Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose ~ Episode #229 Broadcast date: 16 April 2024 Host: Alexi Boyd, Small Business Advocate & Policy Advisor Guest: Dr Michael Schaper, Board Chair, small business advocate and policy specialist There is a sector of the small business community that is even more regulated than others but there is a good reason for that. Due to some bad actors in the sector in the past, Franchising has been under scrutiny and so has the Government and the way the Franchise code is managed. It’s not just stock or a shop or a brand you’re buying, you’re entering a complex ..read more

Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose ~ Episode #228 Broadcast date: 9 April 2024 Host: Alexi Boyd, Small Business Advocate & Policy Advisor Guest: Dr Stephen Morse, ESG Strategist & Founder Unchained & Serena Stewart Head of Strategic Partnerships, Business/Law School at UTS If you asked a small business owner if they had processes which showed consideration, fairness and equality when hiring new staff, that they were making considerable effort to reduce their impact on the environment and be more sustainable, and had all their paperwork up to date with ASIC; the vast majorit ..read more

Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose ~ Episode #225 Broadcast date: 19th March 2024 Host: Alexi Boyd, Small Business Advocate & Policy Advisor Guest: Elizabeth Skirving, CEO of Rural Business Tasmania Small businesses are often (when it is convenient) referred to as the “backbone of the economy” but nothing could be closer to the truth in regional, rural and remote communities. They literally are the fabric binding economic success, growth, jobs, training and the survival of many communities. Its not the big businesses running down the flooded or fire ravaged high streets supporting ..read more

Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose ~ Episode #225 Broadcast date: 5th March 2024 Host: Alexi Boyd, Small Business Advocate & Policy Advisor Guest: Emma Clarke, Chief Operating Officer, Mable Increasingly, big tech companies are playing the role of advocate on behalf of their small business users. Some even have branches dedicated to governance and ensuring the data is aggregated, safe to share and presented so policymakers can read it as a reflection of what matters most to small businesses. There are some tech companies who use their data for the power of good. They use it to sup ..read more

Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose ~ Episode #224 Broadcast date: 27th February 2024 Host: Alexi Boyd, Small Business Advocate & Policy Advisor Guest: Stephen Walters, Chief Economist Business Council of Australia (BCA) There is a group of boffins who wield influence and power in Canberra and across the state and local governments too. And it is just as well since they know the effect of policy and politics on businesses and the economy as a whole.  But the big question we’re going to ask today is how well do they understand and reflect the needs of small business in their res ..read more

Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose ~ Episode #223 Broadcast date: 20th February 2024 Host: Alexi Boyd, Small Business Advocate & Policy Advisor Guest: Dr Suji Sanjeevan, co-founder Light & Glo Designs Resilience is one of those words that is overused and bandied about when describing small businesses. After Covid it can probably be adopted by every small business that still has their head above water. But today’s story is unique and our guest has come all the way from Melbourne to share her story with us, and inspire our small business listeners. Dr Suji Sanjeevan, as the co-fo ..read more

Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose ~ Episode #221 Broadcast date: 30th January 2024 Host: Alexi Boyd, Small Business Advocate & Policy Advisor Guest: The speakers and attendees at the Intuit GetConnected23 conference! Conferences are a great way to connect with your peers, learn the latest industry trends and grab some swag! And last year’s Intuit GetConnect conference was no exception. But what made this accounting and bookkeeping get together different was the quality of the discussions and the focus on the future of tech. A big focus for me at the conference was Open Banking and ..read more

Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose ~ Episode #220 Broadcast date: 23th January 2024 Host: Alexi Boyd, Small Business Advocate & Policy Advisor Guest: Rosemary Sinclair AM, CEO of au.Domain Administration With decades of experience as a leader and advocate in the telecommunications industry, today’s guest is no stranger to policy, international diplomacy and being at the helm of industry bodies, powerful advocacy organisations and having the ear of Government. As the CEO of auDA, the administrator and self-regulatory policy body for Australia’s country code Top Level Domain, the .au ..read more

Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose ~ Episode #219 Broadcast date: 16th January 2024 Host: Alexi Boyd, Small Business Advocate & Policy Advisor Guest: John Shepherd PSM, First Assistant Secretary, Digital Identity Taskforce, Dept Finance You don’t have to be a Fintech or a tech company to work with data as a small business owner. We work on a daily basis with business data, integrated personal information and the data held on behalf of our customers. For most, it’s just contact information in a CRM but small businesses are becoming increasingly aware that even the simplest data is p ..read more

Small Biz Matters: People, Policy, Purpose ~ Episode #218 Broadcast date: 9th Jan 2024 Host: Alexi Boyd, Small Business Advocate & Policy Advisor Guest: Kate Carnell AO There are few people in Australia with more experience in small business policy, advocacy and purpose than Kate Carnell AO. Her resume as a community leader is impressive. Aside from a long career in policy and politics, Kate for five years fiercely fought for all small businesses as the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman. Prior to that she was the CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industr ..read more