We are proud to share that our Chair, Eddie Griffith, has an Expert Insight video now live as part of the Small Business Week 2026 On Demand Video Series, running South Australia wide from 17 to 21 August, delivered by the Office for Small and Family Business and Small Business Commission SA. The video, titled […]
There is a strange imbalance in the support available to small business owners in Australia. At the very beginning, when you are starting a business, there is no shortage of help. Grants, government departments, the small business ombudsman’s website, local council resources, all readily available to anyone setting up shop. And at the very end, […]
At DSD Small Business Week 2026, ABRT Chair Eddie Griffith made a point that runs against how a lot of business owners actually think about diversification. It is not something you reach for when things go wrong. It is, in his words, probably the single most critical factor to long term business success, full stop. […]
ABRT is proud to share that our Chair, Eddie Griffith, has been named the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia’s 2026 National Small Business Champion, presented at the COSBOA National Small Business Summit Gala Dinner. The award recognises an individual, small business or organisation whose leadership, advocacy and practical impact has made an outstanding contribution […]
It usually starts the same way. A letter arrives from the ATO, out of nowhere, saying an audit of your business has been completed. Attached to it is a bill, a shortfall, plus interest, plus penalties. The first thought most owners have is simple: how did this happen? You have worked hard, put in the […]
If you or a client has recently received a letter from the ATO headed “Final warning,” with the line “you risk prosecution if you don’t act now,” you are not imagining that the tone has shifted. There is a reason letters like this are landing now, and it connects directly to pressure the ATO itself […]
Since the Federal Budget was handed down on 12 May 2026, one question keeps coming up for small and family business owners: does a family trust still protect what you have built, once the proposed changes to trust taxation take effect? It is a fair question, and one worth answering honestly rather than reflexively. More […]
It is one of the quietest fears a small business owner carries. Not just “what if the business fails,” but “what happens to me if it does.” For many owners, the word bankruptcy still conjures something close to disaster, a permanent mark, an endless process, a life derailed. That fear is understandable. Bankruptcy in Australia […]
The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia has raised an important flag on proposed changes to discretionary trust taxation, and it is one that ABRT believes small and family business owners, along with their advisors, need to sit with closely. COSBOA’s warning is straightforward: these changes could leave hundreds of thousands of small businesses facing […]
Update — $2,800+ Raised and the Desert is Real Mental Resilience Ride — Ride Update When we published the original post on 5 June, Evan Bulmer and Adam Burton were still in preparation. That is no longer the case. They are in the Simpson Desert. Right now. And the Australian small business community has responded: […]
ABRT Ride for Resilience – Gruelling Endurance Cycling Challenge to raise awareness and funds for mental health and small business. ABRT members Evan Bulmer and Adam Burton will cycle across the mighty Simpson Desert – one of the most physically demanding crossings in Australia – to raise funds for Beyond Blue‘s NewAccess for Small Business […]
A structured viability review could be the difference between an orderly exit and an uncontrolled collapse. Most small business owners don’t know they’re in trouble until the trouble is undeniable. A missed tax payment here, a creditor chasing there — individually they look like cash flow bumps. Collectively they’re often the early stages of insolvency. […]
Struggling With Fuel Costs? The ATO Has a Payment Plan — Here’s What You Need to Know If rising fuel costs have made it harder to keep up with your tax obligations, there is a specific ATO support measure available right now. It is not widely known and it closes on 30 June 2026. Here […]
The Federal Government’s extension of funding for Beyond Blue’s NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO) program to 30 June 2027 reinforces a critical reality – mental health is a core economic and business continuity issue, not a peripheral concern. For accountants, bookkeepers and advisers working with business owners, this development strengthens an early-intervention pathway that […]
10. Family spillover effects Observed in ~30–45% Business pressure rarely stays contained within the business. As uncertainty increases, cognitive and emotional load follows the owner home. Attention fragments. Patience shortens. Conversations drift repeatedly back to cash flow, risk and what might happen next. Even when physically present, owners are often mentally elsewhere. Family members notice […]
9. Fear of irreversible decisions Fear of irreversible decisions is common in the later stages of mounting pressure. Many business owners believe that asking questions or seeking advice will commit them to outcomes they cannot undo. In that mental model, curiosity equals consent and engagement equals escalation. Speaking to an adviser is seen as the […]
