, has drawn a report based on the concerns of the 533 small businesses operators across NSW which she had interviewed during a month-long tour from the Murray Riverina to the Northern Rivers region. She recommended that the government should make the necessary changes that would improve conditions for the sector which employs about 50 per cent of NSW's workforce.

Ms. King was surprised at the overwhelming feeling of neglect that small businesses felt as they feel that they are not properly respected the way they should be.

Much of this neglected feelings are attributed to the heavy burden brought by excessive regulation and compliance, which King says is often created with a one-size-fits-all approach tilted in favor towards big business.

King explained that due to the fact that those who played an active role in advocacy are from the big end of town as they are the ones who can afford the time, so the perspective is from the big end of town rather than the little guy.

Though acting as an advocate for small business interests and making certain that legislation does not impose an unnecessarily heavy burden on the sector, which is a fundamental part of King's role as the NSW small business commissioner, this role will largely be behind-the-scenes work. Ms. King more direct role will be helping small business operators like small Australian accounting software operators resolve disputes – either with government, corporate or other small businesses – and also act as a point of contact for any compliance or regulation concerns or questions.


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