The Australasian Sandwich Association continues its search for Australia’s best sandwich maker, with Matt Wilkinson of Pope Joan in Brunswick East, Melbourne, crowned the winner of the Southern Final of the Great Australian Sandwichship. The competition, held at the FSA Expo in Melbourne, is sponsored by George Weston Foods’ foodservice arm, and run by the Australasian Sandwich Association, a newly-formed café and sandwich industry body. Competing against four of the best sandwich makers... ...Read more »

A newly-formed industry body for the café and sandwich shop industry, the Australasian Sandwich Association, has kicked off in style with two major industry partners, GWF Foodservice (a subsidiary of George Weston Foods) and New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra. GWF Foodservice and Fonterra will assist the industry body’s efforts in liaising with government and regulatory bodies over issues affecting the café and sandwich sector. In addition, the industry alliance will formulate a calendar of specific... ...Read more »

From January 1, there is a change in the way a small business is defined for the purposes of Federal unfair dismissal laws.Currently, a small business employer is defined as an employer who employs fewer than 15 full-time equivalent employees. However, from January 1, the method of calculation changes and will be based on a headcount of employees, irrespective of the number of hours they work. The headcount will include casuals employed on a regular and systematic basis, employees of associated entities... ...Read more »

Food processors and manufacturers will be driven out of business if they don’t start adopting a sustainable approach, warns AgriFood Skills Australia. According to Michael Claessens, General Manager for Workforce Development and Analysis at AgriFood Skills Australia, food manufacturers are facing ever-increasing challenges to business viability resulting from rising energy costs, reduced access to affordable water supplies, greater environmental regulation, more demanding and discerning ‘green... ...Read more »

Recent announcements by Federal Small Business Minister, Craig Emerson, regarding unconscionable conduct and franchising laws fail small businesses and franchisees, according to Associate Professor Frank Zumbo, Competition and Consumer Law Expert at the University of New South Wales. Mr Zumbo claims that the new announcements are just spin and offer no effective action on issues of fundamental concern to small businesses and franchisees, saying “The announcements are a huge disappointment and... ...Read more »

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is calling for the Federal Government’s additional 30 per cent tax break for small business to be extended to eligible assets purchased before July 2010, after almost 60 per cent* of SME retailers said they won’t be taking advantage of the incentive by the 30 June 2009 deadline. ARA Executive Director Richard Evans said extending the deadline on the small business tax breaks offered as part of the Federal Government’s Nation Building and... ...Read more »

New research released in the December ARA Australian Retailers Index revealed a five percentage point jump in confidence among SME retailers, after consistent falls in confidence levels since November 2007.Australian Retailers Association Executive Director Richard Evans said the December ARA Australian Retailers Index showed marked improvement for SME retailers with increases in key economic indicators, but warned the retailers’ attitudes were still being affected by ‘gloom and doom’... ...Read more »

The Federal Government has announced a deferral of some small business tax liabilities in the first half of 2009, with over one million small businesses likely to qualify for the tax relief. The news will be well received by the small business community, and are a sign that the government recognises the cash flow difficulties that the economic slowdown presents for smaller employers and contractors, according to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI). “While the decision is... ...Read more »

The ACCI Small Business Survey has found that small business conditions have continued to deteriorate over the September quarter with this index falling to 38.6 – its lowest level since the Survey began in December 1996 and over 15 points below its five year average of 54.2. In the midst of a continued slowdown in employment growth, wage and non-wage labour costs continued to moderate and fell below their five year average. The ACCI Small Business Survey also discovered that business expects... ...Read more »

Brisbane-based gourmet pizza franchise Pizza Capers has taken out the “Rising Star Award” at Queensland Business Review’s Q400 Awards. Pizza Capers co-owner Scott Geiszler said the award acknowledged the immense growth rate of the business which moved from the 332nd spot on the Q400 list in 2006 to number 97 this year. “It is fantastic to know we are one Queensland’s largest businesses, it is what we strive to achieve and it’s great to be recognised for all our... ...Read more »