Who Are ASBFEO?

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO)

ASBFEO provides assistance to small business and family enterprises and offers a way to provide their views on policy and programs to government. ASBFEO also assists and advocates for small businesses and family enterprises and provides access to dispute resolution services to assist businesses to resolve disputes.

Disputes & Assistance

Problems arise every day between businesses, their customers, suppliers and employees. Most of them are dealt with quickly and efficiently through common sense, but sometimes they turn into a dispute which needs further understanding to resolve it. The ASBEFO Assistance Team works with a broad range of businesses to provide one-to-one assistance for business disputes, including referral to government support and arranging alternative dispute resolution.

In general, there are five steps to dispute resolution:

If you require further assistance, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Information Line can provide information and assistance, including helping you to identify the most appropriate service to resolve your dispute. You can contact the Information Line on 1300 650 460 or see ASBFEO – Disputes Assistance

Policy & Advocacy

ASBFEO understand the challenges facing small and family business. Their Advocacy Team undertakes a number of different activities to advocate for small businesses and family enterprises to improve policies affecting them.

• Providing advice and insights to policy and decision makers.
• Conduct research.
• Deliver inquiries.
• Comment on legislation.
• Provide advice to Ministers.
• Outreach and engagement activities.

ASBFEO provide advice and insights to policy and decision makers, conduct research, deliver inquiries, comment on legislation, provide advice to Ministers, undertake outreach and engagement activities. For more information see ASBFEO – Policy Advocacy

Resources

The Advocacy Team works with the Assistance Team to ensure that Australia is the best place to start, grow and transform a small business and family enterprise. They provide practical tips on handling everyday worries such as cash flow, staff concerns or paying suppliers, as well as mental health resources such as the NewAccess for Small Business Owners Program.

ASBFEO work closely with industry peers and networks to achieve better outcomes for small business and family enterprises.

At ASBFEO, their role is to support small businesses and family enterprises to enable them to grow and thrive. They provide resources to help you solve many problems. See link ASBFEO –Resources & Tools Centre

Stay up to date by subscribing to the ASBFEO monthly e-newsletter. You will receive updates on issues, outcomes and priorities from across the small business and family enterprise sector.

ASBFEO Are Listening

ASBFEO want to hear about your small business and family enterprise experiences and concerns. This will help them in their policy and advocacy work to ensure the voice of small businesses and family enterprises is heard by decision makers during their policy development processes. Share your thoughts on what you would like the ASBFEO to look at next.