This report covers phase one of the Access to Justice inquiry. In this phase, 1,600 businesses across Australia were surveyed in order to gain an understanding of where small businesses go for advice and, when they escalate a dispute, what pathways they choose.

This report contains eight recommendations outlining initiatives to increase the supply of capital, and raise SME’s awareness of alternative sources of finance outside traditional banking.

This position paper identifies some simple steps to tackle the overly complex workplace relations system for small businesses.

Australia’s 2.2 million small to medium enterprises (SMEs) employ two thirds of Australian workers and create a substantial proportion of new jobs. Ensuring that businesses have access to capital is important for the growth of their businesses and to create jobs in the economy.

On 6 September 2016, the Minister for Small Business, the Hon. Michael McCormack MP, tasked the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman with undertaking an inquiry into the adequacy of the law and practices governing financial lending to small businesses. Consistent with other inquiries, the Ombudsman finds almost complete asymmetry of power in the...