Council of Small Business Organisations Australia

23/06/2026

Final call.

Nominations for the 2026 COSBOA National Small Business Champion Award close 30 June.

Know someone making a difference in small business?

Nominate them before it’s too late.

https://cosboa.org.au/awards/

23/06/2026

Late payments are a major source of financial stress for small businesses, affecting cash flow, certainty and their ability to plan, invest and grow.

COSBOA strongly supports the Private Member’s Bill introduced by Federal Member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, to link large business payment practices with eligibility for Commonwealth procurement contracts.

Small businesses deserve to be paid on time, so they can operate with the certainty they need to contribute to the economy.

Read more here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wlc72KgX8ZALmTSvGiRcOG-hBaJu4n0L/view

21/06/2026

When Nicole Nation took over her father’s Mortgage Choice business in St Marys in 2019, she was looking ahead with confidence.

Then COVID hit, and the pressure took a serious toll.

But Nicole kept going.

Over the past 18 months, she has rebuilt with focus and confidence – hiring support, outsourcing key tasks, delivering seminars, winning a Local Business Award and becoming a finalist in the Australian Women in Small Business Champion Awards.

Through COSBOA’s She Means Business project, Nicole has accessed practical support to build her confidence, strengthen her presenting skills and take a more strategic approach to social media and business growth.

She Means Business supports women in small business, with a focus on underrepresented sectors including Information and Communication Technology, Financial Services, and Energy and Trades.

Read Nicole’s story and find out more about She Means Business: https://shemeansbusiness.org.au/post/rising-strong-how-nicole-nation-rebuilt-her-business-and-herself/

When Nicole Nation walked into her dad’s Mortgage Choice office in St Marys as a shy 23-year-old receptionist, she never imagined she’d one day own the

19/06/2026

Will Harris, Chief Operating Officer, COSBOA, spoke at the National AI & Cybersecurity Leadership Summit in Melbourne on two panels today.

The first, Leading With Confidence: AI Safety, Trust & Board Readiness, William spoke alongside Aaron Violi MP, Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy and Donna Cooper from the Law Institute of Victoria - the conversation focused on how to build responsible, trusted AI frameworks. William emphasised that boards and organisational leaders must balance cybersecurity risks with the need for reliable data trust, ensuring businesses are protected against digital threats every day.

At the second session, Accelerating Smart Growth: AI-Led Productivity & Economic Growth, alongside Richard Welch MP and Dr Brett Szmajda, National AI Centre, Will advocated for technology tools that boost operational efficiency, allowing small businesses to compete and grow without needing massive budgets. They discussed how AI can act as a productivity enabler rather than just a cost-cutting measure and highlighted how targeted AI adoption for specific problem solving, can help close revenue gaps and spur broader economic growth across the country.

COSBOA is grateful to be part of these important engagements so we can ensure that regulatory guardrails and AI governance are not only designed for large enterprises but are workable for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs).

18/06/2026

Don’t leave your digital door open.

Cyber crime is a growing risk for small businesses – including convenience stores and fuel retailers that rely on payment systems, supplier accounts, payroll, online banking, POS systems and customer data every day.

In the June edition of Convenience World Magazine, COSBOA CEO Skye Cappuccio shares why cyber security matters for convenience businesses, and how simple steps can make a big difference.

These include:

✅ Using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication
✅ Training staff to spot suspicious emails, invoices and links
✅ Keeping software and systems updated
✅ Backing up important business data
✅ Limiting access to sensitive information

Free, practical cyber safety training is also available through Cyber Wardens, designed specifically for busy small businesses and their teams.

Read the full article on pages 30 and 31: https://emagazines.retailmedia.com.au/cw-june-2026/full-view.html

18/06/2026

The Government’s decision to update eligibility thresholds for one of the Small Business Capital Gains Tax concessions is a positive and welcome step for thousands of growing small businesses.

This change will be particularly important for around 180,000 small businesses with annual turnover between $2 million and $10 million.

But it does not go far enough.

The announcement only addresses one of the four Small Business CGT Concessions. COSBOA will continue to advocate for thresholds to be updated across all four concessions, so small businesses have the certainty they need to invest, grow, employ local people and plan for the future.

COSBOA has long called for these thresholds to be modernised, because the current settings no longer reflect the realities of running a small business in Australia.

Read more: https://cosboa.org.au/post/small-business-cgt-concessions-heading-in-the-right-direction-but-more-work-remains/

17/06/2026

We’re pleased to welcome The Hon. Amanda Rishworth MP, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, to the 2026 COSBOA National Small Business Summit speaker line-up.

Minister Rishworth will join leaders from business, government and industry for important conversations about workforce challenges, productivity and the future of Australia’s small business sector.

📍 Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour
📅 4th & 5th August 2026

Join us for two days of discussion, insight and connection: https://www.cosboansbs.com.au/speakers-2/

17/06/2026

With the new 30 per cent minimum tax rate to trust distributions on the horizon, small businesses operating through family trusts risk higher costs or costly restructuring.

Do you work for one of the 350,000 family businesses that might be impacted?

Learn more: https://fairgo.cosboa.org.au/

16/06/2026

Nominations are closing soon.

If you know someone making a real difference for small business, now is the time to nominate them.

The 2026 COSBOA National Small Business Champion Award closes 30 June.

Nominate today.

https://cosboa.org.au/awards/