Comments on: SMEs – the label that’s killing our growth https://www.openforum.com.au/smes-the-label-thats-killing-our-growth/ Open Forum offers an independent platform for Australian debate Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:24:05 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 By: liz@csisolutions.com.au https://www.openforum.com.au/smes-the-label-thats-killing-our-growth/#comment-4277 Wed, 20 Sep 2017 04:31:58 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?post_type=forumpost&p=11438#comment-4277 Great article Mike.
I couldn’t agree more – It is scary how misunderstood Jargon can end up changing a whole community’s mindset and behaviours.
I have many concerns about the lack of delineation in this area particularly with accounting software because the small business DIY software is never robust enough for a medium businesses. It is hard to articulate the difference to the business owner who wants to minimise overheads and may well be sales focused. The external (Tax) accountants don’t usually understand the different needs and so do not recommend the change…. Arrrgh….
Furthermore, as a regional business owner working with small businesses, and the local Chamber of Commerce President, I see that in the eye of the public there is no distinction between small and medium business. Unfortunately that can mean that government funding packages to assist medium businesses also get lost amongst the noise and so do not get the traction for the economy that was planned.
The needs of small and medium businesses are completely different but it is the medium businesses that Australia rides on the back of. It is hard to get consumer confidence up whilst job security is so scarce and Medium business is the heart of job security.
I hope that our governments are able to hear this call for a distinction and build it into policy. Some well-intended policy failures such as the “pink batts scandal” and the “vocational education debacle” may have been avoided if policy makers understood that allowing “small” rather than “medium” businesses to deliver services is inviting unscrupulous individuals to “make a quick buck” exploiting both the tax payer and workers.
Oops sorry – Rant over!

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By: Glyn MacLean https://www.openforum.com.au/smes-the-label-thats-killing-our-growth/#comment-4276 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 06:03:43 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?post_type=forumpost&p=11438#comment-4276 Nice article Mike. Poignant.

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