The Australian economy is dominated by small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) which is why canvassing the views of this particular group is so important.
SMBs account for 95 per cent of businesses in Australia.
Finally, small business owners have an opportunity to tell regulators how to do their jobs, and hopefully contribute to changing the way regulators interact with their business.
The Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA), with the support of the Productivity Commission, has opened an online questionnaire that allows small businesses to let their opinions be heard about how regulators impact or enhance their business.
The information provided will be fed into a Productivity Commission review.
The Commission has been asked by the Government to examine how the interaction between regulators and small business can be improved and will report its findings later this year.
COSBOA executive director Peter Strong said that normally small business complaints about the way regulators treat them is about as useful as yelling at the TV news.
"But this questionnaire will inform an official Government review of the issue, which means we can guarantee our voices will be heard," he said.
The type of regulation a small business might face includes: The Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Australia, Local Government health and safety inspectors, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian Taxation Office, transport regulators and specific industry regulators.
"Having been a small business owner myself, I understand how significant a few changes to the rules would be to my business and my life. I am relieved to have the opportunity to let the government know what I think, and help others do the same," Strong said.
The COSBOA is an organisation that has a member who received a threatening letter from the Tax Office for a 35 cent bill.
"It is too easy for regulators to dismiss complaints from individual small businesses as whinging," he said.
"I hear the most amazing stories from our members; this time, we can unite to present considered responses to serious questions and demand to be taken seriously.
"But we need, as a community, to seize the chance and stand up and be counted.”
The survey is open to anyone and is anonymous. It takes 5 to 10 minutes at http://survey.cosboa.org.au/
