SMALL BUSINESSES struggling to cope with the COVID-19 crisis do not have to suffer alone, with the new and improved My Business Health offering dedicated holistic support to employers and sole traders.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell said the My Business Health web portal had been re-designed to walk small business owners and sole traders through the practical steps they need to take to keep their businesses afloat.

My Business Health also takes a tailored approach – in partnership with leading mental health organisation Beyond Blue –to support small business owners through this very difficult period.

“Small businesses are under enormous pressure right now, with many forced to close their doors and others unsure how they will survive the coming months,” Ms Carnell said.

“In addition to providing small businesses and sole traders with a very simple guide to what assistance is available to them, My Business Health also links to Beyond Blue’s new dedicated coronavirus mental health support service."

Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Michaelia Cash, said the Morrison Government was committed to ensuring support to small businesses during this challenging time.

“There’s no question Australians are doing it tough right now, and on top of the financial assistance available to small businesses, we want to make sure the small business operators have the necessary mental health support as well,” Senator Cash said.

Ms Carnell encouraged the Australian small business community to take stock this Easter long weekend.

“This is a very difficult and uncertain time, but I want small businesses and sole traders to know that they are not alone. There is help at hand for those that need it," she said.

“Now is the time to focus on looking after yourself, because your business ultimately depends on you. Visiting My Business Health is an excellent starting point.”

Beyond Blue’s Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service is now live at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au

ends

THE Federal Government’s JobKeeper bills that received Royal Assent and are now law will enable the delivery of critical financial relief for the hundreds of thousands of businesses and millions of workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and help will speed up the nation’s economic recovery.

CPA Australia spokesperson Paul Drum said this was a moment that will go down in history as one of the most important suites of legislation and associated instruments this century for the benefit of businesses, workers and their families,  and the economic security of the nation.

“In these unprecedented times, the legislation introduces wide ranging powers for both the Treasurer and the Tax Commissioner," Mr Drum said.

"The Treasurer now has the power to determine amounts, recipients and thresholds for the scheme, and to subdelegate the power to issue legislative or administrative instruments to the Commissioner until 31 December 2020. Importantly, this will enable nuances to be fixed and for calibration where necessary.

“It is important to acknowledge and commend the bi-partisan approach taken by the major parties to enable the speedy passage of this critical legislation,” he said.

"We look forward to working with the Treasurer, the ATO and other relevant government agencies as we now move into the delivery phase of the fiscal stimulus and survival measures."

More information can be found on these links:

CPA Australia COVID-19 resources

Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Payments and Benefits) Bill 2020

Treasury

ATO COVID-19 site

About CPA Australia

CPA Australia is one of the world's largest accounting bodies, with more than 165,000 members working in 100 countries and regions and supported by 19 offices globally. Our core services to members include education, training, technical support and advocacy. Employees and members work together with local and international bodies to represent the views and concerns of the profession to governments, regulators, industries, academia and the community.  cpaaustralia.com.au

ends

THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell said the mandatory Commercial Tenancy Code released today by the Federal Government, paves the way for small businesses to negotiate some rent relief with their landlords.

The Code, to be legislated and regulated in each state and territory, will be overseen through a binding mediation process.

Small businesses are eligible to negotiate under the Code if:

• · They are experiencing financial distress;
• · They are eligible to receive support from the JobKeeper program;
• · They have a turnover of $50 million or less.

“The Code is based on principles of good faith and will be a critical guide for small businesses and landlords at the negotiating table during this COVID-19 crisis,” Ms Carnell said.

“There’s give and take here, so small businesses can’t just stop paying rent and equally landlords cannot evict or terminate the lease.

“Tenants must honour their lease agreement and landlords are prohibited from drawing on a tenant’s security.

“Importantly, eligible small businesses who have seen a reduction in trade, will be able to negotiate a proportional rent reduction with their landlord.

“This can be achieved through a combination of waivers and deferrals of rent," Ms Carnell said.

“Australian banks have already indicated they will support landlords that support their tenants and I would urge international banks to take the same approach.

“There are no easy solutions to this problem, but if all parties involved can come to these negotiations in the spirit of co-operation, there’s a good chance of reaching an agreement.

“COVID-19 affects us all, which is why it’s so important we work together to get through this difficult time.”

www.asbfeo.gov.au

ends

IN LIGHT OF the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, Melbourne-based visual communication developers and tech start-up Piqify, have developed a unique app - PiqMeUp - which enables front line workers and businesses to stay emotionally connected with their teams, create an inclusive, supportive environment and keep an ongoing, regular monitor on the mental health and well-being of everyone across their workforce.

Co-founders of Piqify and creators of PiqMeUp, Luke Feldman and Shourov Bhattacharya are offering the PiqMeUp app free of charge to any business that wants to use the app to stay connected with their teams during this global period of lockdown.

“During this period of isolation that we are all experiencing as a global community, it’s incredibly important to maintain emotional connections with colleagues and employees to ensure that no-one feels alone, which is why we have created and want to share PiqMeUp,” Mr Feldman said.

“We really hope that PiqMeUp will also be used by hospitals, the police force and others working in the ‘front line’ to help them stay emotionally connected and make important, regular ‘check ins’ to monitor the mental health and wellbeing of their teams."

By using a universal language of symbols and uniquely designed emoticons, PiqMeUp makes it simple for people to give a quick, easy to understand ‘check in’ as to how they are feeling and their mental state.

“The PiqMeUp app utilises Piqify’s unique visual language to give businesses a platform that makes it easy for them to extend an ‘emotional check-in’ across their teams daily, or as often as they feel is needed, to make sure that their teams feel supported and connected at this time,” said Shourov Bhattacharya.

“PiqMeUp collects data ethically and securely to allow managers to monitor mental health, wellbeing and user feedback in real-time, making it an incredibly useful tool for this challenging time we’re all facing,” Mr Bhattacharya said.

PiqMeUp uses predictive AI and bot automated messaging to communicate to communities at scale and is able to escalate for those at risk. For instance, if an employee responds that he or she is not coping well, PiqMeUp automatically escalates this feedback to the appropriate manager so that support can be provided immediately. 

PiqMeUp can be easily integrated into existing organisation websites, intranets and portals, emails and other apps. 

“We hope offering free access to PiqMeUp for hospitals, the forces and any business around the globe that wants to remain connected with their teams will make it easy for people who aren’t coping with our current situation to reach out and get support,” Mr Feldman said.

Piqify

Piqify develops inclusive digital experiences for global customers and workforces. Piqify’s unique universal visual communication platform brings global enterprises closer to their customers and workforces. Using the scalable Piqify cloud platform, trademark visual language and patent-pending AI, global enterprises can create engaging and inclusive user experiences that easily integrate with their current systems. The result is 80 percentt less complexity for the user and 98 percent-plus comprehension across all culture and language groups.

ends