Business News Australia.com.au

Eligible small businesses only have two weeks left to submit their applications for round three of the Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Small Business Program.

The program is competitive and merit-based with a maximum of $50,000 funding available for each project. To be eligible, TCF small businesses or consortiums must have fewer than 20 employees, and manufacture their products, or design products for manufacture, within Australia.

Applications close at 5pm (AEDST) on 15 February 2008. For more information and to download an application form, visit the AusIndustry website or phone 13 28 46.

Launched as part of Workplace Safe Week in Tasmania, the Get moving at work Kit provides information on how you as a business, can take action to get your workplace fit, healthy and productive. 

Produced by the Premier’s Physical Activity Council with assistance from WorkCover Tasmania, the Kit can assist your businesses in addressing health and wellbeing issues and includes information on:

• how to get started
• looking at your bottom line
• health and wellbeing programs
• resources and case studies.

For more information on the Kit or to obtain a copy, visit the Get Moving Tasmania website.

Small and medium enterprises across Australia can now access support and advice on improving business performance, through the newly created Australian Industry Productivity Centres.  These centres can help you source finance and receive specialist advice and technologies. They also offer services including:

• business reviews
• tailored advisory services
• technology and knowledge solutions
• international experts

To find out more visit>>

Business Reporting Burden Slashed: Savings to business$795 million per annum. 

Business owners: close your eyes for a moment and dream. 

Imagine if Australian businesses could use a single, secure, log on and sendfinancial reports to the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Securitiesand Investments Commission, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, theAustralian Prudential Regulation Authority, and potentially, State RevenueOffices.  

What if businesses would no longer need to log in to separate systems to send financial reports to each of these agencies? Well, your dream is about to come true. The Treasurer has launched a long term initiative to cut the red tape confronting business when reporting to government.  

The Australian Government’s Standard Business Reporting (SBR) program is set to save businesses time, money and frustration. First priority will be financial reporting forms like Business Activity Statements, Company Income Tax Returns, TFN Declarations and the Quarterly Business Indicators Survey. 

The Treasury says: 

When SBR financial reporting is fully implemented, businesses will be able touse their accounting/record keeping software to automatically pre-fillgovernment reports such as BAS statements. Businesses will no longer haveto spend hours working out how to translate their own records intogovernment reports. SBR will make e-commerce with the government more viable for business. An automated system also means less errors, saving business time and effort in re-work. 

Use of SBR will be voluntary. Small and medium business will stand to benefit, with significant reductions expected in time spent preparing andsubmitting reports, and lower costs for those who assist them (such as taxagents and accountants).  

Costs to business are expected to include software upgrades, as well as learning about SBR and seeking professional advice. The Australian Government will work closely with software companies to enhance products already used by business. SBR will also work closely with business and those that support them, such as accountants and tax agents, to make sure that it delivers maximum benefit for the Australian business community. 

SBR will be co-ordinated by the Treasury and will bring together participatingagencies to streamline their business reporting needs. A range of pilots andtrials will commence from mid-2008. It is anticipated that the full implementation for financial reporting will be complete in mid-2010, with take-up by business escalating over the subsequent three years. The cost of the programme will be $208.1 million over the next three years. When fully implemented the SBR program will benefits business an estimated$795 million per year on an ongoing basis. 

Submitted by
George Ilk, Argosy Partners www.argosypartners.com.au

Are you ready to begin a brand new career? Do you feel it’s time for a change in your current role? Are you looking for that elusive promotion? Do you want to expand on the skills you have to start your own business, or are you simply interested in a new hobby?

Whatever your situation, Thomson Education Direct courses can offer you the knowledge for an exciting new career or the skills to take up a new hobby. Best of all, Thomson Education Direct courses are studied from the comfort of your home while studying at a pace that fits in with your busy life.

That’s the advantage of distance education. With none of the lecture and exam schedules associated with conventional classroom learning there is no need to put your life on hold. With no fixed enrolment dates you can choose when and where you study while still receiving all the support you require to complete your course and graduate.

From your initial contact to graduation our knowledgeable Course Advisors, helpful Mentors and expert Tutors will assist you in reaching your goals.

For 30 years, Tony Robbins
has passionately pursued
the answers to the question “What creates an extraordinary life?”
As a result he has become the world’s leading success coach, advising world leaders, sporting champions and everyday people everywhere on ways in which they can harness and use their innate inner power to transform their lives and achieve their goals.  In this incredible 4 day event Tony will personally share with you the answers he discovered and the real skills and techniques which can change your life and turn your dreams into reality.Join Tony as he takes you on an inner adventure to discover how you can:

• Break through the barriers which keep you from success
• Understand and use powerful principles for success to dramatically improve your life
• Identify empowering physical, mental and emotional states and access them at will to create immediate results
• Embrace change and thrive on challenges
• Immediately increase your confidence, energy and finances

And so much more!