8. Sleep disruption and somatic symptoms Observed in ~40–55% In many cases, stress shows up in the body before it appears in the accounts. Business owners frequently report poor sleep, repeated mental replay of conversations, chest tightness, headaches, gastrointestinal issues or heightened irritability. These symptoms often emerge well before balance sheet pressure, arrears or formal […]
7. Advisor mistrust and advice fragmentation Most business owners under pressure are advised by multiple professionals, each operating within a narrow scope. Each adviser is often technically correct within their domain. The problem is that the advice is delivered in isolation. Accountants focus on compliance, reporting and historical accuracy. Lawyers focus on legal risk, exposure […]
6. Regulatory fear and perceived surveillance – Business Owner Tipping Point (NASBO Tipping Point Series) Observed in ~50–65% Regulatory fear often arises before any regulatory action. Many business owners experience regulators as constantly active, even when no investigation, audit or enforcement process is underway. The presence of reporting systems, online portals and automated correspondence creates […]
5. Shame and identity erosion – Business Owner Tipping Point (NASBO Tipping Point Series) Observed in ~55–70% For many business owners, the business is not just an income source. It is a core part of identity. The business reflects competence, judgement, resilience and self worth. When the business comes under pressure, the threat is not […]
4. Isolation and loss of peer reference points – Business Owner Tipping Point (NASBO Tipping Point Series) Observed in ~60–75% As pressure increases, many business owners lose access to genuine peer reference points. This does not usually happen by choice at the outset. It emerges as a byproduct of responsibility, risk and information sensitivity. Information […]
3. Cognitive overload and decision paralysis – Business Owner Tipping Point (NASBO Tipping Point Series) Cognitive overload is the number one overlooked issue in struggling businesses.It is routinely mislabelled as laziness or procrastination. That diagnosis is wrong. In practice, this is often the primary constraint that must be stabilised before engaging any legal, finance or […]
2. Personal guarantees and asset exposure – Business Owner Tipping Point (NASBO Tipping Point Series) Observed in ~70–85% Personal guarantees materially change the nature of business stress. Once lending is tied to personal assets, commercial problems stop feeling commercial. They become personal. Attention shifts away from margins, forecasts and recovery mechanics and moves toward the […]
1. Cash flow uncertainty and liquidity gaps – Business Owner Tipping Point (NASBO Tipping Point Series) Observed in ~80–90% This is usually the first pressure point to appear. Not insolvency. Not failure. Uncertainty. Most business owners do not become distressed because the business is unprofitable. Distress usually begins when they cannot clearly see when money […]
Business Owner Tipping Point (NASBO Tipping Point Series) Why these ten issues matter Business owner stress rarely arises from a single shock. It accumulates through overlapping pressures that narrow thinking, compress time and amplify perceived risk. These ten areas matter because they sit upstream of anxiety, withdrawal and crisis presentation. They explain what is happening […]
We are witnessing a convergence of forces that is placing accountants and their small business clients under extreme and unnecessary pressure. Three major factors are colliding at the same time and the combined effect is proving far more damaging than each factor in isolation. The first is the escalation of recovery action by the Australian […]
ABRT is pleased to have provided Treasury with a submission regarding combatting financial abuse through coerced directorships. Thank you to Michael Murray of Murrays Legal for his excellent and rigorous commentary on Combatting financial abuse perpetrated through coerced directorships. Michael’s analysis of the legal complexity, evidentiary challenges and risks of unintended consequences was influential in […]
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Advocacy Brief: Response to ATO consultation on interim GIC, SIC and penalty remission changes and alignment with the ATO Vulnerability Framework 1. Purpose The ATO says it wants consistency. It wants clarity. It wants fewer irritants. Yet the reforms it proposes place more weight on small businesses and more pressure on the vulnerable. This brief […]
In order to provide key feedback to COSBOA for their ATO submission, the following is provided. Note the deadline for responding is 26 November 2025. OFFICIAL Feedback on updated approach to considering penalty and interest remissions: What’s changing Questions for consideration —– END –— QUESTIONS PUT TO PROFESSION & BUSINESS OWNERS 1. Will the new […]
Business Viability Review – Small & Family Business Director A practical assessment that determines whether a business can continue trading, needs restructuring, or is heading toward insolvency. Most of all, by engaging with an ABRT Specialist, a business can get breathing space to work out the best way forward. Is the business viable? That’s the […]
The Tax Ombudsman has said what many in the accounting and bookkeeping profession have been thinking – and she’s right. In her latest review, Ruth Owen CBE GAICD has laid bare the growing frustration across the tax profession over the ATO’s declining service standards. What she heard from practitioners was blunt and consistent: inconsistent advice, […]
About This Submission – ASIC Regulatory Simplification Program The Affiliation for Business Resilience & Turnaround (the ABRT), as a Council Member of the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia (COSBOA), has formally lodged a detailed submission to ASIC’s Regulatory Simplification Program (REP 813). This national consultation seeks practical ideas to make it easier for […]
