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AI Productivity Tools Come with Strings

Posted on by Laze Spasevski
Mortgage Stress Dropped – Building a Buffer Still Matter
More businesses use AI tools to boost productivity, but they come with strings. These AI tools can expose sensitive data if used without controls. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has warned that cloud-based AI systems introduce specific cyber security risks for small businesses, particularly when sensitive data is uploaded without safeguards. The biggest exposure points ...
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How SMEs are Upgrading Without Cash Strain

Posted on by Laze Spasevski
How SMEs are Upgrading Without Cash Strain
Despite the soft economy, many SMEs are upgrading vehicles, machinery and technology – but doing it in a way without cash strain. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that loans for plant and equipment were 9.4% higher in the September quarter than the year before and 36.9% above the 10-year average. That’s not a business sector pulling back – that’s a sector investing, carefully ...
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Businesses Urged to Boost Productivity

Posted on by Laze Spasevski
Businesses Urged to Boost Productivity as Wages Rise
As wages rise faster than prices, giving households more spending power, businesses are urged to boost productivity. Average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults hit $2010 in May 2025, which was 4.5% higher than the year before, and significantly more than the 2.1% annual inflation rate recorded in the June quarter. However, Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox st...
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Consumers Cautious with Spending

Posted on by Laze Spasevski
Consumers Cautious with Spending
Based on the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, consumers are cautious with their spending, leading to challenging conditions for businesses. Household spending in April was just 0.1% higher than the month before, while retail spending was actually 0.1% lower, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This cautious spending behaviour is ref...
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Government Aims to Protect Small Businesses

Posted on by Laze Spasevski
New protections aim to level the playing field between big & small companies
The federal government aims to protect small businesses from unfair trading practices imposed on them by larger companies. The government said, "Treasury will consult this year on the design of protections for businesses, including whether a principles-based prohibition should apply and whether specific unfair trading practices should target small businesses." Unfair practices may includ...
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ATO Warned Businesses With Tax Debts

Posted on by Laze Spasevski
The Australian Taxation Office ATO has warned businesses with tax debts. The Government’s principal revenue collection agency revealed that it has issued Notices of Intent to disclose business tax debts. At least 9,000 businesses are at risk of having their business debts sent to the credit reporting agencies for the month of October. ATO warned the businesses: That we are behind on th...
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ATO Resolution in Resolving Disputes

Posted on by Laze Spasevski
ATO Resolutions in Resolving Disputes
A senior official from the ATO has told businesses that there are multiple resolution procedures in resolving tax-related disputes. She further said that formal disputes and litigation are not the only ways they can resolve arguments with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). ATO second commissioner Kirsten Fish delivered a speech earlier this month. She said that there were multiple review...
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Electric Vehicles Cheaper Are Now Cheaper

Posted on by Laze Spasevski
Electric Vehicles Cheaper Are Now Cheaper
Electric Vehicles are now cheaper after the federal government has passed the Electric Car Discount Bill through parliament. The bill removes the 5% import tariff for zero- and low-emission vehicles that are beneath the Luxury Car Tax Threshold ($84,916). The bill also provides a fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption for eligible cars made available for employees by employers. For a veh...
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SMEs Optimistic About the Future

Posted on by Laze Spasevski
SMEs are cautiously optimistic about the future, according to the Australian Banking Association's Small and Medium Enterprises Lending Report. The report, which surveyed businesses throughout the country, found an increase in the average value of loans in the year to July: Small business loans rose from $2.9 million to $3.4 million Medium business loans rose from $12.7 million to $...
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ATO Intends to Collect Tax Debts

Posted on by Laze Spasevski
The ATO (Australian Taxation Office) has put small businesses on notice that it intends to collect unpaid tax debts and crack down on tax evasion. ATO second commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn said small businesses were responsible for 65% of the $37 billion in collectible (i.e. not disputed) debt. Mr Hirschhorn said that while the ATO took a relatively relaxed attitude to debt collection during...
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