Small business and entrepreneurship is the life blood of a dynamic and growing economy. Newer, smaller businesses can inject innovative ideas and challenge outdated methods. This report investigates the impact of Australia’s falling rate of entrepreneurship on the business structure.

This project was designed to identify ways in which the Fair Work Commission’s guides, resources and services could be improved to meet the needs of the small business community, within the scope of the current legislative framework.

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.

At the request of the Royal Commission, this information note identifies reforms affecting SME lending introduced since 2007. The reforms outlined in this information note primarily concern reforms that are of relevance to small businesses, rather than medium sized enterprises, which are treated consistently with larger enterprises within the regulatory framework.

The scope of this paper is limited to small business credit in the form of loans, both secured and unsecured. It does not consider other banking facilities, financial products or financial services. It is intended to provide an overview of the relevant issues, and does not purport to be comprehensive.