Payday Super is Coming – Ready or Not The government says reform.Accountants say chaos.Small business says cashflow crisis. Payday super is coming on 1 July 2026, and while Canberra calls it “modernisation”, accountants on the ground know what it really means – tighter deadlines, thinner margins, and more sleepless nights. Paying superannuation at the same […]
The ATO Won’t Move? Here’s How ABRT Makes Them Listen Every accountant knows the sound of silence. The hold tone that never ends. The “case in progress” that never moves. The client who rings in panic about a debt they never saw coming. You’ve done everything right – yet the system won’t move. At ABRT, […]
Attention! FAMILY BUSINESS DIRECTORS! You join the family business because it feels right. It’s what your parents built, what your name stands for, what your future depends on. But what feels natural can also be fatal. Many family directors believe the same myth: that family businesses are gentler, safer, more forgiving. They aren’t. The law […]
Drawing the Line A common misconception among business owners is simple but dangerous: “It’s my company, so its money is my money. It sounds harmless. You run a successful family-owned company. It’s made good profits. You want to use those profits to invest, to help family, to reward years of hard work. Many small and […]
Dear Ruth Owen, Subject: Submission – Review of the ATO’s Remission of General Interest Charge (GIC) I write on behalf of the Affiliation for Business Resilience and Turnaround (ABRT), representing a national network of professional business advisors assisting financially distressed small and family enterprises. Executive Summary The ATO holds powers unique in Australia’s regulatory landscape. […]
NewAccess for Small Business Owners Running a business is demanding. High-pressure decisions, compliance obligations, and financial uncertainty can quickly become overwhelming. Specialist business advice is essential, but even the best guidance will fail if the business owner or director is stressed, anxious or burnt out. The NASBO (NewAccess for Small Business Owners) program by Beyond […]
Our inspiring evening was held as part of Small Business Week 2025 – South Australia (in support of the COSBOA Roadshow). South Australia’s small business community continues to weather the storm – from algal blooms and drought to export and economic pressures. Our theme for discussion was vulnerable industries and particularly risk and resilience strategies for our rural, coastal and tourism businesses navigating uncertainty. Venue […]
Dated: 29 July 2025 – Support for continued funding of the Initiative Executive Summary The Affiliation for Business Resilience & Turnaround ABRT strongly advocates for the continued funding and national expansion of Beyond Blue’s NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO) program. As obligation free and confidential mental health coaching program tailored for small business owners, […]
When a relationship breaks down and two people who have relied on each other part ways, adjusting to a new lifestyle can be challenging.
When a relationship breaks down and two people who have relied on each other part ways, adjusting to a new lifestyle can be challenging.
When a relationship breaks down and two people who have relied on each other part ways, adjusting to a new lifestyle can be challenging.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australia’s watchdog for upholding competition, consumer rights, and product safety standards, has outlined its enforcement priorities for the upcoming period. Expanding upon the groundwork laid in previous years and acknowledging the challenges posed by the cost of living and the digital economy, the ACCC’s focus for 2024-25 will […]
Economist James Packham, Managing Director of Harcourts Packham and ABRT Board Member, provides his opinion. James has multiple business interests and is a keen investor to SMEs (Southern Angel Investors member). James is also an economist, real estate auctioneer, seasoned property developer and business broker. James has provided us with this highly informative snapshot (with some remarkable statistics) […]
Mann Gulch – business turnarounds
Did you ever think that working in insolvency or turnaround would come with the physical, mental and psychological challenges that it does? It’s not just about numbers, it’s about managing the emotions, energy and expectations of others. This is not easy, even for those professionally trained in those areas. When I talk with those working in insolvency or turnaround, I hear the stress and pressure they are under, and I see the physical, mental and emotional impact this is having.
Real Estate expert & Economist James Packham, Managing Director of Harcourts Packham and ABRT Board Member, provides his opinion following the latest interest rate rise.
The irony of being a Restructuring and Turnaround Executive for a business is that once you have stabilised the business, stemmed the bleeding and discovered the root cause – you fix that problems and have salvaged the business for the business owners.
Once again, the ABRT is lucky to have expert Stephen Barnes RTP® provide some thoughtful insight, commentary and his professional opinion on this week’s media announcement concerning ASIC statistics – specifically, those in relation the construction industry. The new data shows Australian businesses are failing at the highest rate since before the pandemic began.
