Combined Small Business Alliance of WA Inc.

CoSBA

Combined Small Business Alliance of WA Inc. (CoSBA)

PROFILE

CoSBA had its genesis in the early 1990s as the Combined Business Association, which in 1998 changed its name to the Combined Small Business Association, in order to more accurately reflect its objectives.

In March 2002 CoSBA merged with the Small Business Alliance, which now makes us the single largest peak small business organisation in WA with a membership comprised of business associations, local chambers of commerce, industry associations and other incorporated organisations that exist to support and assist the needs and aspirations small business.

Affiliates of CoSBA have a combined membership comprised of an estimated 3,200 employers, with a conservatively estimated annual turnover of $800,000,000, employing an estimated 35,000 employees.

As a peak body, CoSBA acts as a representative and united voice for and on behalf of small business organisations, in so doing, we actively represents the interests of our Affiliates, and small business in general, by lobbying Governments and in being represented on a number of forums and bodies.

In recognition of our standing in the representation of small business we enjoy a close working relationship with the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) established in July 2007.  The MoU provides CoSBA with an official status as the peak small business organisation in Western Australia.

 

Aim and Objects of Association

The aim of the association is to further and protect the interests, needs and aspirations of small business owners and operators and organisations which exist to further and protect the interests, needs and aspirations of small business owners and operators.

 

The objectives of the association include:

To represent members in a co-ordinated approach at all levels of government - local, state and federal, in a non-political and non-sectarian manner.

 

To represent members at organisations, conferences, seminars, locally, statewide and nationally.

 

To encourage and participation in membership of similar business Associations.

 

To conduct dialogue with other business organisations and associations.

 

To promote and foster business alliances with the following objectives:

-    to promote reciprocal trade;

-    to exchange business knowledge between members;

-    to promote member business and social contacts on a regular basis;

-    to act as a representative body in matters of interest to members, in a non-political, non - sectarian manner.

 

Following are Small Business survey results representing key issues:

STATE ISSUES

1. Government Taxes & Charges: High level of Payroll Tax & Stamp Duty; High energy costs

2. Under-representation of small business with Government: The State Training Board and other Government Bodies.

3. Small Business Training & Education: Traineeships i.e. 15 hours; Small Business Institute to be set up; Difficulties in finding skilled and unskilled labour.

4. Fuel - excise/costs: Excessive.

5. Government Procurement: In-sourcing of non core activities regardless of cost; Reduction of number of suppliers and taking lowest price regardless of impact on SME’s.

6. Liquor Licensing Reform: More relaxed liquor laws.

7. Trading Hours Reform: More relaxed trading hours.

8. Market Domination by major supermarket chains.

9. Industrial Relations: High level of Pay.

10. Other Issues: Not in any order of priority:

· Restitution & compensation for victims of crime.

· Strong pro-union stance taken by the Government.

· Daylight Saving - should be introduced permanently.

· Tourism and events promotion.

· Small Business Awards, No applicants because no one knew about them.

· Lack of development of city.

· Uniform WorkCover legislation across all States.

· Removal of criminal charges and penalties from legislation, except for deliberately intentional cases.

 

FEDERAL ISSUES

1. Business/Taxation costs: Complicated tax laws & high cost of compliance; Insufficient tax breaks for companies attempting to develop new technologies; Depreciation should have 100% write off in year of expenditure; High levels of company & individual tax.

2. Lack of support by Federal agencies: Lack of loyalty and recognition of value added services when decision is purely price driven; Calling of national contracts - excluding local businesses.

3. Labour shortages: Low levels of immigration; Immigration/Labour shortages.

4. Fuel excise/costs: Fuel prices.

5. Superannuation: Requirements geared around big business systems; Different super funds, with different payment systems, different schedules, different procedures, etc etc. Painful and consuming for small business; Contribution Tax on Super should be abolished.

6. Training: Lack of effort in getting WADET to fulfils it obligations across all industries in a non-selective way – out off line with other states e.g. traineeships.

7. Red tape & compliance costs (time and money)

8. Industrial Relations: WorkChoices far too complex for small business.

9. Research and development: Shortfall funding/support.

10. Other Issues: Not in any order of priority:

· Bureaucracy and slowness by Customs and Quarantine agencies impeding imports; Hysteria about food safety and complication with AQIS adds considerable expense for spurious testing requirements.

· Serious concern that the new minimum wage will undermine the cost of labour - far to open to abuse.

· Immigration/Refugee numbers - excessive.

· Importation of skilled labour – far to open to abuse at the cost of Australian labour.

· Too much financial aid given abroad should be “tied” to products or services supplied from Australia.

· Reform of Export Market Development Grants Scheme, make it less onerous to access.

· Federal Government to tale over WorkCover legislation across all States.

· Removal of criminal charges and penalties from legislation, except for deliberately intentional cases.