In a report commissioned by the Fair Work Ombudsman in June 2012 titled “Phoenix Activity – Sizing the problem and matching solutions”, the following definition of phoenix activity was developed in consultation with stakeholders
Stephen Barnes RTP® is an author & a seasoned Restructuring & Turnaround Practitioner & ABRT advocate.
The value of the words ‘Private and Confidential’ in a legal sense depends on the context in which they are used. Often these words are written on correspondence merely to emphasise that the intended recipient must open the letter, rather than someone else. For example, you may not want a family member or colleague opening a communication from your doctor. In other instances the words can impose a legal duty on you to manage the communication in a particular way.
Founder of Hermes Capital, seasoned professional Nicholas Samios is an expert in credit risk management.
Pre-insolvency advisors have not always had the best press in Australia: Registered insolvency practitioners (i.e., liquidators and voluntary administrators) are usually not interested in giving pre-insolvency advice: If they advise pre-insolvency, they will lack the required independence for a lucrative formal insolvency appointment.
In a follow up to an earlier 2020 report, Small Business and Mental Health: Supporting Small Business when they are Facing Challenges, The Treasury (of the Australian Government) published a report on 12 December 2022.
Headquartered in South Australia, we decided it was perfect timing for a soft launch event for our innovative new professional association. Were delighted that our event was fully sold out!
Leadership is widely acknowledged as the most important internal determinant of a firm’s performance.
This also holds true for Private Equity (PE), where the calibre of portfolio company leadership is cited as the number one reason for deal success1.
The CNC machine broke down and caused an impossible bottleneck that threatened the company’s survival. Customers were relying heavily on the timely delivery of supplies.
It is very common for people to transfer assets to a spouse (or family trust) before embarking on a ‘risky’ activity. For example, before going into business, becoming a partner in a professional services firm, or undertaking a development. But is this really effective?
Australia’s Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, has your best interests in mind. If you’re currently feeling like your heart is heavy, that stress is turning your worry lines into permanent facial features, and you don’t know which way is up, this article is for you.
How do you strike the correct balance when looking at the interests of creditors and debtors in insolvent or potentially insolvent scenarios?
Sexual harassment can cost a business dearly in terms of lost productivity, staff turnover, recruitment costs, legal fees and court awarded damages. Two recent court cases have shown us that courts are now prepared to make increasingly large awards to compensate victims of sexual harassment.
Small businesses make up 98% of Australia’s economy. According to the World Bank in 2017, they represent about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. Micro, small and family enterprises play an essential role in most countries around the world, especially in emerging markets.
Following ASBFEO PPSR research, The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Kate Carnell says it is essential for small business owners to secure their assets and business loans, with economists predicting a steep rise in insolvencies this year.
The Australian Government has announced the reforms introducing a new debt restructuring and simplified liquidation process for small businesses. These reforms are aimed at providing small businesses with the assistance to survive, or where a restructure is not possible, to maximise returns to creditors and employees by reducing the complexity, time and costs involved in liquidating a company.
Drawing on decades of experience in advising small business owners on crisis management, restructuring & turnaround strategies, financial distress and insolvency, the ABRT Board considers a comprehensive ‘Business Viability Review’ is an essential pre-requisite tool for struggling business owners.
This article is about a recent safe harbour success. At ReGroup Solutions, we absolutely love getting a great outcome for clients. What makes this particular case different is that we were able to use the safe harbour provisions under section 588GA for the precise purpose for which the legislation was intended.
Pre-insolvency advisers are professionals who help business owners conduct a root cause analysis to understand why their business is failing and then help develop a turnaround strategy or, if this is not possible, plan an orderly winding up.
The nation’s peak accounting and bookkeeping bodies have joined forces with the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell to make a united call for a Small Business Viability Review program to be included in the Federal Budget.
If you’re a struggling small business owner, Frydenberg’s announcement may just be the help you need to restructure your debts and trade out of the ‘COVID’ trouble. If you’re a creditor to a small business, then getting paid may get just that bit harder… (again)
The COVID Safe Harbour grants directors automatic protection from insolvent trading personal liability. It expires on 25 September & zombie companies expected to enter insolvency
It just got easier for struggling business owners and directors to browse the professional expertise of trusted business advisory specialists.
ASBFEO’s recommendations for COVID-19 small and family business recovery. This is at the heart of what the ABRT stands for and we proudly support ASBFEO and the work Kate Carnell and the are doing.
The COVID-19 crisis has worsened the economy and your business may be forced to close. The ASBFEO (Australia’s Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman) has some recommendations to the way business turnaround and insolvency should operate.
